Saturday, September 27, 2008
Poultry Disease and Raising Quail. (Part 2)
PARASITES (EXTERNAL)
Parasitic diseases (external)
Poultry Lice
The primary effects of lice on their hosts are the irritations they cause.
The birds become restless and do not feed or sleep well. They may
injure themselves or damage their feathers by pecking or scratching
areas irritated by lice. Body weight and egg production may drop.
All lice infecting poultry and birds are the chewing type. Mites may be
confused with lice, but mites suck blood. In general, each species of lice
is confined to a particular kind of poultry, although some may pass from
one kind to another when birds are closely associated. Chickens usually
are infested with one or more of seven different species; turkeys have
three common species.
All species of poultry lice have certain common habits. All live
continuously on feathered hosts and soon die if removed. The eggs are
attached to the feathers. Young lice resemble adults except in color and
size. Lice differ in preferred locations on the host, and these
preferences have given rise to the common names applied to various
species.
In general, the incubation period of lice eggs is four to seven days, and
development of the lice between hatching and the adult stage requires
about twenty-one days. Mating takes place on the fowl, and egg laying
begins two to three days after lice mature. The number of eggs
probably ranges from fifty to three-hundred per female louse.
As the name suggests, the Head Louse (Cuclotogaster heterographa) is
found mainly on the head, although it occurs occasionally on the neck
and elsewhere. It usually is located near the skin in the down or at the
base of the feathers on the top and back of the head and beneath the
beak. In fact, the head of the louse often is found so close to the skin
that poultrymen may think it is attached to the skin or is sucking blood.
Although it does not suck blood, the head louse is very irritating and
ranks first among lice as a pest of young chickens and turkeys. Heavily
infested chicks soon become droopy and weak and may die before they
are a month old. When the chickens become fairly well feathered, head
lice decrease but may increase again when the fowls reach maturity.
This louse is oblong, grayish and about 1/10-inch long. The pearly-white
eggs are attached singly to the down or at the base of the small
feathers on the head. They hatch within five days into minute, pale,
translucent lice resembling adults in shape.
The Body Louse (Menacanthus stramineus) of chickens prefers to stay
on the skin rather than on the feathers. It chooses parts of the body that
are not densely feathered, such as the area below the vent. In heavy
infestations, it may be found on the breast, under the wings and on
other parts of the body, including the head.
When the feathers are parted, straw-colored body lice may be seen
running rapidly on the skin in search of cover. Eggs are deposited in
clusters near the base of small feathers, particularly below the vent, or
in young fowls, frequently on the head or throat. Eggs hatch in about a
week and lice reach maturity within twenty days.
This is the most common louse infesting grown chickens. When present in large numbers, the skin is irritated greatly and scabs may result, especially below the vent.
The Shaft Louse or small body louse (Menopon gallinae) is similar in
appearance to the body louse, but smaller. It has a habit of resting on
the body feather shafts of chickens where it may be seen running
rapidly toward the body when feathers are parted suddenly. Sometimes
as many as a dozen lice may be seen scurrying down a feather shaft.
Since the shaft louse apparently feeds on parts of the feathers, it is
found in limited numbers on turkeys, guinea fowl and ducks kept in
close association with chickens. It does not infest young birds until they
become well feathered.
The same control measures used to eliminate mite populations is
effective for treating lice. It is more important to apply the insecticides
directly to the bird's body rather than the premises.
All the information above can be found at www.msucares.com. It is to be used for educational purposes only.
We at www.howtoraisequail.com take no responsibility for the use or outcome of this information
URL: http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/disinfectants.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
To find out more about Raising Quail visit:
How to Raise Quail.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Parasitic diseases (external)
Poultry Lice
The primary effects of lice on their hosts are the irritations they cause.
The birds become restless and do not feed or sleep well. They may
injure themselves or damage their feathers by pecking or scratching
areas irritated by lice. Body weight and egg production may drop.
All lice infecting poultry and birds are the chewing type. Mites may be
confused with lice, but mites suck blood. In general, each species of lice
is confined to a particular kind of poultry, although some may pass from
one kind to another when birds are closely associated. Chickens usually
are infested with one or more of seven different species; turkeys have
three common species.
All species of poultry lice have certain common habits. All live
continuously on feathered hosts and soon die if removed. The eggs are
attached to the feathers. Young lice resemble adults except in color and
size. Lice differ in preferred locations on the host, and these
preferences have given rise to the common names applied to various
species.
In general, the incubation period of lice eggs is four to seven days, and
development of the lice between hatching and the adult stage requires
about twenty-one days. Mating takes place on the fowl, and egg laying
begins two to three days after lice mature. The number of eggs
probably ranges from fifty to three-hundred per female louse.
As the name suggests, the Head Louse (Cuclotogaster heterographa) is
found mainly on the head, although it occurs occasionally on the neck
and elsewhere. It usually is located near the skin in the down or at the
base of the feathers on the top and back of the head and beneath the
beak. In fact, the head of the louse often is found so close to the skin
that poultrymen may think it is attached to the skin or is sucking blood.
Although it does not suck blood, the head louse is very irritating and
ranks first among lice as a pest of young chickens and turkeys. Heavily
infested chicks soon become droopy and weak and may die before they
are a month old. When the chickens become fairly well feathered, head
lice decrease but may increase again when the fowls reach maturity.
This louse is oblong, grayish and about 1/10-inch long. The pearly-white
eggs are attached singly to the down or at the base of the small
feathers on the head. They hatch within five days into minute, pale,
translucent lice resembling adults in shape.
The Body Louse (Menacanthus stramineus) of chickens prefers to stay
on the skin rather than on the feathers. It chooses parts of the body that
are not densely feathered, such as the area below the vent. In heavy
infestations, it may be found on the breast, under the wings and on
other parts of the body, including the head.
When the feathers are parted, straw-colored body lice may be seen
running rapidly on the skin in search of cover. Eggs are deposited in
clusters near the base of small feathers, particularly below the vent, or
in young fowls, frequently on the head or throat. Eggs hatch in about a
week and lice reach maturity within twenty days.
This is the most common louse infesting grown chickens. When present in large numbers, the skin is irritated greatly and scabs may result, especially below the vent.
The Shaft Louse or small body louse (Menopon gallinae) is similar in
appearance to the body louse, but smaller. It has a habit of resting on
the body feather shafts of chickens where it may be seen running
rapidly toward the body when feathers are parted suddenly. Sometimes
as many as a dozen lice may be seen scurrying down a feather shaft.
Since the shaft louse apparently feeds on parts of the feathers, it is
found in limited numbers on turkeys, guinea fowl and ducks kept in
close association with chickens. It does not infest young birds until they
become well feathered.
The same control measures used to eliminate mite populations is
effective for treating lice. It is more important to apply the insecticides
directly to the bird's body rather than the premises.
All the information above can be found at www.msucares.com. It is to be used for educational purposes only.
We at www.howtoraisequail.com take no responsibility for the use or outcome of this information
URL: http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/disinfectants.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
To find out more about Raising Quail visit:
How to Raise Quail.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------
# posted by Gary Ortlieb @ 9:28 AM 
