\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bUnderstand the disease
\nCommonly found in the gut of warm-blooded animals, E. coli comprises rod-shaped bacteria and can be both a primary and a secondary pathogen, but you\u2019re likely to deal with E. coli as a primary pathogen 90% of the time.<\/p>\n
Most strains are harmless. Those that aren\u2019t known as \u2018avian pathogenic E. coli\u2019 (APEC). Can survive outside of the intestine and so is easily transmitted from bird to bird.\u00a0One of the clinical manifestations of APEC is E. coli peritonitis, which can lead to life-threatening sepsis.\u00a0Follows a cyclical pattern. Proactive control measures, such as vaccinations and antibiotic use, should be timed with this in mind.<\/p>\n
Know the signs
\nPrimary pathogen symptoms in layer hens can be difficult to identify. If you can\u2019t find the cause of death during a post-mortem examination, take a close look at the ova to see if you can find small, yellow strings of fibrin (pus). These are exuded from the bloodstream following the body\u2019s attempts to isolate the bacterium.\u00a0Secondary pathogen symptoms: significant quantities of fibrin in the spaces around the major internal organs, such as the lungs and liver.<\/p>\n
Know which chickens are susceptible
\n18- to 30-week old hens, when egg production begins to peak. Their bodies are still developing and they\u2019re stressed.\u00a0Layer hens 56\u2002weeks or older. Mainly from breathing in APEC-laden dust from dried-out faecal matter accumulating in, or under, the layer house.\u00a0Pullets. The period when they begin producing the hormones needed for egg production is very stressful and their immune systems can be compromised.<\/p>\n
Know the control measures
\nEarly diagnosis is crucial. During periods when APEC appears to be the cause of increased mortality, conduct daily post-mortem examinations. If 50% or more of the dead birds examined show APEC-related lesions, act immediately to control the problem.\u00a0Effective air quality control systems in the house\/s.\u00a0Test drinking water regularly. If necessary, treat with a chlorine-based product to kill any APEC bacteria. Vaccinate. The latest, most effective vaccine is Zoetis\u2019s Poulvac E. coli. It\u2019s normally applied by spraying twice over the pullets during the rearing period. There\u2019s no significant vaccine reaction and it can even be given to birds in lay.<\/p>\n
Know the treatment
\nAntibiotics may be useful in treating APEC-related health issues, provided treatment starts early.\u00a0Although antibiotics are generally not helpful in older layers, they can be used in case they do have a positive effect.\u00a0Feed the birds probiotics and treat layer feed with organic acids or formaldehyde to kill any APEC in it. Spray dusty pullet and hen houses with appropriate disinfectants.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bUnderstand the disease Commonly found in the gut of warm-blooded animals, E. coli comprises rod-shaped […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5184,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chicken"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jaguzafarm.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jaguzafarm.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jaguzafarm.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jaguzafarm.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jaguzafarm.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5183"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jaguzafarm.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5183\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jaguzafarm.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jaguzafarm.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jaguzafarm.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jaguzafarm.com\/support\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}