Each chicken, duck or goose that lives on a home farm has its own character, has its own temperament - all the same as in humans. Watch the birds for at least half an hour, and you will notice: some of the birds are important, others are fast-moving, and some are fearful.
That is, in the bird world, too, has its choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic and melancholic.
Why we started this conversation? And besides, the health of the bird depends on temperament. And now it is not about viral diseases, but about those that the bird itself finds on its head, examining the nearest back streets and freely walking along the outskirts.
When giving poultry certain freedom, each poultry farmer must be aware of the fact that in this way he exposes his chickens and geese to the potential danger of injury.
A bird can get a trauma on its own (as a result of a blow or if it is caught on something, stuck somewhere), or received after an attack of wild or domestic animals.
What is the danger?
The trauma of poultry is a single case and cannot be done to the whole herd of great damage, unless wild beasts attack the whole herd and rework it.
But damage to one or more birds from injury can be significant: from long weeks of treatment and recovery, to amputation of limbs and lifelong disability.
Needless to say that after injuries such an individual will never be full? In addition, the fact that the bird is shocked cannot be dropped from the scales - it can be so strong that the chicken or duck will completely “forget” about its functional duties and will lose its ability to egg-laying or nestling.
Causes of injury
The most important cause of injuries in poultry can be the carelessness of the owner, allowing the livestock to go anywhere, how and when.
The negligence of the bird itself can also do her a disservice: shards of glass, fragments of wire, other sharp objects can not only come across the bird on the way, but also cause a serious cut or deep puncture of the paws.
The wings of a bird can be injured by being stuck between shtahetami. In short, the causes for injury can occur out of the blue. Preventing injuries in the ranks of domestic birds, but accustomed to a certain freedom, is difficult.
If you are not sure about the safety of your pets outside the yard, then, better, protect them from walking on the lawn, by the river or even on the grass outside the gate - you will feel calmer, and your chickens will be safer.
Symptomatology
There are several types of the most common injuries in birds, the description and signs of which we will give to your attention in this section.
Injury
It is characteristic of a very active bird, especially young, who are too eager to learn about the world around.
A chicken or a duckling can knock on about anything: about the metal part of agricultural implements, about the door, about the fence, about the tree.
Chasing insects, chickens are often addicted to such an extent that they simply do not see a sudden obstacle in front of them.
If you notice that a few seconds ago, an active chicken lies in the grass, or walks, staggering from side to side, or can not resume the attempt to walk and clearly has lost its orientation, or has become sluggish and inactive - this means that he suffered a bruise.
And, perhaps, a head injury: the chicks have this bad habit - inadvertently, but strongly hitting his head.
Fracture
The fracture can also be obtained by an adult that has formed its solid behavior.
Fracture can be the result of a collision with an obstacle, pinching, predator attacks. Or, when a bird inadvertently attacked strongly.
Most often, poultry is diagnosed with wing fractures.rarely, but fractures of the paw bones occur.
An open fracture is easily recognizable and is visible even to a non-specialist, even to the naked eye. It is more difficult to recognize a closed fracture, it can be confused with dislocation of the joints or sprains.
If a bird drags a wing or leg, you should immediately show it to the vet or take an X-ray.
Breaks in the internal organs and bleeding
The poultry receives this type of injury in the same way - from a very strong collision, an attack or as a result of an animal attack.
Such injuries may also be accompanied by fractures. When the internal organs are cracked and bruised, the bird loses interest in food and in life in general, it becomes sad and lethargic.
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Diagnostics
Each individual injury case is diagnosed differently. If the fracture is noticeable and so, then to diagnose stretching or dislocation, you should contact the experts in the veterinary clinic. The same - with internal bleeding.
In addition to external signs of injury, X-rays and examinations are used.
How to treat?
And again: each type of injury requires a different treatment.
In case of a slight head injury, it will suffice to attach the ice to the hurt place and leave it alone in a dark room.
But, in order to certainly avoid brain hemorrhage and death, you need to consult a specialist in a timely manner.
A fracture requires surgical intervention or even amputation of an injured limb.
Internal bleeding can be stopped by special preparations, but only under the condition of timely treatment to the doctor.
The main thing in treating injuries is timeliness.. It should be remembered that birds have an accelerated metabolic process, due to which healing takes place much faster than the same cats or dogs.
If you start to treat the injury in poultry in the first two days, then there are good chances for a quick recovery.
In case of sprains or fractures, you need to fix the damaged member in its physiological position (as it was before the injury), trying not to transfer the bandage and position it so that the injured part of the body does not swell.
After this procedure, you can contact the clinic. There, your pet will be prescribed medical treatment (as a rule, antibacterial drugs and ointments are used in uncomplicated cases, and antibiotics are used in complex cases) and will be recommended to introduce necessary vitamins into the diet.
Prevention
In cases of injuries in poultry, the responsibility of the owner of the farm becomes the best preventive method.
A good owner knows where his pets can be and where it is strictly forbidden for pets, as far as they are at risk of injury, after leaving the house, how far wild predators live and how accessible prey can become for them in the chicken coop.
The same applies to neighboring dogs and cats, which by habitat are domestic animals, but by nature they are still a bit of predator.
To protect the flock of birds from visible and invisible threats - this is the main work of the owner. It is also the main preventive measure for poultry injuries.
Pain shock in chickens
Naturally, having received a serious injury, the chicken experiences a painful shock, like every living thing.
The only thing that perhaps relieves the poor little bit is delayed spinal cord response, whose resources are developed more than the resources of the brain.
This explains the terrible phenomenon of a "live" executed chicken, when it continues to move erratically after it was cut off its head.
However, pain is pain, chickens feel it perfectly and are trying to somehow defend themselves with all the forces of their little organism. Having thrown all forces on the defensive reaction, the hens noticeably reduce the laying of eggs over time, otherwise they cease to nest at all.
Having experienced severe pain, the chickens begin to scream strongly until wheezing or, on the contrary, fall silent. Some individuals, as a defensive reaction, choose the so-called method of petrification - just sit, do not react to anything.
