Guelph researchers studying diseases in backyard chickens

While backyard chickens areincreasingly popular, there's relatively little knowledge of the what diseases are most commonly found in these chickens, according to an assistant professor at the University of Guelph.

The university has partnered with Ontario'sMinistry of Agricultureto do a two-year infectious disease surveillance study on small,non-commericialpoultry flocks, like backyard chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys and game fowl, in order to eventually offer information on preventing and controlling those diseases.

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"We felt that there was a void of knowledge about this flock, and so the aim of this study is basically to understand the baseline prevalence of the most important diseases in this flock and really to have a snapshot of the health status of this flock," said LeonardSusta, an assistant professor of pathobiology and one of the researchers involved with the study, in an interview with Craig Norris on The Morning Edition Friday.

"We know that they're getting certain diseases that ... used to bepresent in commercialflocks. In commercial flocks, due to vaccination and other husbandry practices, somehow [the diseases] are not there anymore, whereas backyard poultry flocks, they might still tend to get those diseases."

Goal is to help flock owners

Chickens that have died must be brought to a veterinarianand owners must sign a consent form as well as answer a questionnaire about husbandry and biosecurityin order to participate in the study.

The researchers have looked at 117 submissions so far.

"Each submission sometimes can be multiple birds, so we have a way higher number of single birds," Susta said.

He said also, it's likely if one animal is sick,it's likely the whole flock is affected.

Susta saidthe goal is to make owners aware of the most common diseases in smallflocks, what early signs they should look for and then, what to do if they see signs.

For more information on how to submit birds, click here.