THE REALITIES ABOUT POULTRY The Modern Farm - The Realities About Poultry_Seco | Page 115

Flock Structure
Of all the common free-range poultry species, chickens are the most susceptible to disease. Ducks,
geese and guinea fowl are often symptom-less carriers of chicken diseases, or have mild forms of
them. This represents a common source of infection in chickens, while the opposite is rare.
Therefore in mixed flocks special attention should be paid to the health of chickens. Separation into
different species and age groups may not be possible, but simple devices such as creep cage-baskets
may be used as a temporary measure for procedures such as vaccination of chicks or special feeding.
Feeding
The importance of nutrition in flock health is well known. Birds should be fed well to boost their
immune system. This in turn reduces incidences of diseases that come as a result of nutrient
deficiencies.
Medical Disease Control
Simple medical control measures appropriate for free-range village flocks include:

Vaccination against Newcastle Disease, Fowl Pox and Fowl Cholera. There are five (5)
vaccination methods. These include: Eye-drop method; Spray method; Drinking water
method; Needle through the wing-web method and Injection method. Note: Strictly
follow the vaccination program as advised by the veterinarian. Failure to follow the vaccination
schedule can result in severe loss in case of a disease outbreak in a farmer’s flock.

De-worming for internal parasites in a mixed flock, with a polyvalent poultry de-wormer such
as Piperazine (added to drinking water). With guinea fowl, a de-wormer against Trichomonas
should be used.

Treatment for external parasites. Insects and other external parasites build up quickly in
poultry huts, coops and baskets. There are effective traditional methods against ectoparasites. All
the surfaces of the basket, coop or hut can be sprayed with a suitable insecticide, using the same
type of hand-pump used for spraying mosquitoes. This procedure should only be carried out
when the house is empty in the morning, and the birds should not be allowed back inside until
evening. External parasites living on poultry can best be treated by adding powdered mothballs
(naphthalene) and ash to the dust bath area. Ash dust is more abrasive than ordinary soil dust,
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