Poultry are a major source of valuable high-quality protein for much of the world's population, so food security is heavily dependent on maintaining poultry health. They are also increasingly important as specialist hobby animals in back-yard flocks. Despite this, veterinarians specializing in the care and health of these important domestic animals are few and far between, and many vets in small animal practice have little real experience of poultry health management and disease. Providing a comprehensive overview, this new handbook will help to plug this gap with 46 chapters of practical and accessible poultry health and management.

The book covers the poultry industry, basic avian biology, infectious and non-infectious diseases and their agents, infection control, and disease investigation and legislation. It includes full colour images for ease of identification and diagnosis, in addition to practical guides to disease prevention and considers areas of increasing global importance, such as antimicrobial resistance. Written by international experts, this book forms a valuable illustrated resource for veterinary professionals, veterinary students, or those entering the poultry industry.

Table of contents

Section 1: Poultry and the Poultry Industry

Chapter 1: Basic Anatomy and Physiology. David Parsons.

Chapter 2: The Immune System of the Chicken. Paul Wigley.

Chapter 3: The Genetics of Disease Resistance in Poultry. Androniki Psifidi.

Chapter 4: The Poultry Industry. Barry Thorp.

Chapter 5: The Broiler Industry and Management of Broilers and Broiler Parents. Paul McMullin.

Chapter 6: The Commercial Layer Industry, Management and Disease. Peter Cargill.

Chapter 7: Backyard (Pet) Poultry. Grant Hayes.

Chapter 8: The Turkey Industry and Diseases. Richard Jennison.

Chapter 9: The Duck Industry and Diseases. Michael Clark.

Chapter 10: Diseases of Gamebirds. Michael Clark.

Chapter 11: Hatchery Practice. Richard Jennison.

Chapter 12: Feeding Poultry and Potential Problems Associated with Diet. Patrick Garland.

Chapter 13: Skeletal Problems. Barry Thorp.

Section 2: Infectious diseases of poultry

Chapter 14i-ix: Bacterial Diseases

Chapter 14i: Mycobacterium and Avian Tuberculosis. Paul Barrow.

Chapter 14ii: Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli. Rikke Heidemann Olsen.

Chapter 14iii: Campylobacter. Michael Jones and Paul Barrow.

Chapter 4iv: Salmonella. Paul Barrow.

Chapter 14v: Clostridium and Necrotic Enteritis. Evelien Dierick, Evy Goossens, Richard Ducatelle and Filip Van Immerseel.

Chapter 14vi: Pasteurella and Related Organisms. Jens Peter Christensen.

Chapter 14vii: Brachyspira – Avian Intestinal Spirochaetosis. Roberto La Ragione and Jade Passey.

Chapter 14viii: Mycoplasma. Janet M. Bradbury and Chris Morrow.

Chapter 14ix: Miscellaneous Bacterial Infections. Paul Barrow and Robert Atterbury.

Chapter 15i-xiv: Viral Diseases

Chapter 15i: Avian Reoviruses – Viral Arthritis. Richard C. Jones.

Chapter 15ii: Infectious Avian Encephalomyelitis. Richard C. Jones.

Chapter 15iii: Adenoviruses. Joan A. Smyth.

Chapter 15iv: Infectious Laryngotracheitis. Richard C. Jones.

Chapter 15v: Infectious Bursal Disease. Andrew Broadbent.

Chapter 15vi: Avian Astroviruses. Victoria Smyth.

Chapter 15vii: Avian Influenza. Ian H. Brown.

Chapter 15viii: Newcastle Disease. Ian H. Brown.

Chapter 15ix: Avian Metapneumovirus Infection. Kannan Ganapathy.

Chapter 15x: Infectious Bronchitis. Jane K. A. Cook.

Chapter 15xi: Chicken Anaemia Virus and Circoviruses. Joan A. Smyth.

Chapter 15xii: Avian Leukosis and Reticuloendotheliosis. Venugopal Nair.

Chapter 15xiii: Marek’s Disease. Venugopal Nair.

Chapter 15xiv: Fowlpox. Richard Jones.

Chapter 16i-iii: Parasite diseases

Chapter 16i: Coccidiosis. Damer Blake.

Chapter 16ii: Histomoniasis (Blackhead Disease). Hafez Mohamed Hafez and Rüdiger Hauck.

Chapter 16iii: Other Important Parasites. Fiona Tomley.

Section 3: Control of poultry diseases

Chapter 17: The Chicken Microbiota and How to Modulate It. Fien De Meyer, Annatachja De Grande, Richard Ducatelle and Filip Van Immerseel.

Chapter 18: Biosecurity, Richard Jennison.

Chapter 19: Poultry Chemotherapy and Antimicrobials. Michael Clark.

Chapter 20: Vaccination Strategies and Application of Vaccines. Peter Cargill.

Chapter 21: How to Carry Out a Field Investigation. Paul McMullin.

Chapter 22: Laboratory Diagnosis of Poultry Diseases. Susan Baigent, Vivien Coward, Scott Reid, Rowena Hansen, Vanessa Ceeraz and Paul Barrow.

Chapter 23: Legislation. Richard Jennison and Paul Barrow.