DOUBTS ABOUT THE MAGICAL WORLD OF POULTRY? #ASK THE EXPERT!

HOW TO PREVENT COCCIDIOSIS?

WELCOME TO A NEW CHAPTER OF THE COLUMN#QUEDILOALLESPERTO WITH MAURIZIO ARDUIN - CENTRO STUDI RÈGIA STAZIONE SPERIMENTALE DI POLLICOLTURA!

TODAY'S QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH A VERY DANGEROUS DISEASE: 'HOW TO PREVENT COCCIDIOSIS? WHAT EXACTLY IS IT DUE TO? DO ANIMALS DEVELOP ANTIBODIES TO FIGHT IT?"

Coccidiosis is a disease caused by small unicellular beings (protozoa) belonging to different species, which especially affects young poultry.

The disease is spread through direct ingestion of contaminated food and litter.

Animals affected by coccidiosis show a recumbent head, closed eyes, lowered wings, a general depressed state, eat and drink little and may also present severe diarrhoea sometimes with blood streaks.

To prevent this disease, it is necessary to avoid dampness in the permanent litter and to maintain the correct number of animals. For growing animals, the correct number is 10 animals per square metre in shelters, while for breeding animals the number of animals is 5 per square metre. In outdoor parcels, both in the fattening and breeding phase, the concentration must be 1 animal per 10 m2 of parcels.

It is possible to strengthen the animals' immune defences and create an intestinal environment unfavourable to the development of protozoa by using liquid food supplements based on plant substances. These food supplements are to be mixed into the drinking water and administered for 5-6 days once a month. The products leave no residue and can be fed to humans at any time.

If the disease is in an advanced stage and mortality is high, it is advisable to intervene with medication: a veterinary doctor's prescription is required and the prescribed withdrawal period must be observed before the meat is released for consumption.

Check out the last appointment with #CHIEDILOALLESPERTO where we talked about nutrition!

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