What causes paralyzed chickens? How should it be prevented and treated?

Some chickens become paralyzed as they are being raised, while their feed intake and spirit remain normal. This is a rather headache-inducing problem for farmers. So exactly why does the phenomenon of paralyzed chickens occur? How should it be prevented and treated? Below we introduce some chicken-farming knowledge on this subject.

1. Why does it cause paralyzed chickens?

1. Intestinal toxemia syndrome

It generally occurs more often between 10 and 20 days. The chickens are easily startled, both legs are paralyzed, they lie motionless, they are relatively large in size, the head trembles, and it is not that the legs cannot stand; the toxins are absorbed by the broiler and cause paralysis. It is like a person who has drunk too much alcohol: reduced appetite, ruffled feathers, and in severe cases the droppings become white and watery, unformed, with undigested feed in the droppings, and some have “tomato”-like watery droppings and “fish intestine”-like droppings. Before death, the chickens run about madly, scream, become paralyzed, fall to the ground and die. Causes: viral infection, Clostridium welchii, small intestinal coccidia, mycotoxins, etc.

2. Atypical Newcastle disease in broilers

Broilers generally develop the disease after 25 days of age. In the early stage there are often mild respiratory symptoms; with a slightly longer course, there is sniffling, nose shaking, strange cries, etc.; the crop of the chickens becomes enlarged, and when they lower their heads to eat, feed often drips onto the trough.

There is also the appearance of a soft neck and paralysis with no movement. It is not caused by the legs; it is nerve damage caused by the Newcastle disease virus. In the middle stage, the chickens are listless, unwilling to move, and take two steps when driven; there is also single-leg paralysis, emaciation, the breast meat of broilers turns dark red, and there are yellow-green watery droppings. In the later stage, neurological symptoms such as twisted neck and wry neck appear. Causes: the immunization program is not in place; many do not use oil-emulsion vaccines, and at 21 days do not carry out drinking-water immunization either, resulting in low antibody levels in the later stage and triggering disease, or unclean drinking-water immunization pipes triggering it, and so on.

3. Escherichia coli (arthritis)

In broilers it generally occurs mostly in chicks or in the later stage together with Escherichia coli septicemia. Chicks have ruffled feathers, fear cold and huddle, are emaciated, and stand apart in a daze; they pass grayish-white watery droppings, and the area around the vent is contaminated with white droppings; both wings droop, the joints are paralyzed and swollen, and it is difficult for them to stand up. In many cases they walk on one leg; Salmonella can also produce this situation. In the later stage, symptoms of pericarditis and perihepatitis appear, along with joint impairment, and white, rice-water-like watery droppings with green in the middle are passed. Causes: in chicks there is generally a large factor related to the breeder chickens and hatching contamination, and the sensitivity of the starter medication is also partly responsible; in older chickens, concurrent infection is generally more common.

4. Viral arthritis

This disease occurs mostly in broilers at 3-4 weeks. Chicks can be infected but do not necessarily develop the disease; sick chickens spread it relatively quickly through contact. It tends to occur in consecutive batches. In the early stage, when humidity is too high, the disease is severe, the paralysis is severe, and the joints are swollen and dark red; it is not sudden death culling.

Causes: infection of breeder chickens, virus infection in the chicken house, consecutive cases in the chicken house, high humidity, and other reasons. Many people think it is poor control of E. coli, Staphylococcus, etc., but the medication effect is poor.

5. Small intestinal coccidia

Because most customers use net rearing and cage rearing, sometimes everyone pays little attention to coccidia, thinking that chickens cannot come into contact with droppings and so it will not occur. This view is incorrect; coccidia can occur, it is only a matter of mild or severe. In floor-reared chickens it is relatively more severe. Sick chickens stand in a daze, the wings droop, the feathers are ruffled, and they are unwilling to move. This situation is fairly common; they pass feed-like droppings, and in severe cases pass dark brown or red carrot-like droppings with a pungent, foul odor. In the later stage they mostly assume a dog-sitting posture, with both legs stretched forward.

Causes: generally mostly caused by high humidity in the house and poor air circulation, and it is especially prominent in floor rearing.

6. Deficiency of vitamins or calcium and phosphorus

It generally occurs more often in cage rearing at around 10 days, and is mostly caused by insufficient exercise. Each day chickens show leg splaying, or paralysis, and the femoral head is prone to fracture.

7. Staphylococcus

Swelling of the legs and purplish skin are the main symptoms. The foot pads, toes and surrounding tissues form spherical swellings, resulting in arthritis.

Causes: chicken staphylococcosis is a contact infectious disease caused by Staphylococcus aureus, etc. It is generally mostly secondary to traumatic infection, especially fowl pox.

2. How to prevent and treat paralyzed chickens?

1. Regarding those caused by improper daily management

Be sure to choose soft bedding, and the length and particle size of the bedding should be appropriate (do not put whole corn stalks in as bedding). For online flat rearing and cage rearing, the bottom of the net should be adjusted flat so that the chickens can move freely, avoiding unevenness and alternating tightness and looseness; in addition, the size of the mesh openings should also be suitable. When catching chickens, try to handle them gently and never be rough.

2. Regarding those caused by viruses

Be sure to carry out timely immunization, maintain good hygiene in the house, ensure the bedding is dry (change the bedding frequently), and strengthen ventilation. These are important ways to prevent the occurrence of these infectious diseases.

3. Strengthen daily feeding management

Strengthen the exercise of chicks, enhance their physique, and supply high-quality calcium and phosphorus source feed. At the same time, appropriately restrict feeding according to actual needs, control body fat accumulation, and do not let body weight exceed the standard excessively; generally it should not exceed 1.5kg, so that the growth rate of muscle tissue and the growth rate of bone are kept as consistent as possible. Reasonably adjust the feeding density, ensure sufficient drinking water space, keep things quiet, reduce stress, and promptly cull chickens found with leg disease.

In summary, paralysis is a disease-indicating symptom that can occur in many kinds of diseases, and the causes of the disease are varied: some are caused by microbial pathogens, some by nutritional factors, some by improper feeding management, and some by the synergistic action of multiple pathogenic microorganisms and environmental conditions. Therefore, in the process of diagnosis and treatment, we must clarify the cause of the paralysis and adopt treatment targeting the cause in order to achieve the goal of cure.