In veterinary practice, avitaminosis is a deficiency in the body of a bird of a certain vitamin.
Each of these useful chemicals is responsible for the course of certain physiological processes in the chicken.
Particularly negative body of poultry perceives a lack of vitamin A.
It is about this vitamin deficiency we will talk in this article and try to figure out how to prevent terrible consequences.
What is beriberi And in chickens?
Avitaminosis A is manifested in the case of the complete absence or a clear lack of vitamin A in the diet. The fact is that this useful vitamin plays a very important role in the body of poultry. He is actively involved in virtually all metabolic processes occurring in the internal organs of each individual.
In addition, vitamin A or carotene is indispensable in all growth processes. Without it, no chicken can grow into a large and strong adult bird. It helps bones become stronger and longer, and muscles with its help become more voluminous and strong.
Carotene also contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system. If the chicken receives the necessary concentration of this substance, then it better tolerates serious infectious diseases and becomes more resistant to new potential pathogens.
Degree of danger
Veterinarians relatively recently learned about the role of vitamins in the body of poultry, which is why the record of vitamin A deficiency appeared relatively recently.
Now experts can say for sure what processes carotene is responsible for.
Unfortunately, avitaminosis A, like other avitaminosis, does not appear immediately, so even an experienced farmer at first glance cannot say whether his herd is suffering from a lack of vitamin or is all right.
Vets found that lack of vitamin A becomes noticeable not immediately, but after a few months of improper feeding.
Birds should receive inadequate food all this time so that their body can feel the lack of this useful chemical compound.
However, the fact that chickens almost never die from vitamin A deficiency cannot fail to please any breeder. Much more often chickens die from various dangerous infectious diseases.
Avitaminosis A must take place in a very severe form so that the bird will die. That is why the farmer has the opportunity to cure all livestock before it becomes too late. This gives additional time and reduces potential damage.
The reasons
Avitaminosis A develops in the body of a chicken due to a lack of this vitamin or, as it is called, carotene.
Usually the cause of changes in metabolism, in which vitamin A is involved, is improper feeding of the bird. It usually contains a reduced amount of this chemical.
Particularly acute chickens are beginning to feel a lack of carotene in the winter season, when fresh elements are practically not added to the feed. In winter, farmers try to feed the birds with dry feed, as green fodder becomes too expensive.
Another cause of vitamin A deficiency can be any serious infectious disease. It gradually weakens the whole body of the chicken, so it tries to use more carotene. In such cases, the chicken can not get the right amount of vitamin, so quickly begins to suffer from vitamin deficiency.
The environmental situation in the region where the farm is located can be called a less significant factor affecting the development of beriberi. In areas with cleaner air and soil, chickens are less likely to suffer from such diseases.
Course and symptoms
Almost always, vitamin A deficiency occurs in young animals. Chickens begin to suffer from this disease after a week or a few months.
Each individual reacts in its own way to a lack of this vitamin, therefore it is difficult to establish exact dates.
In young animals, there is global movement coordination. They cannot even stand and walk, and when they walk, their legs swing. At the same time the conjunctiva begins to inflame, which in the future may lead to blindness of the bird.
Also, vitamin A deficiency adversely affects the functioning of the nervous system. Nervous symptoms appear in small chicks, their movements become sharper, such birds often shake their heads.
In some cases, a clear liquid begins to flow from their nose, which in its consistency resembles snot.
In more advanced cases of avitaminosis A, the bird has complete loss of muscle masscalled dystrophy. Chicken becomes weak, can not normally move around the yard. She also has nutritional problems, sometimes completely refuses to eat and water, which quickly leads to exhaustion.
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Unfortunately, bird breeders do not very often notice depletion in the early stages, since chickens always have a rather fluffy plumage. It begins to fall off only in the most difficult cases of avitaminosis A.
Diagnostics
For the determination of the exact diagnosis veterinarians examine the liver for vitamin A in detail. In 1 g of the liver of a healthy adult chicken should be from 300 to 500 µg of vitamin A, in day-old chickens - 30 µg, in young animals at the age of 10, 30, 60-120 days 40-60 µg, 100-150 µg, 200-300 µg respectively.
The signal for the start of treatment is the fixation in 5 grams of liver with 5.9 μg of carotene. Also, some individuals can register a complete lack of vitamin A, which requires a very fast and high-quality medical treatment.
Treatment
The treatment of any vitamin deficiency is quite simple.
It is enough to completely correct the diet of chickens, so that they receive the necessary amount of the missing vitamin.
In a large amount of carotene, which in the body of the bird as a result of chemical reactions becomes vitamin A, is contained in carrot, young green plants and grass flour.
All the listed ingredients can be crushed and added to feed for chickens. This will make the diet of chickens more complete and they will quickly recover, recovering from avitaminosis A.
Prevention
The most effective prevention of beriberi is considered complete and balanced diet.
For feeding birds on a poultry farm, only such feeds should be selected, containing in their composition the entire range of useful elements. At the same time, all elements must be in balance so that no oversaturation occurs in the body of poultry.
For feeding in winter, you can use special fortified feed, which well fill the lack of green food. Sometimes you can use supplements instead of these feeds. They are thoroughly ground and added to any feed for chickens.
If a certain bird is in a weakened state, then it can be given vitamin A separately in the form of fish oil, pills or injections, depending on its condition.
Conclusion
Avitaminosis A is not a harmless disease, as it may seem at first glance. It harbors many consequences that negatively affect the general condition of the bird.
In a state of neglect, this type of avitaminosis can cause the death of a hen or weaken it so much that it will bring itself to death without taking in feed.
