Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Backyard poultry cases in UK small animal practices: Demographics, health conditions and pharmaceutical prescriptions.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary record
- Year:
- 2021
- Authors:
- Singleton, David A et al.
- Affiliation:
- University of Liverpool · United Kingdom
Plain-English summary
In the UK, many people are keeping backyard chickens, but there isn't much information about how often these birds visit the vet and what happens during those visits. A study looked at over 4,400 consultations for poultry at various veterinary practices from 2014 to 2019. Most of the visits were for chickens, especially during the early summer months, and many of these chickens were from rural areas. The study found that a significant number of chickens showed vague signs of illness, and unfortunately, nearly 30% of the cases resulted in euthanasia, meaning the birds were put to sleep due to severe health issues. Additionally, a third of the consultations involved prescribing antibiotics, some of which are considered very important for human health. Overall, the study suggests that there is a need for better understanding and management of chicken health among both owners and veterinarians.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Backyard poultry ownership is of keen interest in the United Kingdom. However, despite this, little is known about veterinary care engagement and outcomes of visits in this group of species. METHODS: This study described and characterised veterinary practice-visiting backyard poultry, utilising electronic health record data supplied by veterinary practices voluntarily participating in the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network between 1st April 2014 and 31st March 2019. RESULTS: In total, 4424 recorded poultry consultations originating from 197 veterinary practices (352 sites) were summarised. Chicken consultation (n = 3740) peak incidence was in early summer (April-June), relative to all recorded species. More chickens resided in rural (incident rate ratio = 2.5, confidence interval [CI] 2.3-2.6, p <0.001) or less deprived areas. Non-specific clinical signs were commonly recorded (17.6% of chicken consultations, CI 15.9-19.2), as were those indicative of advanced disease. This latter finding was reflected in prescribed management strategies, with euthanasia comprising 29.8% (CI 27.0-32.6) of consultations. Antimicrobials were commonly prescribed (33.0% of consultations, CI 29.8-36.2), 43.8% of which included antimicrobials considered 'highest priority critically important' by the World Health Organisation. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate a need to tailor antimicrobial prescription guidance to the backyard poultry setting. In addition, late presentation of disease, vague clinical descriptions in clinical narratives and high euthanasia rates show that disease identification, management and knowledge of poultry health and welfare among owners and veterinary surgeons can be improved.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33835557/