Causes of Gout in poultry

Pashu Sandesh, 02 September 2020

Dr V.Rajendra Prasad

Gout in India is still one of the major causes of huge mortality and morbidity in poultry, causing great monetary losses to the producers. 

Nutritional including minerals, vitamins and protein. Infectious diseases viral as IB, Astro and IBD or metabolic as Ascites – Hypoxic conditions increases the production of uric acid. Ascites in initial stages can lead to symptoms of gout.

Managemental causes: 

a) Water deprivation 

b) or improper hatchery management like Improper egg storage,

c) Inadequate incubation conditions,

d)Improper conditions in the chick holding room, 

e) Chicks held for a long in the hatchery 

f) or transported for a long distance without water.

Mycotoxins, drugs or chemicals. 

Treatment includes : 

No medication alters the course of IBV infection, but we can give antimicrobial therapy to reduce mortalities caused by complicating bacterial infections. 

Immuno modulators :

Immunotech of ABTL should be administered at 250ml for 1000 birds for one week twice a day followed by 100 ml for another few weeks will considerably reduce the intensity.

Feed needs to be supplemented with good quality toxin binders and acidifiers to take care of mycotoxin and microbial (bacterial and fungal) load respectively. Supplement with Electrolytes, Vitamins and minerals in drinking water. Reducing the protein concentrations in feed and feeding with maize grain particles for three to five days to reduce the exertion of kidneys and to expel uric acid. Use of jaggery (concentrated sugar) also seems to be beneficial.

Any practice that encourages flushing out uric acid crystals should be adopted, the easiest and vital being boosting up water intake, or else the whole effort of providing medications through water would be futile.