Veterinary Services

Samples were received from a flock of free-range layers in which there had been low-grade but persistent mortality and fluctuations in egg production. Post mortem examination showed that most of the deaths were due to reproductive tract problems such as impaction of the oviduct and egg yolk peritonitis but one bird had multiple fine foci of liver necrosis typical of so-called ‘spotty liver syndrome’.

Deaths from this syndrome had been diagnosed in birds from this flock earlier in the year. The cause of this syndrome remains unclear, but on some sites the condition has been associated with internal parasites and on this unit Heterakis gallinarum infection was found in most of the birds examined.

Significant mortality in red-legged partridges aged 3-5 days from three locations was attributed to ‘starve-outs’ or ‘ non-starters’. In one case the owner was concerned that the size of the commercial diet being fed had been too large for starting partridge chicks.

Rotavirus infection was diagnosed in pheasant chicks aged 10 days and 17 days on one site, and in pheasants aged 17 days from another site – in all cases the gross appearance of the caeca was suggestive of a rotavirus infection. A combination of Salmonella Typhimurium DT41 and rotavirus was detected in a batch of pheasant chicks aged six days – these birds had been submitted as part of routine screening and there had been few deaths in the batch at the time of submission.

Four live ducklings were submitted from a flock suffering high mortality in the first week of life. Post mortem examination revealed swollen livers with multiple white focal lesions in three of the four birds, and a heavy growth of S. Typhimurium was subsequently isolated from all four birds.

Young goslings developed torticollis and depression between 4 and 5 days of age. Evidence of septicaemia was found at post mortem examination and Enterococcus hirae was cultured from the tissues. This organism has been associated with nervous signs in young chicks of a similar age.