How to Identify and Manage Canker Infection in Chickens, Naturally.

Canker in chickens

Any chicken that is exposed to wild birds is at risk of infection

Have you ever noticed a chicken that looks like they have a clump of feed stuck inside their mouth?

They may not be able to close their beak completely, or it may stick out the side of the beak.

This is actually a large lesion caused by a parasitic protozoa called Trichomonosis gallinae.

This is a Flagellated protozoa, which means they are a single celled protozoa, which has a tail.... or 4.

Same sort off creature as giardia. Yuk.

This guy is no friend to your chicken.

Trichomonas gallinae

How do we recognise a canker lesion?

• Sores in the mouth, which can look white, yellow or crusty. These can occur in the corner of the mouth, the throat and even down the oesophagus.

• There can be difficulty when swallowing and regurgitation of food.

• They can have difficulty eating

• Loss of condition

• Listless and quiet

• The lesions can be smelly

• Breathing difficulties

• A greenish fluid can come from the lesion, and will be seen in the mouth or crop.

Gross.

The canker sore can be quite large, and obstruct full closure of the beak. It can also make it difficult to eat.

So how do they get infected with this unfriendly protozoa?

It is contagious, and can be caught from wild birds, such as pigeons and doves. They can also transmit this in water and food, and the parasite is able to survive in the food and water for several days, allowing many opportunities for infection.

Feeders which can be accessed by wild birds can become a source of infection of Trichomonas gallinae

How do we prevent infection

Unfortunately, chicken owners usually only learn about this condition when they have an active case in their flock. Although we have missed the boat for preventing infection in this particular bird, we can help prevent infection being transmitted to the other birds in your flock.

Apple cider vinegar – acidify water

ACV can help with lowering the pH of the water. By creating an acidic environment in the water, you can inhibit the growth of the protozoa trichomonas gallinae.

ACV will also have other great actions to support the digestive health, it will also provide probiotics, boost immune function and provides many vitamins and minerals.

Dilute this well, at roughly 20ml per 4L.

I am probably a little less precise as I give a slosh to all water containers.

When using ACV in the water, make sure that they are still drinking sufficient amounts of water, especially on hot days.

Disinfect feeders and waterers regularly.

Especially if you have lots of pigeons or doves that frequent your chicken pen.

Preventing wild bird access to the food and waterers.

This is difficult in most set ups- except of course cage birds….but that’s not the life we want for our home flock.

Keeping feeders and waterers in a covered position in the chicken pen rather than out in the middle of the run.

Environment

Husbandry of animals is one of the most overlooked, but most important aspect of disease management in most farm animals.

Keeping a dry run, clean out manure and add in hay/ straw etc.

So we have an infected Chicken. What do we do now?

Firstly, we want to separate the infected bird from the flock. This will reduce the spread to other birds.

I have a small hospital cage I pop them in.

Keeping them in a small cage, free from draughts, the cold and excessive heat.

Free access to food and water.

A really important part of a hospital cage is easy access to the chicken. If we need to administer herbs, medications or apply products to the chicken, catching the chicken needs to as easy and stress free as possible.

Canker can affect the breathing and ability to eat in chickens, so prompt, effective treatment is essential.

What are the Treatment Options for Canker in Chickens?

Management of this condition requires systemic treatment. We have to kill the organism, and then help support the healing and recovery for the chicken.

Veterinary medications can be utilised to kill the organism. However we are seeing more drug resistance to many of the chemical options.

Some of these lesions can become quite large, and may need debridement by the vet.

Canker can affect the mucous membranes of the mouth, and also down the oesophagus

Veterinarian options.

Metronidazole or carnidazole are two medications that may be used to help kill the protozoa.

If using this route, also ensure you are supporting the Microbiome and immune system of the chicken naturally. You can do this with probiotics, fresh greens (or Vibrant greens ) and some immune support herbs.

Essential oils

There are a few effective essential oils that can help address this infection

Lavender

Thyme

Sage

Oregano

Essential oils can be added to feed at a rate of 0.5-1.5g per kg of feed. This means if you have 1kg of food, you can add in 0.5-1.5g of the essential oil into their food.

This can be difficult to disperse evenly within the food. I recommend diluting this into something easily dispersed, like a powder or oil before mixing this into the feed.

I always err on the side of caution with essential oils, and be sure to accurately measure these.

I use a combination of Vibrant Greens and a powdered herbal combination that includes many of the herbs suitable for this infection and immune support.

Add the essential oils to this, and then I shake shake shake this until it is evenly dispersed through out the powdered mix.

I then add this to 1kg of chicken food, and again, shake, shake, shake. You want the food to look like it is evenly mixed through, with no patches of the herbs in one spot.

I also use a liquid herbal extract combination to boost the immune function, address the parasite, and also support tissue healing and recovery. You can order this here

(in the prescription code box, put Chicken Canker mix). I use this both internally, and topically directly on the lesion to help kill the parasite.

Herbs that can be useful in a chicken canker protocol

• Nigella sativa

• Lavender

• Thyme

• Oregano

• Sage

• Fleabane

• Bugleweed

• Ginger

• Pau d Arco

• Sweet wormwood

• Barberry

• Pomegranate 

• Echinacea

• Bidens

Garlic.

Garlic is so good, it deserves its own heading.

Garlic is a wonderful antiparasitic, and anti-protozoal herb, which helps to kill the parasite.

A wonderful antiparasitic herb, which can be used to kill the parasite, whilst also supporting mucous clearance and immune support.

I like to use this freshly crushed.

I use 1-2 clovers per 5 birds (depending on the size of your birds)

Mix this into their food.

Garlic is a well known anti-parasitic herb

Recovery

Once the parasite has been killed, The chicken will still has a large sore that requires time to heal. This will take a few weeks for full recovery.

Many conventional therapies, and yes, even natural therapies, that are effective against parasites can impact the microbiome.

I like to get my chickens on a good probiotic for recovery.

My favourite can be found here

Managing canker is much easier if this is caught early, and addressed immediately. The longer you leave it, the larger the lesion, and the more difficult it will be to resolve.

If you are dealing with a bird suffering from a canker, you can also book in for an individualised protocol to help address this condition naturally, specific to your bird, and your flock.

You can find out more about my consultations here

https://www.vibrantanimalhealth.com.au/book-a-session

Say hello to your chicken for me!

Kerrie