Quote:
Ditto
If you are wanting broiler type birds to eat then buy broilers or a"dual-purpose breed.
Free range "traditional" breed chickens (over commercial "dual-purpose breeds or broilers) and lean mean free ranging machines and tend to be on the skinny side.
That being said, if you have wormed them sufficiently (i.e. properly with a broad range wormer like ivomec EPRINEX) and worms are not a problem , then one must consider what the oldtimers called "going light" (i.e. pathogenically losing weight leading to an eventual death). This is most often caused by avian TB :
http://compepid.tuskegee.edu/syllabi/.../pathology/clinpath/chapter2.html
2.4 Tuberculosis of Poultry
a. Synonyms:
TB, Avian T.B.
b. Definition:
Chronic infectious disease of mature fowls, characterized by granulomatous lesions in the viscera.
c. Etiology:
Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. acian. The organism is acid fast, measures 1-3 1! long, grows best on media containing glycerin, egg medium, the colonies being oily and most, Grampositive.
Moist heat destroys the organism rather rapidly but cold does not affect it. It is readily destroyed by direct sunlight. Chemical disinfectants are effective when it is present in material which contains no protein.
d. Susceptibility:
1. Chickens and turkeys are very susceptible.
2. All species of birds are capable of being infected.
3. Mammal, are susceptible. Other animals such as sheep, rabbit, rodents and calves are also susceptible.
4. Chickens are resistant to M. bovis, while parrots and parrotlike birds are highly susceptible. Parrots may also become infected with human strains.
5. Birds other than psitiacinea are resistant to infection by human bacilli
e. Occurrence:
1. World wide.
2. Serious problem in the midwest states of U.S. where young birds have contact with older birds or with swine.
F. Epizootiology:
1. Through alimentary route, contaminated feed and water.
2. Contact with hogs and sheep that habour the bacilli.
3. Feeding raw garbage to hogs.
4. Cannibalism.
g. Symptoms:
1. Age: fowls may become infected at any age, but because of the chronic nature of the disease symptoms are not usually observed in birds less than one year of age.
2. Action: Chronic
3. Temperature: Within normal range.
4. One of the first indications of tuberculosis in fowl is loss of weight ("going light ")
5. Combs, wattles, skin and mucous membranes of the head become pale, and the feathers are ruffled, listless and unthrifty.
6. Lameness in one or both legs due to tuberculosis abscess in the joints.
7. Diarrhea often appears in the later stages.
