Diseases is one of the main challenges faced by poultry farmers and infectious coryza is one of the major diseases.
Infectious coryza is a highly infectious disease of poultry caused by bacteria and has a high morbidity. The route of infection is conjunctiva and has an incubation period of 1 to 3 days followed by an onset of the disease in 2 to 3 days with the whole flock being affected in 10 days. The disease is spread by direct contact between infected and uninfected birds and also through carriers where one touches infected birds and then touches eggs that have just been hatched or newly hatched chicks.
Signs and control
The common signs of the disease are facial swelling, swollen wattles, sneezing, loss in condition, drop in egg production, trichiasis and loss in appetite.
Control of the disease is through vaccination, doing better biosecurity and curling. You can also treat birds using streptomycin, sulphur, sulphonamides, tylosin and erythromycin drugs.
If the disease is severely on the farm, simply cull the infected birds.
Eye surgery
A minor eye surgery can be carried out to treat the birds This is done by pressing the eye gently, a white staff that looks like pus will come out. Hold the beak of the bird and gently remove the white staff from the bird‘s eye. Check the inside of the eye to ensure there are no remnants and if any, remove it using a pair of forceps.
Use surgical spirit on a clean cotton and clean to clearly, slowly and gently wipe around the wound. Put some tetracycline inside the eye for 5 days and give the hen some antibiotics.
