INTESTINAL HEALTH – CHICKENS

Abdomen Abnormalities

Esophagus
Small
Intestine Crop
Proventriculus
Gizzard

Unhealed Navel Air Sacculitis

Meckel’s Yolk Sacculitis Drop (pendulus) Crop Crop Mycosis Gizzard Impaction Enlarged Proventriculus Mycotoxins
Abdominal air sacs/peritonium are thickened The walls of the crop are thickened and have The gizzard may be swollen and “rock” hard. The proventriculus is swollen with thin Deep lesions may appear in the proventriculus,
Large Divurticulum and may be covered with thin film of fibrous The crop is swollen and filled with feed. Usually, there would appear to be no feed in muscle walls. This may also be accompanied gizzard and intestine. Swelling and bleeding
Unhealed navel or yolk sacculitis. The navel is swollen and inflamed and there focal raised, corrugated and white areas that
material. Foamy white mucus may also be the intestine. The gizzard and the intestine may be noted in more severe cases. The
Intestine Ceca may be a scab in the navel area. When the abdomen is opened the yolk sac is present in the internal space of the air sac.
The bird may continue to eat but feed transit cannot be easy removed. In severe cases there by a small gizzard possibly with ulcers.
is impacted. can be shallow ulcer and/or dying tissue that may also be tinted green with bile from the liver and kidneys may also be swollen and
not properly absorbed, is congested, may contain solidified pieces of yolk and
Bursa of may be a darker off colour.
Could also be accompanied by: the heart and/ is easily removed. gall bladder if the bird has not been eating Possible causes: discoloured.
or liver being covered with a thin film of white feed.
Fabricius fibrous material.
Possible causes: Candida albicans Excessive histamine amounts,
Heat stress, Genetics Possible causes: Candida species Finely ground diet Possible causes: Contaminated grains used as
Possible causes: E. coli, Staphylococci, Pseudomonas species Possible causes: E. coli, Mycoplasma species Possible causes: Litter eating, Foreign foodstuffs, high humidity and moisture in food
Vent Proteus species Chlamydophila psittaci, Avian influenza
Trichomonas
material, Contaminated feed, Electrolyte storage area
New Castle disease imbalance, Mycotoxins (e.g. Fumonisins)

Upper Intestine Middle Intestine

E. acervulina – LS 3 – Outside Gut E. acervulina – LS 3 – Inside Gut E. necatrix – LS 4 – Outside Gut E. necatrix – LS 4 – Inside Gut E. maxima – LS 2 – Outside Gut E. maxima – LS 3 – Inside Gut
Roundworm Necrotic Enteritis Deep Ulcers
Eimeria acervulina. Transverse white to grey striations are visible on the intestinal walls from the Flat worms (tape worms) or large round The intestine is swollen with a thin walls Ulcers are found on the intestinal surface Eimeria necatrix. Swelling and thickening of the intestinal wall with many white to yellow Eimeria maxima. Swelling and thickening of the intestinal wall with many small red spots.
outside and inside of the upper intestine. The intestinal walls may also be thickened. Eimeria worms (Ascarids). covered with a brownish membranes. The and may be oval or round. In severe cases, spots. There is also congestion, hemorrhage, blood and necrosis. There may be bloody The intestinal content may be bloody.
mitis may present similar lesions but this species is less common. The transverse striations contain intestinal contents are a mucous, foul- the intestine may contain blood (mimic the feces. This species of Eimeria usually is seen in longer-lived chickens. The white to yellow
many of the microscopic E. acervulina parasites. smelling brown fluid. look of coccidiosis) and/or the abdominal spots contain many of the microscopic E. necatrix parasites.
wall membrane may be swollen.
Possible causes: Clostridum perfringens
Possible causes: Ulcerative enteritis,
Mycotoxins

Lower Intestine, Ceca, Bursa of Fabricious

Light Brown/ Swollen Bursa

E. tenella - LS 4 – Ouside Ceca E. tenella – LS 4 – Inside Ceca Orange TInged Mucus in Ceca The bursa is swollen with fluid within the
E. brunetti – LS 3 – Outside Gut E. brunetti – LS 4 – Inside Gut Cecal Worms White Cecal Core
Small to large cheesy looking cecal cores membranes. There may be some small
Eimeria tenella. White cecal cores are often seen in addition to hemorrhaging during the Ceca looks normal from the outside. When hemorrhages. During a severe infection
Eimeria brunetti swelling in the lower intestine. The outside of the lower intestine looks like it has Small, thread-like worms. These worms (usually filled with fibrin) that are usually
early stages of infection. The cecal core would be filled with the parasites. ceca opened, light brown/orange mucus cheese-like material may be found inside
vertical folds. In severe cases there may be ladder-like hemorrhages in the lower intestine as well are not considered a major threat on their white but can be slightly yellow, gray or
as cheesy-like debris. own but may be a vector for the parasite green looking. The cecal walls are usually with bubbles. the bursa. Sometimes may be accompanied
Histomonas meleagridis. swollen. by increased mucus in other parts of the
Possible causes: Improper protein digestion intestine.
Possible causes: Histomonas meleagrdis early in the intestinal tract, A high level of fat
E. tenella, Salmonella pullorum. in the diet Possible causes: Infectious bursal disease,
Cryptosporidium baylei

This poster is only a summary and not a completely inclusive list. Intestinal diseases and lesions may be caused by a multitude of factors.
When a problem is suspected please contact your veterinarian.
 Normal
Vent/Cloaca
Evacuation of
Esophagus waste material
Meckel’s
Divurticulum
Where the yolk
sac was attached
to. Some Immune
Crop function here.
Storage of feed Air Sac Crop Proventriculus
Bursa of Fabricius
Immune function
(B cells)

Upper Intestine
Proventriculus Ceca
Chemical digestion Microbial
of feed digestion and
Middle Intestine some absorption
of feed. Some
immune function
here.
Gizzard With Feed Small Intestine Lower intestine –
Gizzard Large (lower) Intestine and Meckel’s normal red sports
Mechanical Absorption of fluid Divurticulum
digestion of feed Small Intestine
Made up of the
upper and middle
intestine. Digestion
and absorption of
nutrients from feed.

References used:
Healthy Bursa Inside Yolk Sac Vent
1. Avian Disease Manual, 7th edition. American Association of Avian Pathologists. Edited by: M. Boulianne with M.L. Brash, (should disappear by –
B.R. Charlton, S.H. Fitz-Coy, R.M. Fulton, R.J. Julian, M.W. Jackwood, D. Ojkic, L.J. Newman, J.E. Sander, H.L. Shivaprasad,
E. Wallner-Pendleton, P.R. Woolcock. 3 days old)
2. The Merck veterinary manual.
3. Atlas of Avian Diseases. E. Bucles, J. Ruiz, A. Torres, A. Banda, S. Mondal and B. Lucio-Martinez.
4. Kayla Price personal picture references. Alltech.com AlltechNaturally @Alltech
5. Pannon Poultry Services (E. acervulina and E. maxima pictures) US_PO_GutH_PO1. ©2018. Alltech, Inc. All Rights Reserved.