TEN MOST COMMON CHICKEN HEALTH QUESTIONS

Answers to Ten Common Questions about Chicken Health

https://www.dummies.com/home-garden/hobby-farming/raising-chickens/answers-to-ten-common-questions-about-chicken-health/

Related Book

Chicken Health For Dummies

By Julie Gauthier, Rob Ludlow

Following are the most common questions that flock keepers ask about the health of their chickens. Also provided are quick, concise answers that you can take to heart or share with a fellow flock keeper in the time it takes you to check out at the feed store.

1. What is that lump on the side of a chicken’s neck?

Most likely, the lump on the side of your chicken’s neck is normal. That’s her crop, an expandable pouch in the esophagus of chickens and many other types of birds that is part of the digestive system. Think of that anatomical feature as a doggie bag — a place for the foraging hen to store her edible discoveries for digestion sometime later in the day.
Rarely, a chicken’s crop plugs up because she’s eaten a lot of indigestible stuff, such as straw, wood chips, or long, stemmy weeds. The condition is known as a crop impaction, and it can be serious. If you’re concerned that the hard lump may be an impaction, feel the chicken’s neck early the next morning, before she has eaten breakfast. The lump should be gone, and her throat should feel soft and empty.

2. Why is a chicken losing her feathers?

Molt happens. Each year, usually in autumn, a chicken loses her old feathers and grows a new set, in an orderly process called molting. Most hens slow down on egg production or quit laying eggs altogether while they’re molting. Some hens molt quickly and get it over with in two to three months, although others can take as long as six months to freshen their appearance.
If your chicken is losing her feathers, suspect molt first.
Other common causes of feather loss include feather pecking (flock mates are plucking out feathers) and external parasites (mites or lice, usually). You may be able to blame the hens’ bare backs on the rooster’s attention — he’s scratching feathers out during mating.

3. Why do some eggs have soft shells or no shells?

Stress is the number-one cause of abnormal eggshells in hens, including soft or shell-less eggs. Events that stress hens are disturbances that are likely to bother you, too; moving to a new home, meeting a guest’s rambunctious dog or child, hot weather, or a sudden and violent storm are common stressors. A single disturbance can affect a flock’s egg production for a couple of weeks.
Besides stress, other explanations may fit. Older hens and hens that have been in lay (producing eggs) for many months are more likely to lay soft-shelled eggs. Viral infections can also mess up a hen’s egg-laying machinery, sometimes permanently.

4. How do you treat a chicken’s skin wounds?

The most common backyard chicken wounds are the result of predator attacks, flock-mate aggression, and entanglement or impalement by something sharp in the chicken yard, such as broken wire fences or protruding nails.
Treat predator bite wounds and other skin wounds as soon as you discover them.
Thoroughly flush the wound with an antiseptic solution.

Isolate the injured bird from the rest of the flock and let her take care of the wound herself.

Talk to your veterinarian before medicating a chicken with an antibiotic.

5. What causes your chicken to have runny poop?

Having loose droppings can be normal if they’re intermittent with normal, formed poop. Two or three times a day, a chicken empties the contents of the ceca, which are two blind pouches in the lower part of the digestive system. The cecal droppings are loose, brown, very smelly, and completely normal for chickens.
If all the chicken’s droppings are runny, however, that’s abnormal, so look for a health problem. Heading the list of possibilities for adult bird diarrhea is hot weather, which is a very common reason for laying hens to have loose droppings. Take this sign as a warning to ease the flock’s heat stress.

6. Should you feed chicks medicated starter feed?

Yes, you should feed your chicks medicated starter feed, except under two conditions: Your chicks were vaccinated for coccidiosis or you’re trying to raise chickens under organic conditions.

The medication in medicated chick starter is a coccidiostat, a drug that helps prevent coccidiosis. Before the invention of coccidiostats, raising chicks without losing some to coccidiosis was a big challenge for flock keepers.

7. Is it safe to eat a hen's eggs after you medicated her?

Any medication given to a laying hen can end up in the eggs that she produces, sometimes for several weeks after being dosed. Very few medications have been studied thoroughly to determine how long they’ll contaminate the eggs of medicated hens, and therefore, very few medications have been approved for use in laying hens.

8. What are these bugs crawling on your bird (and you)?

They’re lice or mites, almost certainly. These extremely common external parasites feed on your chickens, irritating and weakening them. Lice and mites can crawl on you, too, if you handle infested birds. Although chicken lice think people taste disgusting (they won’t hang around for long), mites will happily bite a person before running back to their preferred host — your chicken.

9. What is causing your hen’s swollen foot and her limping?

Bumblefoot is a common infection of the feet of poultry, usually discovered as a swollen, scabby foot pad. The problem starts with minor trauma to the foot, such as a bruise, scrape, cut, or puncture. Bacteria invade the small foot wound and create a big mess, causing pus-filled abscesses, swelling, and pain. Treatment isn’t quick or easy, and it usually requires repeated draining and cleaning the wound.

10. Can you feed bugs and worms to your flock?

Bugs and worms are yummy and nutritious (for your chickens). A chicken isn’t a vegetarian by nature, and she relishes a nice, juicy bug, which is typically loaded with nutritious fat and protein.

Chicken Keeper / 5 Summer Vacation Tips

5 Summer Vacation Tips for Backyard Chicken Keepers

Make Sure You're Prepared to go on Summer Vacation When Raising Chickens for Eggs

https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/feed-health/5-summer-vacation-tips-for-backyard-chicken-keepers/

June 9, 2019Author : Lisa SteeleCategories : Feed & Health

 

Going on a family vacation isn’t impossible when you raise backyard chickens, but it does require some careful pre-planning to ensure your flock stays safe, healthy and happy while you’re gone. Here are five summer vacation tips for keepers of backyard chickens to make everything go more smoothly and allow you to sit on the beach and enjoy your vacation:

1) Enlist a Friend, Family Member or Neighbor

When you have backyard chickens and go on vacation, it’s always a good idea to have someone stop by at least twice a day to let the chickens out, feed them, collect eggs, be sure they have clean water, and then lock them up each night. Even if you have an automatic coop door, it’s still a good idea to have someone stop by to make sure everyone is safely locked up before dark. Installing some Niteguard solar predator lights is also a good idea in case your chicken ‘caretaker’ is late or forgets to come back to lock the coop one night.
If you can’t find a neighbor or friend willing to commit to the task of caring for your backyard chickens, try your local 4-H club or extension service for recommendations or check your feed store boards for dog walkers, pet sitters or people who offer horse boarding services — many times they will agree to come check on your chickens for nominal pay — or even merely the promise of fresh eggs. Use caution when asking another chicken keeper to watch your flock. Be sure to provide them with footwear outside your coop or run to wear while they are tending your flock to avoid cross-contamination. A bleach water footbath is also a good idea to fill and leave by the run entrance.

2) Stock up on Feed, Supplements, and Treats for Your Backyard Chickens

Make sure the person watching your flock knows what to feed chickens before you leave! You’ll want to either fill your feeder with enough feed to last until you come back or leave your caretaker instructions on how much to dole out each morning (figure on 1/2 cup of feed per hen per day) and be sure the feed is stored in a mouse-proof container out of the sun and rain. If the forecast while you’re away calls for hot temperatures, leave instructions for your caretaker on how to keep chickens cool in the summer, too.
Be sure to stock up on grit, oyster shell and of course feed, and be sure to label all the containers and leave instructions for refilling your dispensers and how many treats to hand out. You might also want to print out this list of safe treats for your chickens and leave it out as guide, as well as what not to feed chickens. A head of cabbage or a halved watermelon or cucumber is always an easy, nutritious treat choice that will keep your chickens busy and hydrated, so leaving either (or both) to be fed while you’re gone is a great idea.

3) Clean The Coop

You’ll want to clean the coop and put in new litter just before you leave. Sprinkling some herbs in your nesting boxes, like my Herbs for Hens Nesting Box Sachets, can help repel rodents and insects while you’re gone. A sprinkle of food-grade Diatomaceous Earth on the floor of the coop and in the nesting boxes can also help repel mites and lice, and a product such as Dookashi or Chick Flic helps reduce ammonia fumes, a concern especially during the hotter months. Again, be sure to leave instructions and everything in clearly marked containers or packages.

4) Inspect The Coop and Run

A careful examination of your coop and run is in order before you go. Look for any loose boards or wires, any holes in fencing or things that need to be shored up or repaired. Predators get used to routines and always seem to know when there’s not one home and it’s a good time to strike.

5) Leave Your Vet’s Contact Information

Speaking of predators, be sure to leave your vet’s phone number and address out for your chicken sitter, along with your Chicken First Aid Kit in case of injury, illness or attack. If your chicken sitter notices any sick chicken symptoms, they shouldn’t hesitate to check with the veterinarian immediately. It’s also a good idea to leave the telephone number of a friend who keeps chickens and might be able to help out if your caretaker doesn’t raise chickens themselves and there’s an emergency.





Lastly, ask your caretaker to come by and do a walk through of your morning and evening routine before you leave, so they will be familiar with your routine and also so the chickens can get to know them. Chickens love routines, so the closer they can stick to your routine, the better.

Chickens with Heat Stress

10 Signs of Chickens in Heat Stress

Keeping cool can save a life!

https://grubblyfarms.com/blogs/the-feed/10-signs-of-chickens-in-heat-stress

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 While their feathers are beautiful, all that fluff is tough on our feathered fam. Unlike people, chickens don't have sweat glands nor do their feathers allow for a cool breeze to take that summer heat off. Because of that, it’s important to stay vigilant about keeping your flock cool in the summer to prevent heat stress.

What is heat stress?

Heat stress is additional stress to the body due to increased temperatures. A chicken’s normal body temperature is around 104°F, so a chicken does a lot better in colder weather than it does in hot weather! Heat stress can damage organs, cause egg deformation, and even death.

What affects heat tolerance?

Genetics, feather coverage, age, weight, and drinking water temperature all affect a chicken’s heat tolerance. If you have cool drinking water, your bird can cool from the inside out. Similarly, if a chicken has fewer feathers, air can get in between them and cool the skin.

Signs of Heat Stress:

1. Panting & Rapid Breathing

Much like dogs, chickens release heat by panting to dissipate the heat. Look out for panting (beaks open) and rapid breathing.

2. Pale Combs/Wattles

The combs and wattles are a chicken’s only direct access of skin to air, so a lot of the heat leaves through there. Keeping the wattles cool will help your chicken regulate its body temperature.

3. Loss of Electrolytes

Similarly to how your high school coach encouraged you to drink Gatorade after a hot practice, sometimes your chickens need a helping hand. When you notice your chickens showing signs of heat stress, they’ve likely lost some electrolytes which need to be replenished.

4. Wings Outstretched and Feathers Erect

Air is our planet’s best insulator. We could get into the thermodynamics, but what you do need to know is that your chickens are doing everything they can to get some air in between their feathers. When they overheat, they’ll stretch out their wings and lift their feathers in hopes of catching a cool breeze.

5. Bird Stop Eating & Drink Large Amounts of Water

Just like your desire to guzzle water after hot day, your hen will start drinking A LOT more water. Unfortunately, her nutritional needs don’t change, so it’s important she’s still eating enough feed. To make sure she’s getting all the protein and calcium to make healthy eggs, try these nutritious snacks.

6. Diarrhea

What goes in must come out. All of that extra water can lead to watery diarrhea, which means more electrolytes lost.

7. Chicken Becomes Droopy

A malnourished chicken suffering from heat stress is about as energetic as an old pug. In order to conserve what precious energy she has, your chicken becomes lethargic. She doesn’t have any energy to do much of anything else.

8. Decrease in Egg Production Decreases, Thin Shells

With her body under lots of stress to keep cool, egg production decreases. Calcium isn’t absorbed which leads to soft shells. Eggs are mostly water, and with dehydration, there isn’t enough for both of them.

9. Staggering, Disorientation and Seizures

This is when heat stress can turn into heat stroke. Immediate action is necessary to save your bird!

10. Collapse of System and Death

If nothing is done to save your chicken, he or she will die from organ failure due to dehydration and heat.

Fortunately heat stress is very preventable with a few easy adjustments to keep your chickens healthy and comfortable.