Gastrointestinal parasites in ornamental breed chickens from a particular breeding in Juiz de Fora city, Brazil

Abstract

To evaluate the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in chickens of ornamental breeds from a private farm located in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. Fecal samples were collected from the animals individually, collecting the feces right after defecation. The collections were carried out in September 2018. The samples were packed in sterile plastic containers, identified and sent to the Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases of the Centro Universitário de Valença (UNIFAA), for analysis by the simple centrifuge-float technique. Two genera of helminths, Capillaria spp. and Ascaridia spp., and the protozoan Eimeria spp. It can be concluded that the gastrointestinal parasites found in the ornamental chickens studied did not differ from the endoparasites found in conventional free-range chickens. Coproparasitological exams are an excellent, fast and cheap way to verify/identify parasitic forms, which, once diagnosed, must be fought so that they do not compromise the health of the animals, especially in cases of ornamental birds that, because they are less rustic, may be more sensitive to parasites.