Chicken Health

Chicken health is important when you’re raising the animals to make a profit. Chickens can suffer from all kinds of diseases, and it’s important to recognize the signs early to avoid losing money.

Nutrition For Your Chicken

One of the easiest things to do to protect the health of your chickens is to make sure they get the proper nutrition.

One sure sign of poor chicken health is abnormal eggshells. Look closely at the shells to see if they look normal. If the shells are soft or cracked, then there’s a good chance your chickens aren’t getting the proper nutrition. Start by checking that your hens are disease-free and that they have access to the proper food that helps with the laying of healthy eggs.

Coccidiosis In Chickens

One of the most prevalent diseases that affects chickens is coccidiosis. Symptoms of this disease are:

• Bloody droppings
• Lower egg production
• Paleness

Chickens may also die suddenly if they contract this disease. Coccidiosis can be prevented with certain drugs, but it’s important to screen your chickens’ droppings periodically to make sure they don’t become infected.

Air Sac Disease

Sometimes, chickens can catch a cold, also known as air sac disease. Farmers recommend that you don’t mix age groups and buy your chicks from farmers with MG-free birds. If your chickens do catch a cold, antibiotics can help them recover.

Parasites

Another big problem for chicken health is parasites. The problem with parasite infections is that often there aren’t any signs or symptoms that your chickens are infected. Parasites can also cause your chickens to die suddenly for no apparent reason.

Roundworms

One common parasitic infection that can destroy your chickens is roundworms.

The one good thing about this parasite is that it does cause outward signs in chickens. If your chickens look unnaturally skinny and aren’t laying very many eggs, then roundworms may be the culprit.

Veterinarians can confirm if your chickens have roundworms by testing a stool sample. All you need to do to get rid of roundworms in your chickens is buy a common wormer available at many veterinarian offices or some feed supply stores. Piperazine Wormer, for one, works wonders on roundworms.

Tapeworms

Roundworms aren’t the only kind of parasite that can make your chickens appear thinner than usual. Tapeworms can cause very similar symptoms, so it’s important to have a stool sample tested to confirm which kind of parasite is affecting the health of your chickens.

The treatment for tapeworms is different from that for roundworms. You can avoid tapeworms by making sure your chicken pen is free of flies. Slugs and beetles can also cause tapeworms. If your chickens do have tapeworms, it’s easy to get rid of them with a wormer. Look for dibutyltin dilaurate at your local feed shop.

Ammonia Burns

There are also many other problems that can affect chicken health. Among them are ammonia burns, which can cause:

• Lopsided eggs
• Watery eyes
• Blindness
• Facial swelling

Vitamin A can help treat ammonia burns, but make sure you replace the bedding with dry material first.