10 common chicken illnesses
10 common chicken illnesses you need to know about when having backyard chickens
This post contains Amazon affiliate links. I may earn money from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Chickens have their own unique set of illnesses. Here’s a list of some common ones that I was not aware of until I owned chickens. Make sure your chickens have a quality feed and plenty of clean water. Eggs are mostly made of water, so your birds require a lot. Keep their area clean.
PastyButt is just what it sounds like; this is fairly common in new chicks. Poop sticks to the vent area of the chick and causes a blockage. This usually occurs in young chicks and can be life-threatening.
Remove the poop as soon as possible. You can try to remove with a Q-tip moistened in warm water, but for problem stuck on poop gently run under warm water to help loosen and remove by gently rubbing between your fingertips. Be careful – you don’t want to damage the vent area. Since young chicks can’t regulate their body temp very well, make sure they are dry and warm afterward.
If your chick has pasty butt, check them several times a day until it clears up. Some people add powder probiotics to their feed or ground raw oatmeal.
Stress, being cold, and overheating are the most common causes of pasty butt. For recurrent pasty butt, you can also apply a little Vaseline to the area to help prevent sticking. We added one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to their water as a preventative and it cleared up after a few days.
Fowl Pox is a viral illness causing lesions on the comb, wattles, and eyelids (dry) and can also be seen on the legs, beak, vent and softer parts of the body.
The wet version causes lesions in the throat, mouth, esophagus, and trachea attacking the upper respiratory system. Read my blog post on what we did when our girls developed Fowl Pox.
Lice & Mites are annoying parasites commonly transferred from wild birds. If your chickens free-range, be sure and check them every couple of weeks. Severe cases can cause anemia and death.
There are many different sprays and powders that you can use to treat. Setting up a dust bath will reduce their chances of infestation. Read my blog post on what you need to get started.
Bumblefoot is a staph infection in the foot that can affect the leg. Staph is a common bacterium that lives everywhere including our own skin. Bumblefoot can start by a cut, puncture wound, or irritation on the bottom of the foot, commonly caused by rough spots on roosting bars. Check the bars and replace them if necessary. If the roost bars are ok, check their environment for any sharp objects, nails, fencing, etc. You may notice your chicken limping with a red inflammation on the bottom of the foot (beginning stage). The tale-tell sign is a black scab with a hardcore.
There are many treatment options. You can try soaking in Epsom salt daily, applying Prid drawing salve and cutting out the core. Although cutting out the core is recommended for a vet to perform, many of us don’t have that option. Lots of people have been successful in performing this procedure. Visit this website for more info on bumblefoot: http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/bumblefoot
Impacted Crop – The crop, where food is stored after eating before entering the stomach, can get impacted. Usual causes are grass or straw. If you’re concerned, check the crop in the morning. It should be empty.
Birds with an impacted crop will appear lethargic and won’t eat. Give olive oil and water and gently massage to help clear the impaction. Quarantine and withhold food for a day then if the crop is clear give a small amount of scrambled or boiled eggs then try regular feed. If your bird is lethargic, isolate so she doesn’t get picked on by the other birds.
Sour Crop is a fungal or yeast infection in the crop. It can happen when there is an impacted crop or even after the crop has been cleared. Yeast begins to grow when food is impacted. You’ll know if your bird has sour crop when it stinks!
The crop will also be squishy and there could be thick liquid coming out of the mouth. Massage the crop every couple of hours and withhold food and water.
After 12 hours, hopefully, the crop is flat, you can give water but wait a full 24 hours before giving food. Then give a small amount of scrambled eggs with a tablespoon of unsweetened plain yogurt. Try a couple of times per day to make sure the crop is emptying. You will also want to give probiotics in the water.
Infectious Bronchitis symptoms could include watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, droopy appearance, shaking the head, and drainage from the nose and eyes. Use VetRx, similar to Vicks for people, under their wings and in their drinking water. This will help alleviate the respiratory symptoms and open up the airways. I would also supplement with Nutri-Drench and give electrolytes.
Mycoplasma Gallisepticum is a chronic respiratory disease; symptoms begin similar to infectious bronchitis but also include foamy eyes with small bubbles in the corner, swollen sinuses and eyelids. It can be treated with Tylan 50. We purchased some at Tractor Supply to have on hand and thankfully we haven’t had to use it.
Avian Influenza (bird flu) is a viral disease causing cold and flu-like symptoms. It is rarely transmitted to people. You can read more from the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/avian-in-humans.htm
Marek’s Disease is highly contagious and caused by a virus. It’s more common in young chicks up to 5 months of age. The most common symptom is paralysis but your bird could also have tumors on the skin, graying of the pupils, and difficulty breathing. There is no cure or treatment but there is a vaccine that can be given at birth.
I know I said 10 common chicken illnesses but here are a few more I think you should know about.
Newcastle Disease is carried by wild birds. Similar symptoms as Marek’s and Infectious Bronchitis. Generally, birds die suddenly.
Salmonella is bacteria found in the chicken’s intestinal tract. Sick birds will have a purple comb and yellow/green diarrhea. Don’t touch your eyes or mouth after handling your chickens and use good hand washing. There’s been a lot of media attention lately about Salmonella. I love this article I found from My Pet Chicken that goes into more detail.
Coccidiosis is an intestinal disease caused by parasites. It’s mostly seen in younger birds. The most common symptom is severe diarrhea that is foamy yellow in appearance. There can also be blood in the poop. Older birds will have decreased or loss of egg production. Your birds will be weak and lethargic. Some chicks are vaccinated against this when born. If not, give medicated feed the first 30 days. If your chick was vaccinated, don’t give medicated feed as it will neutralize the vaccine. Treat with Corrid.
When handling chickens, always wash your hands when coming inside. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. This is the most common way for germs to enter your body. I also take my shoes off at the back door and don’t wear them in other parts of the house. Whenever appropriate, wear gloves when treating any of the above illnesses.
For many of these conditions, it is best to quarantine your bird to protect the rest of the flock. They should be kept at least 30 feet away from other birds. If keeping inside, make sure the temperature is similar to their normal conditions. Leaving a window open (as long as there isn’t a predator issue) is a good option.
When our birds have been sick, I give electrolytes and Nutri-Drench. It makes me feel better giving them something and I think they feel better also. After a day of this regimen, they always perk up.
If you haven’t already, set up your chicken first aid kit. Check out my blog on what you need to get started.
Here is another good resource I found. You can click different symptoms and it will give you possible conditions:
http://www.poultrydvm.com/views/symptoms.php
Many of these products can be found at your local feed store or Tractor Supply
but I added the Amazon links here for easy ordering:
