By Doug Oettinger
Water breakfast is amazingly resilient and stamina. They are often long-lived when compared to many other types of poultry, you may keep them for years and never have any problems. However, there are many diseases and physical problems that can sometimes take hold, first manifesting in forms of ataxia (general clumsiness when trying to walk or fly), imbalance (marked balance problems), or even complete paralysis. All of these are symptoms of deeper, underlying issues such as disease onset, neurological damage, or some kind of toxicity. These cases must be addressed
As soon as you first notice symptoms.
Staggering and imbalance in birds, including waterfowl, is often one of the first signs that something is seriously wrong. There are many causes, including physical injury to the brain or spinal cord, viral or bacterial infections, nutritional imbalances, toxins or toxins, and tumors.
The purpose of this article is not to give an exhaustive list of neurological problems or diseases in waterfowl, but rather to provide a brief overview of some of the things waterfowl owners need to be aware of. Being aware of potential health problems and their causes can help flock owners avoid them
dead situations, as well as giving them a starting point of reference in case of problems.
Botulism or Limberneck
Botulism is a potential danger to waterfowl, both wild and domestic. It is caused by neurotoxins produced by anaerobic bacteria, Clostridium botulinum. These bacteria can multiply rapidly in decomposing vegetation along beaches, decomposing animal matter, or tightly packed forage. Poisoning occurs after a botulism toxin is produced by bacteria and then ingested by the bird. Birds may also acquire the bacteria through consumption of contaminated water.
The botulism toxin is one of the most lethal biological agents known. The bacteria actually produce eight separate toxins that can be distinguished during their metabolism. As a neurotoxin, it negatively affects nerve impulses that control both voluntary and involuntary muscle control. The presence of bacteria alone is not sufficient to cause disease or poisoning. Toxicosis can occur after bacteria grow, multiply, and metabolize to produce toxins.
The powerful neurotoxin enters the victim’s blood system through the lining of the digestive tract. It reaches the peripheral nervous system by contracting botulism including weakness, lethargy, inability to walk or fly, and loss of control of the neck muscles, resulting in the inability to raise the head. In waterfowl, the inability to raise the head is a major problem, as this can lead to drowning if the birds are on the water. If the dose of the ingested botulism toxin is large enough, death can occur from respiratory paralysis.
One of the old remedies that has been used to treat food poisoning is washing the digestive tract of infected birds with a solution of drinking water and Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate). Effective cleaning of the digestive tract with potassium permanganate solution has also been reported. Even with the potential treatments available, the lethality of C. botulinum The toxins are so great that the best practice is to avoid situations that could lead to poisoning in the first place. Eliminating decomposing vegetation on beaches and waterways, disposing of any animal carcasses and resulting larval development that could become accessible to waterfowl, and not feeding any questionable feed
It is among the best preventive measures to avoid food poisoning.
Algal toxicosis in waterfowl
Waterfowl owners with any type of pond, large or small, should be aware of and wary of algae blooms, and certain similar organisms that live in pond water. While not all algae are a cause for concern, certain types produce extremely deadly toxins. One of the deadliest organisms is the type known as “blue-green algae”. This organism is not a true algae, but a type of cyanobacteria that thrives in warm, shallow, nutrient-rich waters. The organisms produce highly virulent blue-green algae or Cyanobacteria. cyanotoxin, which is toxic not only to waterfowl, but also to dogs, humans, and many other species
animal species. The “flowers” of this organism generally occur during the summer months, but in warm regions, they can be found throughout the year. These “blooms” can best be described as resembling pea soup or spilled green paint. A duck or other highly lethal waterfowl would need to ingest only 1.2 ounces or 40 milliliters of this bloom to prove fatal.
Symptoms of poisoning include muscular weakness in the wings and legs (paresis), lethargy, tremors, ataxia, intermittent seizures, and sudden death. Commercially prepared charcoal suspension solutions are sometimes effective as an antidote, but the reality is that cyanotic toxins are extremely lethal and require only small doses to prove lethal. One of the best ways to avoid these problems is to engineer or plan for the flow or exchange of fresh water within the pond system or to have a way to drain and clean the pond if such bacteria or algae develop. It is also necessary to ensure that ducks are not allowed access to ponds or waterways that contain such blooms.
Anatypestifer infections
Anatipestifer infection, also known as duck septicemia or new duck disease, is a highly contagious and highly fatal infection caused by one or more strains of ducks. Riemerella anatipestifer bacteria. Found in all major duck breeding regions of the world, this infection can cause mortality losses of 90% or more. While outbreaks of the disease can affect waterfowl of any age, birds between 2 to 7 weeks of age are most susceptible. The bacteria cause fatal internal pests and septicemia in their victims. However, one of the first signs of the disease is uneven levels of incoordination, general clumsiness in movement, and loss of balance due to injury to the meninges, or the protective sheath surrounding the brain and spinal cord. In extreme cases, ducklings may be found lying on their backs, paddling their feet and legs in the air.
Any ducklings or other waterfowl showing symptoms of this disease should be immediately isolated from the flock and it should be assumed that the disease could be present in the flock until laboratory tests can judge otherwise. Proactive dry cleaning of premises (garbage removal and safe disposal), disinfection and flock isolation should be undertaken if these symptoms are present. Veterinary assistance should also be sought.
Look for behaviors
Being aware of the behaviors and movements of your poultry can give you a lot of information about their general health and the potential onset of disease. Lack of coordination, the onset of muscle weakness, increasing ataxia or clumsiness, paralysis, and other signs of neurological impairment in waterfowl are often signs of more serious underlying problems that need immediate evaluation and management. Maintaining clean premises, housing, and water sources will do wonders in helping a waterfowl owner avoid the buildup of bacteria and other pathogens that cause disease. While you may be fortunate to not have encountered any serious problems while raising waterfowl, being aware of the illnesses and disabilities that can affect a flock will help you be prepared, proactive, and ready to handle such a situation if it does arise.
DOUG OTTINGER lives, works, and writes from his small hobby farm in northwest Minnesota. Doug’s educational background is in agriculture
with an emphasis in poultry and bird science.