What's Wrong with my Chickens?

So something is going around your flock and you don't know what it is or what to do? Assess your flock by asking doing this health inventory and get your flock back to their perky selves.

Lethargic - Do your birds seem to huddle, hang out on the roosting bar all day or just lack energy?

Ruffled Feathers - Do their feathers look rumpled and rough, like they just rolled out of bed and forgot to comb their hair? Do they look especially dull when they are usually shiny?

Respiratory - Are they sneezing, have a swollen face, rattled breathing, nasal discharge or bubbly eyes?

Limping/Lameness -Are they having trouble walking or do they have an awkward limp?

Pale Comb/Face - Is their face and comb a pale pink instead of a nice, bright red?

Weight Loss - Are your birds looking smaller than usual, lacking their usual plumpness?

Drop in Egg Production - Did your egg production drop unexpectedly?

Lesions/Sores - Do you see any sores or scabs on their unfeathered parts or in their mouth?

Diarrhea - Are your birds' stools loose instead of firm with a nice, white cap or are they an unusual color?

Decreased Appetite - Do they seem uninterested in food when it is offered, even if you throw out some scratch?

Swollen Face/Eyes - Does it seem like the area around their eyes and face are puffy or even warm to the touch?

Discoloration - Is their head discolored in any way, not just pale but with a bluish or darkened look?

So what could it be?

Sudden Drop in Egg Production:

Mites

Dry Pox

Lice

Infectious Laryngotracheitis

Coryza

Coccidiosis

Chronic Respiratory Disease

Worms

Infectious Bronchitis

Molting

Avian Flu (low path)

Pale Comb:

Mites
Worms
Marek's Disease
Coccidiosis

Weight Loss:

Mites
Chronic Respiratory Disease
Marek's Disease
Coccidiosis
Worms
Fowl Cholera
Ulcerataive Enteritis

Decreased Appetite:

Worms
Chronic Respiratory Disease
Coccidiosis
Fowl Cholera

Ruffled Feathers

Lice
Coccidiosis
Chronic Respiratory Disease
Fowl Cholora
Botulism
Avian Flu (low path)

Lethargic or Sluggish:

Mites
Worms
Dry Pox
Coccidiosis
Avian Influenza
Marek's Disease
Botulism
Ulcerative Enteritis

Loose Stools/Diarrhea:

Worms
Coryza
Avian Influenza
Botulism
Marek's Disease
Ulcerative Enteritis

Lameness/Paralysis:

Botulism
Bumblefoot
Coccidiosis
Fowl Cholera
Marek's Disease
Osteopetrosis

Lesions or Bumps on the Skin or in the Mouth:

Wet Pox
Dry Pox

Rattled Breathing:

Marek's Disease
Wet Pox
Chronic Respiratory Disease
Infectious Bronchitis

Nasal Discharge/Bubbly Eyes:

Coryza
Chronic Respiratory Disease
Infectious Laryngotracheitis
Infectious Bronchitis

General Respiratory Distress:

Fowl Cholera
Fowl Pox - (Wet and Dry)
Infectious Coryza
Infectious Laryngotracheitis
Mycoplasma Gallicepticum/Chronic Respiratory Disease
Infectious Bronchitis
Infectious Coryza
Avian Influenza

Swollen Face or Eyes:

Coryza
Laryngotracheitis
Wet Pox
Infectious Bronchitis
Avian Influenza (high path)

Sneezing:

Wet Pox
Coryza
LT
Chronic Respiratory Disease
Infectious Bronchitis

Coughing:

Infectious Laryngotracheitis
Chronic Respiratory Disease
Infectious Bronchitis

Discolored Face:

Avian Influenza (high path)
Fowl Cholera
Chronic Respiratory Disease

Want to Learn more about these problems?

There are many great poultry health resources available online. Check them out for more in-depth reading on the various poultry ailments & their treatments or schedule a consultation (see information below, please don't contact us, we are not the experts!):

Ask the Chicken Doctor - Peter Brown has been consulting with backyard & exhibition poultry owners for many years and is a wealth of information & can provide a treatment regimen & the necessary medication as well. Schedule a consultation & get some answers!
The Poultry Site - Comprehensive listing of poultry diseases & includes many pictures to help with diagnosis
Merck Manual Veterinary Manual - The ultimate manual for all the technical information on poultry diseases, used by avian vets but available for free online for us novices as well

What can we help you find? Search the website:

Never stop learning! Check out these helpful pages:

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What does the week before the show look like? What needs to be done to clean and groom your poultry to look their best for the judge?
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It's important to keep good records so you stay organized as you build up your breeding flock. Here are some charts and checklists to get you started.
Coccidiosis
Learn about Coccidiosis

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