BROODING CHICKENS

Brooding, in zoology, pattern of behaviour of certain egg-laying animals, especially birds, marked by cessation of egg laying and readiness to sit on and incubate eggs. Incubation itself is the process of maintaining uniform heat and humidity of the developing eggs, usually accomplished by one or both parents sitting on the eggs at all times.

Many birds develop a brood patch—an area of bare, featherless skin on the underbody—in preparation for incubation and brooding.

AVIAN POX

Avian pox is a relatively slow-spreading viral disease in birds, characterized by wart-like nodules on the skin and diphtheritic necrotic membranes lining the mouth and upper respiratory system.

Turkey with Avian Pox

It has been present in birds since the earliest history. Mortality is not usually significant unless the respiratory involvement is marked.