As chicken keepers we learn new things everyday, and today I want to discuss about CRD's in chickens, what is CRD'S and how to manage them.
First , what exactly is a CRD? CRD stands for ( Chronic Respiratory Disease ) and there are many, including
1. Fowl cholera.
one of the symptoms is swollen wattle's.
2. Infectious laryngotracheitis
one of the symtoms is bubbles in eyes.
3. Infectious bronchitis
one of the symptoms is gasping
4. Infectious Coryza
one of the symptoms if facial swelling
Sadly once your chicken has become infected with one of these CRD's there is no way to treat or cure it, you can only manage it. This is because antibiotics cannot fully destroy cure the CRD. Most times the symptoms of a CRD look to be the same as those of a URI and can even be mistaken as a URI. So whats the difference between a CRD and a URI? A Chronic Respiratory Disease looks and acts the same way a respiratory infection would. Your chickens might seem weak, lethargic, maybe they are sneezing or coughing or have bubbles in their eyes. You treat them and soon all symptoms disappear making you believe they are cured, But the thing is the CRD hasn't been cured but is laying dormant. If the chicken gets stressed in anyway all of these infections may come back.
So you must give your chicken good care and always treat them of any infections before CRD come in, and they best way to keep your chicken away from infections and diseases is by making your chicken house clean and always dry , I mean always dry, when your chicken house is clean and dry, it will be difficult for infection and diseases to stay in your chicken house.
Dirty and wet chicken house is breeding place for infection and diseases.
