Specialization no. 5
”Avian medicine”

Director of Specialization for cadency2012 – 2016- Ph.D. DVMPiotr SZELESZCZUK,professor

Division of Avian Diseases, Department of Pathology and Veterinary Diagnostics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), str. Ciszewskiego 8,02-786 Warsaw, phone:+48 22 59 36 166; fax: +48 22 59 36 116, e-mail:

The specialization training duration - 4 semesters

Number of hours of lectures - 260,

Number of hours of practical classes - 42,

Number of hours of consultations - 40

Number of hours of field internships and offsite practicals-55

Total number of hours- 397

Lecture andclass topics

No. / Subject / Number of hours
Lectures / Classes
A / General issues
1 / Ethical and deontological principles in veterinary medicine. History of Polish aviopathology. / 6 / -
2 / Economic aspects of poultry production / 2 / -
3 / Fundamentals of marketing in veterinarymedicine / 3 / -
4 / Legal aspects of infectious diseases control and international bird trade, feed law and production of medical animal feed / 9 / -
5 / Water and sewage management in the poultry industry / 2 / -
6 / Welfare in poultry production and biosafety of poultry farms / 5 / -
7 / Disinfection and deratization in poultry facilities / 2 / -
8 / Prions stability / 3 / -
9 / Impact of feed additives on the soil environment / 1 / -
10 / Disposal of animal waste / 2 / -
11 / Veterinarian as an expert witness in legal cases and in the contract and sale / 5 / -
12 / Using computer databases / 1 / 2
13 / Basics of bird anatomy, physiology and behaviorism / 8 / 4
14 / Overview of poultry, pigeon, decorative bird and songbird species / 8 / -
B / Aspects of breeding various species of birds – requirements for welfare, care and nutrition
1 / Guidelines for breeding work in the modern poultry industry / 4 / -
2 / Egg-laying hen and broiler breeding flocks maintenance technology / 4 / -
3 / Table eggsproduction technology / 2 / -
4 / Broiler hens maintenance and production technology / 2 / -
5 / Commercial broilers production technology / 2 / -
6 / Duckbreeding technology / 3 / -
7 / Goose breeding technology / 3 / -
8 / Turkey breeding technology / 7 / -
9 / Ostrich breeding technology / 7 / -
10 / Chosen aspects of guinea fowl, quail, partridge and pheasant breeding / 2 / -
11 / Alternative poultry breeding / 2 / -
12 / The impact of the environment on poultry production and environmental assessment methods for poultry facilities / 4 / -
13 / Ecologization of poultry production / 2 / -
14 / Fodder for poultry, feed additives, dietary mistakes / 9 / -
15 / Physiology of digestion / 4 / -
16 / Impact of nutrition on the quality of poultry products / 2 / -
17 / Methodology of animal research, zootechnical documentation / 2 / -
18 / Poultry facilities and their equipment / 4 / -
19 / Criteria for poultry farms location and their impact on the environment / 5 / -
C / Chosen aspects of bird reproduction and broods pathology
1 / The assessment of reproduction capacities of birds, reproduction indicators and their determinants / 2 / -
2 / Technology of hatching eggs of different birds species and emergency broods / 6 / -
3 / Hygiene and pathology of broods (embriopathological analysis, determining the age of dead embryos, etc.) / 3 / 2
4 / Diseases of hen reproductive tract and diseases of chicks in the breeding period / 4 / -
5 / Techniques of collecting, evaluation and maintenance of sperm and the assessment of age and usability of birds based on their conformation traits / - / 2
D / Diseases of birds of non-infectious etiology
1 / Common poisonings in poultry / 2 / -
2 / Diseases caused by nutrient deficiency / 4 / -
3 / Diseases caused by metabolic disorders and those of unexplained etiology / 3 / -
E / Parasitic diseases of poultry
1 / Diseases caused by ectoparasites, protozoa, nematodes, tapeworms, acanthocephala and flukes / 7 / -
2 / Immunological phenomena in parasitic diseases of poultry / 2 / -
3 / Diagnosis and control of parasitic diseases / - / 2
F / Diseases of birds of infectious etiology
1 / Fungal diseases (aspergillosis, candidiasis, dermatophytosis, dactylariosis) and mycotoxicosis (aflatoxins, ochratoxin, trichothecenes, fumonisins, etc.) / 5 / -
2 / Bacterial diseases (salmonellosis, pullorosis, typhoid, pasteurellosis, colibacteriosis, mycoplasmosis, ornitobacteriosis, tuberculosis, staphylococcosis, streptococcosis, anaerobic infections, etc.) and their diagnosis / 16 / 2
3 / Viral diseases (Newcastle disease, avian influenza, infectious bronchitis chickens, infectious laryngotracheitis, infectious bursal disease, chicken infectious anemia, Marek’s disease, birds infections caused by Adeno-, Astro-, Corona-, Retro-, Picorna- viruses, Derzsy’s disease, Avian pox) / 24 / -
4 / The most common diseases of pigeons, exotic and wild birds / 8 / -
5 / The most common diseases of ostriches / 3 / -
G / Diagnostic methods on birds pathology
1 / Clinical trial and necropsy of poultry, pigeons, exotic birds and collecting material for specialist examinations / 4 / 17
2 / Cytological examination in the diagnosis of exotic birds diseases / 2 / -
3 / Poultry disease diagnostic tests (AGP, HI, SN, ELISA, PCR) / 3 / -
H / Veterinary treatment used on poultry, pigeons, decorative birds, songbirds and the determination of sex of parrots / 2 / 2
I / Principles of chemoprophylaxis and treatment of poultry, pigeon, decorative bird and songbird diseases:
1 / Principles of modern poultry antibiotic therapy / 5 / -
2 / The use of immunomodulatory drugs in poultry production / 2 / -
3 / Side effects of chemoprophylaxis in poultry / 2 / -
4 / Route of administration and side effects of drugs and pharmacological interactions / 3 / -
5 / Mechanisms of drug resistance in bacteria and the current status of research in this field / 2 / -
6 / Range of occurrence of resistance in bacteria isolated from humans and animals / 2 / -
7 / The national program for the protection of antibiotics in Poland / 2 / -
J / The role of immunoprophylaxis in the controlling infectious diseases in birds
1 / Bird lymphoid system / 2 / -
2 / Chosen aspects of immunoprophylaxis,bacterial and viral diseases of poultry / 3 / -
3 / Factors having a negative influenceon the efficiency of the immune system / 2 / -
4 / Principles of development immunoprophylactical programs / 2 / -
5 / Prophylactic vaccination, common mistakes and how to control vaccination efficiency / 2 / -
K / Sanitary evaluation of carcasses and processed poultry / 4 / -
L / Specialization internships
1 / One week (30 h) internship covering the diagnosis of poultry diseases / 30 hours
2 / One week(25 h) internship covering the diagnosis of pigeons and decorative birds diseases / 25hours
M / Practical issues coveredthroughout theinternships
1 / Clinical trial and birds necropsy
2 / Knowledge of laboratory diagnostics tests (microbiological, serological, histopathological, etc.)
3 / Understanding the principles of immunoprophylactical programs development, assessing their effectiveness and common mistakes
N / Recommended literature
Mazurkiewicz M. (Red.): Choroby drobiu , Wydawnictwo Akademii Rolniczej Wrocław, 2011.
Saif I.M. (Red.): Diseases of poultry, Iowa State Press, 2008 (12 Edition)
Pattison M., McMullin P.F., Bradbury J.M., Alexander D.J. (Red.) : Choroby drobiu . Elsevier Urban & Partner , 2011
Horvàth- Papp I.: Practical guide to broiler health management BetűVet Ltd,2008
Borzemska W.B: „Vademecum chorób drobiu”, PWRiL, Warszawa, 1984
Jamroz D. i wsp.: „Żywienie zwierząt i paszoznawstwo”, PWN, Warszawa, 200l
Kobryń H., Kobryńczuk F.: Anatomia zwierząt. T.3. PWN, Warszawa 2004, str. 315-438.
Świerczewska E. (red.): Chów drobiu. wyd. SGGW, 2008
Faruga A, Jankowski J.: Indyki – hodowla i użytkowanie, PWRiL, 1996
Szul E.: „Gołębie pocztowe chów i hodowla”, Wydawnictwo MS, Wrocław,1992
Szeleszczuk P.: Praktyczna terapia i profilaktyka chorób gołębi. Warszawa, 2003
Altman R.B., Clubb S.L., Quesenbery K.: Avian Medicine and Surgery, W.B.
Saunders Company, Philadelphia, London, Toronto, Montreal, Sydney, Tokyo, 1997
Kruszewicz A.G.: „Hodowla ptaków ozdobnych. Gatunki, pielęgnacja, choroby” Wydawnictwo Multico Oficyna Wydawnicza, Warszawa, 2000
Czasopisma: Medycyna Weterynaryjna, Avian Diseases, Avian Pathology, Życie Weterynaryjne, Polskie Drobiarstwo, Magazyn Weterynaryjny