Kimberley Willis

Article / Updated 06-18-2021

How do you know if your chickens are normal and healthy? Here are nine signs. Eyes: Chicken eyes should be clear and shiny. When a chicken is alert and active, its eyelids shouldn’t be showing. You shouldn’t see any discharge or swelling around the eyes. Nose: Both nostrils should be clear and open, with no discharge from the nostrils. Mouth: The chicken should breathe with its mouth closed, except in very hot conditions. If cooling the bird doesn’t allow it to breathe with its mouth closed, it is ill. Wings: Most chicken breeds should carry their wings close to the body. A few breeds have wings that point downward. (Study breed characteristics to see what is normal for your breed.) The wings shouldn’t droop or look twisted. Sometimes droopy wings are a sign of illness in the bird. A damaged wing that healed wrong won’t affect the laying or breeding ability of the bird. But some birds are hatched with bad wings, which is usually the result of a genetic problem. These birds should not be used for breeding. Feathers: In general, a chicken shouldn’t be missing large patches of feathers. Hens kept with a rooster often have bare patches on the back and the base of the neck near the back. These patches are caused by mating and are normal. But you should never see open sores or swelling where the skin is bare. Sometimes birds lose feathers, particularly tail feathers, when they're captured. If the bird appears healthy otherwise and the skin appears smooth and intact, it’s probably fine. A healthy bird has its feathers smoothed down when it is active. Some breed differences are noteworthy — for example, a Frizzle with its twisted feathers will never look smooth. A bird with its feathers fluffed out that isn’t sleeping or taking a dust bath is probably ill. Feet and toes: The three front toes of chickens should point straight ahead, and the feet should not turn outward. The hock joints shouldn’t touch, and the toes shouldn’t point in toward each other. Chicken feet shouldn’t be webbed, although occasionally webbed feet show up as a genetic defect. You shouldn’t see any swellings on the legs or toes. Check the bottom of the foot for swelling and raw, open areas. Vent: The feathers under the tail of the chicken around the vent, the common opening for feces, mating, and passing eggs, should not be matted with feces, and you shouldn’t see any sores or wounds around it. Mental state: The chicken should appear alert and avoid strangers if it is in a lighted area. Birds that are inactive and allow easy handling are probably ill. Chickens in the dark, however, are very passive; that's normal. Activity level: Here again, differences exist between breeds, but a healthy chicken is rarely still during the daylight hours. Some breeds are more nervous and flighty; others are calm but busy. In very warm weather, all chickens are less active.

Article / Updated 06-18-2021

Serious illness is unlikely in a backyard chicken flock, especially if you vaccinate the chickens. All the same, it’s good to be aware of illnesses in case you're ever wondering, is my chicken sick? Diseases can spread from wild birds and pests, so keep an eye out during your daily health checks for the symptoms listed below. Avian Pox/Fowl Pox: Symptoms: White spots on skin; combs turn into scabby sores; white membrane and ulcers in mouth, on trachea; egg laying stops; all ages affected. How contracted: Viral disease; mosquitoes, other chickens with pox, and contaminated surfaces. Treatment: Supportive care, warm dry quarters, soft food; many birds with good care will survive. Vaccine available: Yes; recovered birds are immune and do not carry the disease. Botulism: Symptoms: Tremors quickly progressing to paralysis of body, including breathing; feathers pull out easily; death in a few hours. How contracted: Caused by a bacterial by-product and by eating or drinking botulism-infected food or water. Treatment: Antitoxin available from vet, but expensive. If found early try 1 teaspoon Epsom salt dissolved in 1 ounce warm water dripped into crop several times a day. Vaccine available: None; locate and remove source, usually decaying carcass, carcass near water, or insects that fed on the carcass or the water the carcass is in. Fowl Cholera: Symptoms: Usually birds over 4 months — greenish yellow diarrhea; breathing difficulty; swollen joints; darkened head and wattles; often quick death. Does not infect humans. How contracted: Bacterial disease; wild birds, raccoons, opossums, rats, can carry. Also transmitted bird to bird and on contaminated soil, equipment, shoes, clothing contaminated water and food. Treatment: None — destroy all infected birds if recovery occurs the bird will be a carrier. Vaccine available: Yes, but only your state's agriculture department can administer it. Infectious Bronchitis: Symptoms: Coughing; sneezing; watery discharge from nose and eyes; hens stop laying. How contracted: Viral disease; highly contagious; spreads through air, contact, and contaminated surfaces. Treatment: Supportive care; 50 percent mortality in chicks under 6 weeks. Vaccine available: Yes. Give to hens before 15 weeks of age because vaccination will cause laying to stop. Infectious Coryza: Symptoms: Swollen heads, combs, and wattles; eyes swollen shut; sticky discharge from nose and eyes; moist area under wings; laying stops. How contracted: Bacterial disease; transmitted through carrier birds, contaminated surfaces, and drinking water. Treatment: Birds should be destroyed as they remain carriers for life. Vaccine available: None. Mareks Disease: Symptoms: Affects birds under 20 weeks primarily; causes tumors externally and internally; paralysis; iris of eye turns gray, doesn’t react to light. How contracted: Viral disease; very contagious; contracted by inhaling shed skin cells or feather dust from other infected birds. Treatment: None; high death rate and any survivors are carriers. Vaccine available: Yes, given to day old chicks. Moniliasis (Thrush): Symptoms: White tacky substance in crop; ruffled feathers; droopy looking; poor laying; white crusty vent area; inflamed vent area; increased appetite. How contracted: Fungal disease; contracted through moldy feed and water and surfaces contaminated by infected birds. Often occurs after antibiotic treatment for other reasons. Treatment: Yes. Ask a vet for Nystatin or other antifungal medication. Remove moldy feed and disinfect water containers. Vaccine available: No. Mycoplasmosis/CRD/Air Sac Disease: Symptoms: Mild form — weakness and poor laying. Acute form — breathing problems; coughing; sneezing; swollen infected joints; death. How contracted: Mycoplasma disease; contracted through other birds (wild birds carry it); can transmit through egg to chick from infected hen. Treatment: Antibiotics may save birds — see a vet. Vaccine available: Yes. Newcastle Disease: Symptoms: Wheezing; breathing difficulty; nasal discharge; cloudy eyes; laying stops; paralysis of legs, wings; twisted heads, necks. How contracted: Viral disease; highly contagious; contracted through infected chickens and wild birds and is also carried on shoes, clothes, and surfaces. Treatment: None. Birds under 6 months usually die; older birds can recover. Recovered birds are not carriers. Vaccine available: Yes, but the U.S. is working to eradicate the disease. Omphalitis (Mushy Chick): Symptoms: Newly hatched chicks — enlarged, bluish, inflamed naval area; bad smell; drowsy, weak chicks. How contracted: Bacterial infection of naval from unclean surfaces or chicks with weak immune systems. Can spread from chick to chick on contaminated surfaces. Treatment: Antibiotics and clean housing sometimes help, but most chicks will die. Remove healthy chicks immediately to clean quarters. Vaccine available: None. Use caution handling — staph and strep that cause this disease may infect humans. Pullorum: Symptoms: Chicks are inactive; may have white diarrhea with pasted rear ends; breathing difficulty; asymptomatic death possible. Older birds — coughing; sneezing; poor laying. How contracted: Viral disease; contracted through carrier birds and contaminated surfaces, clothing, and shoes. Treatment: Destroy all infected birds — birds that recover are carriers. Most chicks infected will die. Vaccine available: No vaccine, but there is a blood test to find carriers. While the U.S. is trying to eradicate this disease, buy chickens from Pullorum-negative flocks only.