Ducks are quite popular poultry. To prevent the occurrence of infections, you need to keep the poultry house clean, carry out regular disinfection, and prevent overcrowding of chicks. Many farmers ask the question: why do ducklings constantly open their beaks and breathe frequently? Symptoms like these sometimes indicate an infection. It is important to make a correct diagnosis and start treatment in a timely manner.
Why do ducklings open their beaks and sneeze?
Coughing and sneezing can be symptoms of various diseases. Infectious diseases pose a danger.Characteristic symptoms of cholera are: diarrhea, refusal to eat, coughing and sneezing, extreme thirst. Goslings also sneeze and hold their beaks open when infected with viral hepatitis. Signs of infection: difficulty breathing, wheezing, convulsions. Improper living conditions provoke hypothermia in chicks (drafts, dampness) and cause damage to the upper respiratory tract.
Sometimes chicks swallow inedible objects. Sometimes mucus coming from the beak is a sign that the gosling is choking. In this case, you need to examine the chick and remove the foreign object.
Treatment methods
When the first symptoms appear, it is important to establish the correct diagnosis and promptly determine treatment methods. Infectious diseases are treated with antibiotics. The drugs selected are fast-acting and do not require long-term use. To prevent antibiotics from weakening the immune system, the birds are additionally prescribed antimicrobial and antiviral agents (aerosol, added to drinking water).
What to do to avoid the problem
Almost every household has ducks. The defeat of poultry by infectious diseases causes serious damage to the livestock.
Therefore, it is easier to prevent the occurrence and spread of diseases:
- the poultry house is regularly cleaned and disinfected;
- feeders and drinking bowls are kept clean;
- a balanced diet is selected for ducklings;
- do not allow low-quality feed or foreign objects to enter the feeders;
- sometimes a weak solution of potassium permanganate is added to drinking water;
- if necessary, vaccination is carried out.
Sick chicks are promptly isolated and treated. Sick ducklings must not be allowed to infect adult birds.
Prevention of infections and timely treatment will reduce the loss of ducklings.
