THE DANGERS OF OVERCROWDING

HOW MANY BIRDS CAN I FIT INTO MY PENS?

This is like asking how long is a piece of string!

It is vital to understand that you cannot overcrowd your birds at any stage in their development or it will be detrimental to their health and you will end up spending money you do not need to spend

THERE ARE SOME DISEASES AND BACTERIAL INFECTIONS CLEARLY LINKED TO OVERCROWDING.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON.

PEROSIS

Correlates with crowded conditions and slat or wire floors. The legs are splayed and the hocks usually very swollen on one or both legs.

The leg is usually at right angles to the body.

NECROTIC ENTERITIS

Usually in conjunction with COCCIDIOSIS. The lining of the intestines become inflamed and bloody. The whole body becomes affected and the birds die from septicaemia.

 

COCCIDIOSIS

This is a protozoan disease, that is one that is caused by a parasite. It is a microscopic parasite that attaches itself to the lining of the intestine and cause haemorrhages and often death. It is exacerbated by the close confinement of birds, where shavings or bedding becomes wet with faeces or water spilled on the floor of the pen. It is also made a lot worse if there is not sufficient air circulation in the pen. There are several types of coccidia, each type has its own litany of symptoms.    The condition is treatable with coccidiostats but far better prevented in the first place. Coccidiosis is a disease of neglect on the part of the poultry keeper, much like colic in horses. Not necessary in the first place, costly to treat and detrimental to the animals. Coccidiosis is NOT bacterial in nature.

HYDROPERICARDIUM

Also known as water around the heart. Very common in broilers which are overcrowded and have insufficient oxygen. The birds breathe in too much C02, and there is not sufficient ventilation to allow the removal of humidity and C02 from the atmosphere in the pen. Birds then pant a lot more, leading to enlarged lungs with insufficient oxygen. The heart then battles to circulate blood and oxygen to the rest of the body, and becomes enlarged.

Often associated with a condition that builds fluids under the skin, very common in broilers but not so much in layers.  You will see blisters on the skin, which when pierced will leak lymph fluid.  This condition  is also known as ascites.

CANNIBALISM

Very common when there are too many birds in one small area. This can become very severe with birds being consumed completely by their siblings. In other cases there is severe mutilation of the vent area and around the top of the tail. As soon as blood appears, the other birds will persist until the affected bird dies of blood loss and massive injury.

ERYSIPELAS

Also affects humans and there is transference between birds and humans. It is bacterial in nature and occurs in overcrowded conditions. The organism does survive in soil and contaminated houses, so basic hygiene is of the utmost importance. Poor sanitation can be blamed for many of these bacterial conditions.

COLIBACILLOSIS

This is a generalised bacterial infection that may present as intestinal, respiratory, or both. Secondary infections may occur. MG is one of them.

MG

Mycoplasma Gallisepticum. Also associated with CRD (Chronic Respiratory Disease), and Mycoplasmosis. This can be mild or severe but is definitely associated with stress and overcrowding of birds.

BIRDS NEED TO BREATHE AND HAVE SPACE TO GROW. IF YOU DO NOT PROVIDE CLEAN AIR, THE BIRDS ARE FORCED TO BREATHE WHATEVER IS AVAILABLE AND IN MOST CASES THIS IS C02,  SOMETIMES AMMONIA.  IF ONE BIRD BECOMES INFECTED WITH ANY OF THE ABOVE, THE CHANCES ARE ALL THE BIRDS IN THE OVERCROWDED PEN WILL DROP WITH IT AS WELL.  OVERCROWDING ALSO  LEADS TO A CONCENTRATION OF DROPPINGS, WET BEDDING, LICE AND PARASITES, LITTER BEETTLE DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH MAREKS DISEASE,LOSS OF WEIGHT, FAILURE TO THRIVE AND HIGH MORTALITY.

HOW MANY BIRDS PER SQUARE METRE?

Usually it is best to work on 50 day old chicks per 3 square metre brooder.

50 five week old chicks per 4 metre square brooder.

50 eight week old birds per 8 metre square house.

50 adult birds per 12 square metre house.

Remember to have enough feeders and drinkers so as to allow all the birds access. 50 day olds will need two feed trays and two 4 litre fonts.

As the birds grow, add a feeder and  drinker until you end up with one feeder per 10 adult birds and one drinker per 10 adult birds.

This depends on your set up, nipple drinkers can be set at two metre intervals, but you still need one nipple drinker for five birds, more so than the fonts as birds only take one small drop at a time from a nipple drinker, and this takes more time than if they are drinking from a font. There are 20 litre fonts available as well and you can then reduce the amount of drinkers per pen. You still need to observe the birds to make sure there is not a log jam around the drinkers and that no bullying takes place so that some of your birds do not have ease of access to water and feed.

It is space around the lip of the font that is important more than the size of the font.

Obviously more water is consumed in hot weather, and more feed in cold weather. Monitor the birds and see what their needs are.

VENTILATION is vital. Each bird in a house raises the temperature by 0,1 degree. In a pen with 100 birds the temperature increases by one degree celcius.

With a thousand birds the temperature increases by 10 degrees, this is a lot!

If the birds are panting, they lose vitamin C through the expelling of air from the lungs. They also lose a lot of their mineral content. If oxygen is not available, they will breathe C02, and this is a disaster.

Your ventilation needs to be a good circulation of air above the heads of the birds so that they do not sit in a draught. Fans work very well, and extractor fans even better. Don’t forget that when the bird breathes out C02 there is a lot of moisture as well, and excess moisture  can lead to respiratory conditions.

The build up of ammonia also contributes to respiratory conditions. Ammonia is built up when there is insufficient ventilation to remove the ammonia which inevitably is the by product of chicken droppings.

Rather spend more on hygiene and less on antibiotic, more on prevention and less on cure!

 

 

 

 

CLEANING AND DISINFECTING AGENTS

 

                 

DISINFECTANTS ARE IMPORTANT BUT CAN BE LETHAL.
THANKS TO MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION OFFICE FOR THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS POST.

The information in this article mentions products available only in South Africa. Please enquire in your country for similar products and ensure they are available and can be used by the public. Legislation is different in each country.

It is important to clean thoroughly and disinfect as much as possible your hatchery your brooders and your pens. It is also important to inspect your birds every day to make sure there are no illnesses and/or parasites present in the pens.

If you don’t do this, small problems become big problems and you lose your birds.

Prevention is far better than cure in this case. So, what products can you use safely and what does each product give you?

Be aware also that disinfecting pens, incubators, or equipment without thoroughly cleaning the organic matter (faeces) first is a waste of time. Clean first, spray later with disinfectant.

Be aware also that although disinfectants are vital, and cleaning is a must, products such as Virukill or VirkonS will NOT affect parasites, intestinal worms, lice, mites or rats! They will also not deal with a fly problem, which if you are clean in your practice of farming, you will not have. Virukill and VirkonS will NOT cure coccidiosis either.

(See article on coccidiosis).

For these pests you need other specialised products made specifically for poultry to handle internal and external parasites.

These are discussed under the other articles in Health and Care.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF DISINFECTANTS:

ALCOHOLS: (ISOPROPYL OR ETHYL ALCOHOL)

methylated spirits.

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a. Wide germicidal activity, non corrosive, but poses fire hazard.

b. Limited residual activity due to evaporation

c. Provide limited activity in the presence of organic matter such as faeces.

d. Not considered effective against bacterial or fungal spores.

e. Excellent for disinfecting instruments, or small objects.

f. Very expensive.

g. Must be used at a 70% to 95% concentration for effectiveness.

I had a comment following the publication of this post that using alcohol based hand cleaners at a show in order to limit transference of pathogens and bacteria from bird to bird, would be expensive and needed to be used at a high concentrations.

Please be aware the above is calculated for a poultry run and a farm with 30,000 birds. Using alcohol based disinfectant in this case would be expensive and not viable.

Using alcohol based disinfectant (THS, total hand sanitiser) which is a gel based on alcohol and needs no water, allows a film to form on the skin of the hands, and does provide limited anti bacterial properties to LIMIT the transference of pathogens. Like everything else it is not a cure all, and only a limited intellect would expect this. Using it in a limited application like a show bench is absolutely viable, and not expensive, as only a little needs to be used per person and a 5 litre container can last a long time.

Using this in a show arena, where judges would dip their hands in this gel every four or five birds, makes sense, at least to me. Clearly I stand alone in this.

You can purchase small 100ml containers of alcohol hand sanitiser at any pharmacy but it is expensive to buy in small quantities and the prices are a real rip off as far as I am concerned. In South Africa a small 100 ml bottle of hand sanitiser sells for up to R30,00. You can buy a five litre container of the same product from IMMUNOVET or  http://www.vetproductsonline.co.za for

R 250,00. Prices obviously change all the time so do enquire.

 

Anti bacterial soaps kill germs on the hands, and not all germs especially not poultry viruses, but they fail to prevent germs from adhering to the skin minutes after washing.

F10, which is a hand scrub available in SA is a very good alternative to alcohol. It is used widely in vet clinics as a surgical hand scrub. It handles fungi as well as bacteria and I have a container near every tap. It is useful too to wash wounds on human and pets, and chickens! It will also handle seborea type skin infections such as dandruff.

HALOGENS (IODINES OR HYPOCHLORITES).

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This includes all your bleaches and iodine based products.

a. Provide wide germicidal activity but are corrosive.

b. Limited activity in the presence of organic matter.

c. Poor residual activity, low toxicity, but may stain surfaces.

d. Not effective against spores and fungus.

e. Effective at low concentrations for disinfecting and cleaning small objects.

f. Low cost but requires frequent application.

If you have nothing else this is a good solution. Straight bleach diluted by 10ml per litre will disinfect most appliances and even the floors.

 

QUARTENARY AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS

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These are your basic Virukill . Very effective all round.

a. Limited germicidal range

b. Not sporocidal, effective against vegetative bacteria, fungi and viruses.

c. Reduced efficiency in the presence of organic matter.

d. Non irritating, non corrosive, low toxicity.

e. Residual activity is limited by the amount of recontamination.

f. Good to use on cleaned surfaces.

g. Low cost.

h. You can use Virukill  at very low dilution in the drinking water at times when you feel that birds are in danger of contracting infections from outside sources, as in July to September in SA when wild birds are most active. The dilution is ONE HALF ML per 4 litres water.

Something like VirkonS or Virukill is essential to a good sanitary programme and biosecurity in the poultry yard.

Virkon S is a wonderful cleaning agent if a little expensive. The active ingredient is potassium peroxametasulphate, which is very effective but very hard on the hands.

It is not good enough to use bleach or Epsom salts or even Jeyes Fluids. These are fine, smell good and make you think you are doing a good thing. In fact viruses do not respond to bleach or epsom salts or Jeyes Fluids. You need to apply a specific virucidal agent made for poultry applications such as Virukill. As I said above, if you have nothing else, use bleach, but make sure that as soon as you can you locate a depot that stocks Virukill or VirkonS and change to that. Poultry is not the same as other livestock, it needs products specifically to target poultry viruses , bacteria and fungi.

You will also see benefits of using this if you have a wash tub with diluted Virukill next to your water faucet, if you wash your hands frequently in this every time you think of it, as it will prevent a lot of infections such as colds and flu from being transmitted. I encourage my staff to do this and have trained them to wash their hands every time they pass the tap. I have a towel on hand at every tap and a tub of Virukill 10ml per litre dilution. Since doing that, there have been no more days off for colds, flu and gastro. Every little bit helps!

Again I need to stress that Virukill and VirkonS are excellent products with usage limited to what they were specifically designed to do: fungi will not be eradicated by Virukill or VirkonS. You will destroy viruses that target poultry such as Newcastle, Infectious Bronchitis, Mareks, Avian flu, Pox. You will destroy bacteria responsible for MG, respiratory infections, Coryza and ecoli. You will not destroy the mycoplasma organisms or those responsible for aspergillosis (fungal spores in hay). You will also not kill off coccidiosis or the parasites responsible for coccidiosis. You will however severely dent the mechanisms that spread these infections and many more too. To be completely safe, you will need to use a gluteraldehyde compound which does not destroy viruses but does destroy fungi, spores and mycoplasma organisms. You need to remember too that washing your drinkers in the Virukill every day is a good practice to have, but you must train staff not to dump the filthy drinkers in the Virukill tub! Clean first under a tap, then drop into the Virukill, otherwise the Virukill has to be replaced too often and costs money! Replace as soon as the solution starts to sour and smell.

If you wash everything before it goes in the tub you should be able to replace the solution only once every seven days.

Be aware that viruses also live in the dander of the birds, and these viruses do not perish if the dander is shed. The dander is the waxy cuticle at the base of each feather, shed when the feather is fully developed.

There is a lot of feather dander in any poultry yard, it flies around all over the place and is carried to all corners even to farms as far as three kilometres away. The virus that causes Mareks is one of those that lives in feather dander. It is vital that as well as cleaning and disinfecting your yard thoroughly, you also destroy the vectors that cause viruses, like dander and cobwebs. You cannot destroy it all, that is impossible but you can clean and sweep around your pens, to remove as much as you can, and by changing the bedding frequently you eliminate many virus carrying vectors.

Immunisation will  protect the birds against anything else not destroyed by the cleaning. This is why everything must dovetail into everything else in the biosecurity of your poultry operation. Cleaning agents cannot do it all. They are only a tool in your arsenal.

For example if you are diligent and clean your yard thoroughly, use Virukill in water to disinfect drinkers and feeders, remove soiled bedding and make sure it is not left lying around for the birds to peck…you do all this and do not have a rodent programme in place, you are actually back pedalling in your biosecurity, because rats will carry infections and undo all your good work.

Using your cleaning agents in combination   as well as good hygiene is the way to go. If your pens and cages are filthy, do not expect that Virukill or Virkons will do what you have failed to do…clean up! Clean first, disinfect later.

I suggest you use the basics like VIRUKILL 10ml per litre  in a tub to clean drinkers, feeders and utensils and as a hand wash. Spray VIRUKILL at a rate of 10ml per litre to spray houses before occupation. Use VIRUKILL at a rate of 10ml per litre to wash down walls and fans, cobwebs and dusty surfaces where dander flies. Use GLUTERALDEHYDE at a rate of 10ml per litre as a cleaning agent in your incubators, and for all utensils like brushes, brooms, dust pans, rakes, incubator baskets incubator boxes, crates, transport vehicles, boots and gloves. Use VIRUKILL at a rate of 20ml per litre as a foot bath, alternate with Virkon S.

Use VIRKON S to wash down surfaces in the poultry incubator rooms, and alternate with VIRUKILL every so often, so wherever you have used VIRUKILL, alternate with VIRKON S. It is important to use a gluteraldehyde product in your incubators because it removes fungi. Wash down with VIRUKILL or VIRKON S and finish with a spray of gluteraldehyde. Make sure you remove all the down that builds up in the incubator after a hatch. This is also a carrying agent for all sorts of bacteria.

Never allow discarded egg shells and incubator waste to lie around. Dispose and burn quickly, this is choc full of unsavoury bacteria. DO NOT feed to your chickens!

 

PHENOLICS

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a. Wide germicidal range, not sporocidal.

b. Low toxicity and low corrosiveness.

c. Very effective in the presence of organic matter.

d. Good residual activity and deodorizer.

e. Low to moderate cost.

If you have used a product called TCP in the past, it has now reappeared as 3CP, this is a wonderful disinfectant for topical application in wounds, eye infections ear infections and egg bound hens.

Dilute a teaspoon in a litre of warm water.

COAL TAR DISTILLATES (CRESOL AND CRESYLIC ACIDS)

This is your Jeyes Fluid and creosotes.

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a. Wide germicidal activity, not sporocidal.

b. Corrosive and very toxic at high concentrations.

c. Excellent residual activity with heavy odour.

d. Highly efficient in the presence of organic matter.

e. NOT WELL SUITED FOR USE NEAR EGGS OR CHICKS DUE TO NOXIOUS GASSES.

f. Moderate cost.

be careful when creosoting the poles around your pens as creosote is impossible to remove from feathering especially white feathering, and if the youngsters consume the creosote it will kill them.

ALDEHYDES (GLUTERALDEHYDE).

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a. Wide germicidal activity, sporocidal and fungicidal.

b. Slight to moderate efficiency in the presence of organic matter.

c. Slight residual activity.

d. Moderately toxic.

e. Moderate cost.

Good idea to have some gluteraldehyde on hand to alternate between Virukill and this. It is wonderful for disinfecting incubators but does have  fumes which can be irritants to the humans, so care must be taken when using this product and use diluted when you do. It does destroy Aspergillosis which is a fungal disease also known as Farmers’ Lung, and is caused by spores in grasses, hence the value of using this in the incubators.

I have also found that insects such as litter beetles and cockroaches, ghekos, fleas, ticks, as well as rats hate the smell and will not go where there is gluteraldehyde on the surfaces. It makes a good floor cleaner in the house as well! Flies stay away from gluteraldehyde too.

10 ml per litre is a good dilution.

Do NOT under any circumstance mix gluteraldehyde with anything else such as bleach or any disinfecting agent such as Virukill or Virkon S. You might make a noxious gas that will irritate you or worse, and may kill the chicks.

OXYDISING AGENTS (HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE)

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a. Moderate to high germicidal activity but not sporocidal.

b. Ineffective in the presence of organic matter.

c . Moderately corrosive, limited toxicity.

d. Poor to limited residual activity.

e. More valuable as a cleaning and deodorising agent.

f. Moderate to high cost.

This is the active agent found in Virkon S, which is a good poultry disinfectant. It is however very costly and corrosive, especially to your hands!

Now that I have confused you all, let me simplify:

If you want a disinfectant that does it all it does not exist. You need to mix and match according to use, cost and availability.

NO DISINFECTANT WILL EVER  CURE DISEASE.

A quarternary ammonium compound such as VIRUKILL is a good place to start as it does most of what you want, without being corrosive, or unpleasant in smell. It is non toxic to newborn chicks, and can be used around eggs as well. I use it in dilute form to clean dirty eggs. It kills most viruses.

The best way to proceed is to alternate the disinfectant you use every so often with another good quality disinfectant. You can alternate VIRKON S with VIRUKILL every few months.

In very small doses you can add  Virukill at a rate of 1-1000 to drinking water if you have a particularly bad season with illnesses, coughs colds and Coryza. In wild bird season in July I use Virukill in the drinking water for a month.

I use it all the time to clean drinkers and feeders, spray houses and clean hatchers.

However it is not sporocidal, so it is important to use something else to kill off fungus and spores. I use gluteraldehyde in diluted form, 5ml per litre, to disinfect the brooders, hatchers and incubators. You might alternate that with VirkonS.

It is important that you change the solution in the bucket you use as soon as you smell it is “off”.

It is also important to remember that these disinfectants help to keep diseases and infections at bay but they are NOT a universal cure.

You need to use wisely, in conjunction with excellent biosecurity in the yard, a good vaccination programme a good anti rodent programme and a good programme to dispose of manure.

Nothing works alone in a farm yard. Everything works in tandem with everything else, but good disinfectants is a good place to start and a good routine to implement.

You might also consider a product called F10 hand Scrub.

This is a liquid hand scrub which combines anti fungal properties with anti bacterial and anti viral. It is used widely as a disinfectant for mild infections as well on the skin for people and pets. It can also be used as a scrubbing agent in surgeries. Any wounds on a bird can be  disinfected with F10 used pure on a piece of cotton wool. As a hand disinfectant in the poultry yard it is also excellent. It is effective against gram positive and gram negative bacteria, fungi, yeasts and moulds as well.

http://www.vetproductsonline.co.za

Try this web site as F10 products are available from these people at a reasonable price, and F10 products range from ointments to disinfecting gels and water free cleansing agent for the hands. The products contain a quaternary ammonium compound,biguanadine compounds, non toxic ampholytic surfactants and glycerine. It is gentle on the hands as well.

If you have nothing else on hand, you could use thick bleach in a bucket of water to clean your drinkers and feeders. It is vital that you clean these every day. Warm dirty water for the birds to drink is a recipe for disaster. It is also the way a lot of respiratory diseases are transmitted, through the discharge from the nostrils and from bird to bird in the feeder and drinker. So, if cleared out and disinfected every day, you have a chance of stopping an outbreak before it becomes a serious problem.

FLIES

These are prevalent wherever there is chicken faeces or dirt of any kind. If your poultry yard smells, you will have flies and unhappy neighbours.

If you have followed all the suggestions above, you should have no flies. However, sometimes problems are difficult to solve especially when your poultry cages are not what you would like but what you can afford.

There are products available on the market to help: You can have small containers attached to the wire fences around your pens, which can hold some fly bait . There are several on the market, and your feed place will advise you. Stay away from sticky fly paper which does not work, or fly traps which smell terrible. The fly bait is usually a crystal which does not smell and can be replaced when empty. You will see many dead flies in the container. Wrap all that in plastic and  burn. Be careful to place your bait in areas where pets and children cannot reach, and where the birds themselves cannot scratch.

There are products that you can paint onto surfaces to discourage flies, but I have never found them very effective.

The key to your success is that there should be no smell in your yard. If the yard smells, it means there is anaerobic bacteria growing somewhere, and that breeds diseases, brings in rats and generally destroys everything you are trying to do.

RATS/RODENTS

These are also pests and need to be dealt with. You will never eradicate them but you can keep them under control.

You can lay poison in areas where children, pets, chickens do not go, as in the ceilings. I use a peanut butter and golden syrup paste mixed with liquid rat poison, Racumin is best, or Rodex liquid. 25ml of liquid rat poison to a jar of peanut butter, add half a cup of syrup.

Place the paste in the bottom of jam jars, and place in areas frequented ONLY by rats. Do not place in areas that can be accessed by kids or dogs or chickens. Behind nesting boxes is good, in the roof, or smear the paste on wooden beams above the head of the birds.

Please remember to use all these products carefully, read instructions and stick to them, and inform staff of the same. Any product can be lethal if misused. Always ventilate well before and after and during cleaning. Wear protective face mask if in an enclosed area. Wear rubber gloves when cleaning and rubber boots in the yard. Disinfect these regularly in a foot bath. Gloves can be cleaned in the Virukill tub.

INSECTICIDES AND PARASITE CONTROL

It is important to read labels very carefully when using these products.

The following are active ingredients which you can use in your poultry yard:

1. KARBARYL based spray, Karbadust, Karbaryl powders.
2. Mild insecticides containing derivatives from the pyrethrin daisy. Be careful as some of these products have been combined with other products to make very potent insecticides, and only those products stating on the label that they are single pyrethrin derivatives are safe. For example, there are some vicious insecticides out there for the eradication of moles, using phosphogen and other combination chemicals that are cypermethrin based. These are lethal to humans let alone pets and poultry.
3. Malasol providing it is diluted correctly and not used as a dipping bath in which the whole bird is dunked. Use as a spray.
4. Products containing LEVAMISOLE, which is a good dewormer and is quite safe providing it is used as directed.
5. Products based with IVERMECTIN 1% also used for deworming and safe if used as directed.

STAY AWAY FROM….

1. Products containing CITRUNIL, which is an insecticide used widely today derived largely from citrus. Unfortunately it is a very dangerous product now banned in Europe. It has been widely used in some pour on medication for fleas in dogs, and has been blamed for being carcinogenic. This has not been proven, but if it is dangerous enough to be banned that is good enough for me.

2.   Products containing very concentrated doses of chemicals that can burn or injure a bird such as  Hydrogen peroxide. Again read the label very carefully.

Be careful that products used on poultry are not noxious to you, use gloves and mask where necessary.

WHEN USING A NEW PRODUCT PLEASE READ THE LABEL CAREFULLY AND APPLY AS DIRECTED. ALWAYS READ TO FIND THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT IN EACH PRODUCT.

http://www.immunovet.co.za

These people will have information to help you and sell all the vaccines and cleaning agents mentioned on this site.

http://www.vetproductsonline.co.za

These people will give information as it is a veterinary practice. You can buy injectable antibiotics, cleaning agents, various wound products as well. Vaccines are a problem as they are subject to refrigeration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JUDGING YOUR OWN BIRDS

IF YOU ARE GOING TO SHOW YOUR BIRDS YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO JUDGE THEM RUTHLESSLY AT HOME.

It is not much good going to a show thousands of miles from home with a bird that has a defect which will eliminate him or her at the first hurdle.

WHAT ARE THE LIKELY ELIMINATIONS?

There are several defects that mean instant elimination from a show bench, no explanation needed either. These are most of them, and if I have missed some please forgive me!

1. Split wing: This is where the wing seems to have a duel level, where the feathers have a gap between usually primary and secondary feathers, or at the top of the wing between primaries. You will always know when a wing is split as the wing feels weak, and there is a lot of give in the handling of that wing.

This is not to be confused with a wing in moult from a young bird where all feathers have not as yet grown in. Count your feathers: there should be 10 primaries and 10 secondaries with no gap between.

The picture shows a Rhode Island Red with a split wing, where when the wing is opened there is a clear difference in level between the primaries and the secondaries.

The picture below shows a perfect wing.

 

Notice the perfect level opening of the wing on the picture on the top  left  with no gap between feathers and more importantly all feathers on the same level with none lower or higher than the others.

The picture on the right shows a definite split on the top half of the wing. The wing will feel loose and weak. Notice the level difference more important than the gap between the feathers.

There is also what is known as a slipped wing, where the wing does not return to its natural folded position when opened and the feathers tend to piggyback on each other, without giving the appearance above of smooth even layers.

2. SIDE SPRIGS ON COMB:

This is another bug bear and will always happen when you are least expecting it on the birds you could swear will never have it! Sussex are prone to it, as are most single comb breeds.

 

 

In this picture you can see a small protruding piece of the comb at the back. That is a side sprig and will breed on so do not use birds with this defect in your breed pen.

In breeds that have a cushion comb or a rose comb or a pea comb, the bird that does not display the correct comb may be marked down if the comb is seen as a relatively bad example of the type.

It will however be disqualified if it displays a totally wrong comb:

For example: A silkie has a cushion comb but a silkie that displays a single comb will be disqualified. A silkie that displays a cushion comb that is so large as to obscure the eyes, will be marked down severely but not disqualified, unless it is so ugly and disfiguring as to obscure sight completely.

One should actually not breed from a bird which shows such an ugly deformed comb, unless of course you have no other bird to breed from, in which case you should breed many chicks and cull the offspring severely, keeping only those that have not inherited Dad’s ugly face!

3.CROSSED BEAK

This is  a fault of in breeding usually and a sign of very poor genetic stock and poor selection on the part of the breeder. The beak is crossed instead of straight, and the bird usually does not survive beyond a few weeks as it cannot feed itself. I have no pictures of this as I have never had it in my pens. Here are some pictures courtesy of http://www.backyardpoultry.com

Please note that crossed beaks are ALWAYS from poor breeding and genetic flaws. This does not happen by accident. If you believe the bird has been traumatised in some way, the result will never be a crossed beak, but more likely a BROKEN beak, or a split beak, never crossed.

     

4. DENTED KEEL.

This is where the breast bone beneath the chest of the bird, (see anatomy in the gallery pictures), has a dent or a dip in the bone as opposed to being level and smooth. This sometimes happens when birds perch too early in life and the bones being soft, become deformed. If the bend is towards the head of the bird this could be caused by perching, whereas a dent at the back of the keel, towards the intestines, is more likely to be genetic.

This will also breed on so do not breed from a dented keel.

In cases of genetics as in Brahmas, you may not have a choice, in which case select carefully among the babies and breed in numbers so as to be able to select.

5. CROOKED TAIL

This does not need explanation as the tail has to be a natural extension of the bird, leading straight from the back and absolutely in line with the head.

If it leans left or right it is crooked. Be aware that hens when they lay, especially young pullets, will display a crooked tail until that egg is out. If this is the case in a pullet or a hen, if I am judging, I leave her to her job, and come back later. If there is an egg, that was the reason for the crooked tail, and the tail will be perfectly aligned once more. If however the tail is still crooked and no egg is visible, the bird has a crooked tail and must be discarded in judging.

6. DUCK TOE

This is not always easy to spot. It is when the fourth toe, the one that usually sits at right angles to the leg behind the bird, is instead lying parallel to the leg. The fourth toe must stand straight out behind the bird as it walks.

It happens sometimes in Rhode Island Reds, and other birds that descend from game birds, where duck toes are common.

7. CROOKED TOES

Also very obvious when the toes are not perfectly straight but turn in or out or are broken. This is sometimes genetic but often the result of an accident.

8. MISSING TOES, EXTRA TOES, NO TOE NAILS

Very often the case in birds that are five toed as in silkies.  Where five toes are the standard they must be five distinct toes with nails on all. Lack of toe nails is usually an indication of in breeding. Silkies sometimes have six toes on one leg and four on the other.

9. PIGEON TOED OR COW HOCKED

Birds must stand straight, with two legs separated by the chest and lying parallel to each other without leaning towards each other and with the toes facing ahead and straight. The hocks should never touch. You will find that birds with narrow chests and incorrect structure are the ones that usually end up cow hocked, or knock kneed. Similarly if one leg or one foot is turned in or out, while the other is straight, this is also a disqualification.

10. ROACH OR ROUND BACK

If you run your hand down the back of a bird it must feel absolutely flat, without a curve or a dent. A rounded back is a bad fault in a breeding pen especially in the hens because the cock will never balance on a rounded back.

It also breeds on.

11. PARASITES !!!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!! check your birds seven times seven times before putting them on a show bench, so that no parasites are present.

I cannot stress this enough.

If your birds are well prepared there should never be any parasites anyway. And it is no use suddenly checking five minutes before benching: This must be done at home.

You should check regularly anyway if you are serious about your birds.

I am afraid I have NO sympathy for the exhibitor whose birds are disqualified for lice or mites, or even worms! (yes some so bad they are obvious externally!)

Parasites are most often present around the vent, around the eyes, or on crested breeds on the head. Make sure there are no moveable assets on your birds as you endanger the bird itself as well as thousands of other birds on the floor. Lice migrate very quickly from cage to cage. If you are going to go to the expense of showing and travelling with the birds, accommodation, fees etc…for heavens sake make sure they are clean!

12. SICK BIRDS

Fairly obvious I would say, but there are some breeders who are either clueless or insensitive to the needs of their birds. See the SHOWING TIPS on this web page.

Sufficient to say, do not bench a bird that is lethargic, has weepy or foamy eyes, is coughing or sneezing, stands with eyes closed, looks pale or has diarrhea.

13. ODD FEATHERS

In a white bird that would be any coloured feather not in the breed standard. In a black bird it would be white or any colour not in the standard.

14. TWISTED FEATHERS IN WING OR TAIL

This is sometimes unavoidable but you cannot show a bird with a twisted feather in the wing or the tail. If the feather is a secondary one or a tail covert you can pull it out, but a missing primary is too obvious to miss. Feathers sometimes twist when the bird has been ill, stressed, has had antibiotic, is underweight, or the diet is not high enough in fats and minerals. In some ducks, it indicates a diet too high in protein, though I have never had the case and have always fed high protein. It could also be genetic, or an indication of feather mite, the little bugs that are microscopic and crawl inside the blood vessels of the wing feathers.

Again dosing with Ivermectin regularly sorts it all out, but it must be done regularly, not just a week before a show…by then it is too late!

15. ODD EYES/PEARL EYES/WALL EYED

Eyes should both be the same colour. Sometimes this is not the case and it is an immediate disqualification. Pearl eyes are just that: The colour gene in the eye has not materialised and the bird has almost mother of pearl greyish eyes. This is usually genetic.

Wall eyed birds are the same: the eyes have no colour except a greyish tint, and usually are blind, in one or both eyes. Most people do not show these specimens, and most will be destroyed at a young age. IT is also a genetic condition.

16. FEATHERS ON SHANKS/FEATHERS ON TOE

This is common on clean legged birds. If the feathers are small you may pluck them out before showing but if the feathering is profuse, leave the bird at home. It will be obvious it has been plucked!

Feathering here is relatively small and could be removed.

This is too much and should mean the bird will be left at home or culled.

There are many more faults that a bird can manifest, but these are the most prevalent faults and are all subject to disqualification.

This is in the book of standards, so please do not blame the judge for throwing your bird out if it has any of the above faults!

Any other faults that are not subject to disqualification are subject to a mark down, and will depend on the exhibits on the floor at the time.

For example: If you have a Sussex cock with yellow eyes, this is not a disqualification, but on a show bench next to another cock with beautiful orange eyes, he will be discarded simply because there is a better bird on the floor on the day. At another show he may win simply because either all other Sussex that day have yellow eyes, or all other birds have other defects that are worse than the yellow eyes. Judging is not easy, especially when faced with a class of 150 plus birds all the same colour! You then have to eliminate, and you have to be very severe in large classes so as to narrow the field. Should your bird be on the floor that day and be passed over, he may not be disqualified, simply passed over for a better bird on the day.

So, DO NOT go home with a big knife and start dispatching all your birds. Look them over, select very carefully and don’t be in too much of a hurry to discard a bird that may have one small fault and a lot of good points. Make a list of all the pros and all the cons. Take time to  JUDGE YOUR OWN BIRDS.

And how can you fault that?!!!!