Gut / litter
Wet litter, loose droppings
- Drinker leakage, excess humidity or inadequate ventilation
- Enteric infection, coccidiosis, feed imbalance or abrupt feed change
Symptom guide
Start with what you see in the shed.
Match a visible sign to the area worth investigating, then open the related products and concern guide.
16 of 16 signs
Coccidiosis
Blood in droppings, whitish vent soiling
- Eimeria challenge with intestinal damage
- Other enteric disease; vent soiling alone is not specific
Respiratory
Gasping, rattling, coughing
- Viral, Mycoplasma or secondary bacterial respiratory challenge
- Ammonia, dust, poor ventilation or vaccine reaction
Respiratory
Swollen sinus, ocular discharge
- Upper respiratory infection, including Mycoplasma-associated disease
- Irritant exposure from ammonia or dust
Growth
Uneven flock, poor uniformity
- Unequal access to feed or water, brooding variation or chick-quality differences
- Gut challenge, feed-quality change or chronic disease
Growth / liver
Poor FCR, low weight gain
- Diet, feed form, intake, environment or stocking constraints
- Gut, liver, coccidial, respiratory or mycotoxin pressure
Heat stress
Panting, mortality in summer
- High effective temperature, humidity or inadequate air speed
- Cooling, water-supply or power failure
Antiviral
Sudden mortality, pale liver (IBH)
- Inclusion Body Hepatitis associated with fowl adenovirus
- Other infectious, toxic or metabolic liver disease requiring diagnosis
Immunity
Post-vaccination reaction, low titres
- Application, cold-chain, timing or water-quality failure
- Maternal antibody interference, stress, disease or immunosuppression
Reproduction
Drop in egg production
- Feed intake, nutrient, lighting, body-weight or heat-stress change
- Infectious disease or normal age-related production change
Reproduction
Cracked / thin-shelled eggs
- Calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D or particle-size problem
- Heat stress, water salinity, disease, bird age or egg handling
Male fertility
Poor hatchability, low fertility
- Male body condition, mating activity, semen quality or age
- Hen, egg-storage or incubation factors that must be separated by breakout
Liver
Fatty liver syndrome
- Energy imbalance, methyl-donor or nutrient factors in high-producing birds
- Metabolic, toxic or infectious liver pressure
Liver
Suspected mycotoxin in feed
- Contaminated grain or feed following growth, harvest or storage exposure
- Moisture migration, mould growth or poor stock rotation
Gut pathogens
Necrotic enteritis, E. coli, Salmonella
- Confirmed or suspected intestinal bacterial challenge
- Coccidial damage, feed hygiene, water biofilm or biosecurity failure
AGP replacement
Wanting to cut antibiotic use
- Stewardship or market requirement to reduce routine antibiotic exposure
- Need for stronger gut, feed, water and management controls during transition
This guide supports veterinary diagnosis. It does not replace it. Urgent mortality, blood, severe breathing difficulty or neurological signs need prompt veterinary attention.
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