Artib Farm

A chicken’s spurs, claws, and beak are made of keratin; the same substance as your finger and toenails. This make them grow continually. Chickens in extensive system have their claws and beaks naturally wear down as they grow. But for intensive or backyard system, sometimes chicken beaks and claws grow too long and need to be trimmed. A rooster’s spurs, too, can grow too long for the bird’s comfort or safety. Beak Trimming Beak is used by chickens to gather food, explore and manipulating objects in the environment. Beak is also used for preening, nesting and engaging in social interactions. A chicken beak that grows improperly interferes with the chicken’s ability to eat and enjoy other activities necessary for its well-being. Chicken beak trimming is not the same as debeaking which refers to cutting so much from a beak that it remains permanently short to prevent cannibalism. How To Trim Your Chicken’s Beak * Wrap your chicken in a towel. This should keep them calm an...

Fowl Cholera is a serious, highly contagious bacterial disease that affect a range of avian species like chickens, turkeys, and water fowl. It may be acute with sudden death. The route of infection is oral or nasal with transmission via nasal exudate, faeces, contaminated soil, equipment, and people.  Other names are Avian Pasteurellosis and Avian Hemorrhagic Septicemia . Cause Fowl cholera is caused by the bacterium Pasteurella multocida . The incubation period is usually 5-8 days. The bacterium is easily destroyed by environmental factors and disinfectants, but may persist for prolonged periods in soil and other carriers like rodents, cats and pigs. Predisposing factors include high density and concurrent infections such as Upper Respiratory Disease . Symptoms a) Affected birds may show symptoms including: * fever * bluish discolouration of the skin, wattle and comb (cyanosis) * loss of appetite * ruffled feathers * mucous discharge from the mouth * green watery diarr...

Botulism is a disease characterised by paralysis of the neck and limbs of poultry. Usually, a number of birds are affected and they quickly succumb. It can attack all domestic poultry including fowls, turkeys, water fowl, pheasants, emus and most wild birds. Carrion-eating birds can withstand large doses of the toxin without showing any symptoms. It is otherwise known as Limberneck and scientifically referred to as Clostridium botulinum . Causes   * It is mainly caused by ingestion of a toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum; a bacterium in decaying animal and vegetable matter. * Botulism occurs sporadically in poultry raised under conditions where hygiene is poor and birds have access to contaminated material. * Wild birds may contaminate domestic poultry feed or water supplies which, when ingested, may lead to infection or disease. Symptoms Symptoms of botulism start to appear 12 to 48 hours after the toxin has been ingested. The symptoms are as follow: * Affected birds w...