Chickens are rich in protein and help to generate income, they get sick often through drinking dirty water, unclean surroundings and eating improper food. Common diseases affecting chickens are diarrhoea, new castle, fowl pox and nutritious deficiencies.
Sick chickens look dull and refuse to eat, their wattles and comb look pale, they remove discharge from the nose or eyes and the birds may sneeze frequently.
Preventing diseases
When chickens fall ill they may stop producing eggs or produce eggs that are not good, some of the chickens may also die as a result of being ill.
To prevent diseases clean the coop area everyday by removing the pop, uneaten and spilt feeds.
Ensure the chickens have enough clean drinking water. Purify the drinking water by adding a pinch of tumeric or potassium permanganate to kill the germs and prevent infections in the chicken.
Feeding the chicken
Feed the chickens a balanced diet on occasions, feed them pulses and greens. Use feeders to use less feeds when feeding the chicken. Add garlic and onions to help prevent infections.
Eggshells are a good source of calcium and they treat calcium deficiencies. Take the egg shells and boil them for 10 mins, dry them in the sun for about 4 hours and grind them into pieces.
Deworming chicken
Red excrements are a sign of internal worms, to prevent these, give the chickens extracts of boiled peels of pomegranate. Boil a handful of peels for 15 minutes, strain the extract and cool the extract before feeding the chicken.
When using papaya sap, cut the skin of an unripe papaya and collect the sap with a spoon then mix it with the drinking water. Collect the sap very early in the morning.
