What Is Chicken Adenoviral Gastritis? Causes and Treatment Methods Every Poultry Farmer Must Know

In the past two years, chicken adenoviral gastritis has become one of the most common diseases harming poultry farming production, bringing serious economic losses to many farmers. So what is chicken adenoviral gastritis? What causes it? How is it treated?

I. What is chicken adenoviral gastritis?

Chicken adenoviral gastritis is a disease mainly characterized by enlargement of the proventriculus, mucosal ulceration and sloughing, and cracking and erosion of the gizzard. At present, the disease is on the rise in broiler farming, is occasionally seen in laying hens, and now native chickens have also begun to develop the disease.

Chicken adenoviral gastritis can occur in different breeds of laying hens, broilers and native chickens, and is most common in chicks. At present, the characteristics of the disease in broilers are: the frequency of occurrence is gradually increasing, the disease tends to occur at younger ages, and the clinical symptoms are more obvious, but after onset, the swelling and ulceration of the proventriculus become atypical, while lesions such as gizzard ulceration become increasingly severe; if complicated by or secondary to other diseases, the mortality caused becomes higher and higher; the affected areas are expanding, and at present the disease can be seen in all parts of the country.

Symptoms:

1. Low feed intake, stunted growth, poor flock uniformity, poor feed digestion, and passing undigested feed in the droppings.

2. Flocks with milder symptoms often show easy startling, huddling, and frantic running;

3. Severely affected flocks show listlessness, easy leg weakness, and paralysis; loose, lusterless feathers, hunched neck, closed eyes and drowsiness, emaciation, diarrhea, and grayish-white or yellow-green droppings.

II. What causes chicken adenoviral gastritis?

1. Viruses

Fowl adenovirus, reticuloendotheliosis virus, chicken infectious anemia virus, etc.

2. Bacteria

Helicobacter pylori, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus, various molds and the toxins they produce, etc.

3. Others

Moldy feed ingredients, stress caused by changing feed, water quality problems, abuse of so-called “veterinary drug” products labeled as feed additives, etc.

Specifically:

(1) High stocking density and extensive management.

(2) Few daily feedings, so feed stays in the trough for too long; or the trough is not cleaned each time new feed is added, and new feed is poured directly on top of the leftover feed.

III. How to prevent and treat chicken adenoviral gastritis?

1. Preventive measures for chicken adenoviral gastritis

(1) In terms of feeding management, during the brooding stage, feed and water should be given in small amounts and replenished frequently; each time feed is added, the leftover feed must be removed before adding new feed.

(2) Do not feed moldy or spoiled feed and ingredients; strictly control them.

2. Treatment of chicken adenoviral gastritis

(1) Treatment of congenital adenoviral gastritis

For congenital adenoviral gastritis, it is very difficult for us to control it through management, because the chicks are already affected when they hatch, so medication must be used for control.

►Antiviral

When using drugs for control, be sure to pay attention to antiviral treatment, such as biological preparations, transfer factor, interferon, etc., to control adenovirus.

►Control molds

At this time, molds in the feed are more likely to grow in the gizzard, so attention must also be paid to preventing and treating mold contamination in the feed. This provides time for the repair of the gizzard lining.

►Treat adenoviral gastritis

For gizzard inflammation, traditional Chinese medicine must be used to remove necrotic tissue and promote tissue regeneration, strengthen the spleen and remove dampness, and strengthen the stomach and promote digestion.

(2) Treatment of acquired adenoviral gastritis

►Improve the chicken's own resistance to molds and mycotoxins:

The first step is to strengthen the stomach and allow the gizzard lining to develop quickly; this is very important. The keratin layer of the chicken's gizzard is very hard, and its main function is to grind food; combined with enzymes secreted by the proventriculus, the mixture is digested and then absorbed by the intestines. Today's feed is rich in nutrients and easy to digest, so the gizzard's churning and grinding function gradually degenerates. Starting on the second or third day for chicks, add corn grits, 2 jin per 100 jin, which has little effect on the nutritional formula but can give the chicken's gizzard good exercise, thereby improving the resistance of the gizzard lining. This is the key raw-feed stomach-strengthening method.

►Feeding method:

The feeding method mainly involves adding feed a little more frequently, reducing the time feed remains in the high-temperature, high-humidity environment of the chicken house, thereby reducing the impact of mycotoxins. Try to avoid the situation of adding feed once and having it last three days.

►Medication prevention:

This mainly concerns the timing of medication; the appropriate time, based on my more than ten years of clinical experience, is around the tenth day, when the effect is best, because in the first 7 days the gizzard lining has not yet formed obvious ulcers, so medication is wasted, and after 20 days recurrence is very easy.