If you suspect one of your chickens is ill, you should immediately remove it from the vicinity of the flock. this makes sure disease doesn’t spread.

Each day, when you are feeding and watering your chickens, do a visual inspection. Look for dirty feathers around the anus (this could mean diarrhea) and look at their eyes and nostrils for drainage. be aware of chickens that are reluctant to get up and walk. Decreased food and water intake or a slow down in egg production can also be symptoms of sickness.

In order to prevent sickness in poultry there are 4 major considerations to take.

Have your day old chicks vaccinated before they are shipped. this is usually done at a nominal charge per chick at the hatchery and is well worth the extra change. Finding an avian veterinarian or doing the vaccines yourself can be costly.

Keep the hens’ cages, food and water containers, and nesting areas clean. Regular cleaning keeps sickness down, and can save a flocks demise from one ill chicken.

Use chicken feed that contains a low dose antibiotic for continuous protection against many bacterial infections.

A balance of vitamins, minerals, protein and carbohydrates is important, so keep a variety in your flock’s feed. When supplementing with vegetables, be sure to include peelings from citrus fruits for vitamin C.

These preventions won’t keep everything at bay, but they will go a long way towards the health of your flock.

Some Common Chicken Diseases

Bronchitis symptoms are: difficulty breathing (gasping), discharge from eyes and ears, and avoidance of food and water. Raise the ambient temperature for the chicken by five degrees Fahrenheit and give antibiotics.

Avian Flu symptoms will include respiratory distress, diarrhea, a lack of interest in food, and decreased egg laying. like flu in humans, this disease will permeate a flock quickly. Hope and prayers are about all there is, though sometimes antibiotics can help. If the immune system was strong before getting sick, then broad spectrum antibiotics might help. there is a vaccine available for hens, but it is limited to qualifying flocks.

Infectious Sinusitis is a chronic sinus infection. Symptoms include sneezing, swollen nares, and discharge from the nares and eyes. this is usually treated with antibiotics given in food and water.

Bird Pox is often confused with Chicken Pox in humans. Chickens may have congestion and the appearance of raw, wart-like bumps. they will be most easily seen on the legs. once sick with the disease, there is no available treatment, but there is a vaccine.

Eye Worms is a species of roundworm that your chickens can get from earthworms, crickets, flies or anything that has eaten the larva. Symptoms are swollen eyes with a white discharge from the mouth and eyes. The white chunks are the larva of the mature worm. this is prevented with a broad spectrum wormer. If the symptoms appear, clean and disinfect the coop and pens. If you do not kill the larva, then the cycle will keep repeating itself.

Remember that prevention is always better than cure. keep your chicken pens clean, provide vaccines, and pay special attention to nutritious food and clean water.

For more info, please check out Chicken Disease.

View Chicken Coop Designs if you’re interested in building your own hen house.

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