This text has been prepared to guide the reader through diseases, parasites and malfunction of the digestive tract of commercial poultry. The interrelationship of intrinsic and environmental factors in the context of intensive production systems requires an appreciation of the multi factorial etiology resulting in dysfunction.

The book uses a systematic approach when evaluating production records, clinical signs, lesions and laboratory investigations is stressed through adoption of a common format for the conditions reviewed.

With contributions by Lucy A Tucker

This guide is ideal for veterinarians, laboratory diagnosticians, nutritionists and students.

SECTION ONE: The digestive tract

• Oral cavity, crop and oesophagus
• Stomach
• Small intestine
• Caeca
• Blood supply of the alimentary tract
• Liver
• Development of the intestinal tract
• Strategies to assist early gut development in young poultry
• Development of the intestinal flora

SECTION TWO: Feed consumption and digestion

• Feed intake
• Digestion and absorption
   

SECTION THREE: Immunity

SECION FOUR: Practical nutrition of commercial poultry

• Raw materials and feed ingredients

SECTION FIVE: Technical feed ingredients and supplements

• Prophylactic antibodies
• Antioxidants
   

SECTION SIX: Nutrient deficiences

• Causes of nutrient deficiencies
• Low energy intake
• Deficiencies of proteins or amino acids
• Fats
• Table of contents
• Oxidative rancidity
• Vitamin deficiencies
• Avoiding nutrient deficiency in feed

SECTION SEVEN: Feed quality and disease interactions

• Mycotoxicoses
• Aflatoxicosis
• Tricothecenes
• Fusariochromanone
• Ochratoxins
• Oosporein
• Economic impact of mycotoxicoses
• Procedures to reduce the impact of mycotoxicoses
   

SECTION EIGHT: Abnormal conditions

• Gizzard erosion 
• Wet litter
   

SECTION NINE: Infections of the digestive system: strategies to prevent disease in flocks

• Introduction
• Mechanisms of transmission
• Biosecurity

SECTION TEN: Applied immunology and the control of disease

• Introduction
• Vaccination
• Significance of maternal antibody in relation to flock protection
• General principles of drug therapy

SECTION ELEVEN: Digestive diseases in poultry

• Coccidiosis
• Coccidiosis in turkeys
• Coccidiosis in ducks
• Coccidiosis in geese
• Endoparasites of chickens
• Ascaridiasis
• Cestodiasis
• Runting and stunting syndrome of broilers
• Mycotic ingluvitis
• Pasteurellosis
• Erysipelas
• Inclusion body hepatitis
• Hydropericardium-hepatitis syndrome
• Clostridial enterotoxemia
• Hemorrhagic enteritis of turkeys
• Poult enteritis and mortality syndrome
• Turkey coronavirus enteritis
• Viral enteric infections of turkey poults
• Protozoan infections of turkeys and chickens
• Histomoniasis
• Cryptosporidiosis
• Cochlosomiasis
• Hexamitiasis

SECTION TWELVE: Diseases of public health significance

• Paratyphoid salmonellosis
• Campylobacteriosis

SECTION THIRTEEN: Economics applied to poultry production

• Analyzing costs of poultry production
• Evaluating investment in biosecurity and immunization
• Gross marginal analysis