Module Navigation
Examining your birds on a regular basis can help you identify potential problems early and get appropriate treatment at a stage in the disease process where we have the best chance of being able to fix things.
As a prey species, chickens are unfortunately often very good at hiding that they are sick until the disease has progressed quite far. In this section, we will walk you through things you can check on a daily, monthly, and annual basis to help spot the more subtle signs of illness in your flock.
As part of the daily care you provide to your flock, it is important to observe your chickens for visible signs of illness. The best time to do this is when you let them out of the coop and feed them first thing in the morning. The main things you should be looking out for are:
Your chickens should be bright, alert, and active
Everyone should be crowding around the feeder to have breakfast first thing in the morning
The surface or the eyes should be clear and bright with no discharge
There should be no discharge for the nostrils and your birds should be breathing comfortably through their nostrils
Combs should be brightly coloured and firm. Look for changes in their texture and colour particularly around the tips which are at risk of getting frostbite
Look for missing, broken, dirty, or dull feathers particularly around their vent
The scales on the legs should be smooth and flat with no crusts or wounds and the nails should be short
Your chickens should be moving around comfortably with no limping or funny steps
These should be a normal colour and consistency. The colour may change depending on what you are feeding them
The shells should be hard, smooth, and uniform in colour with no blood or droppings
Talk to your veterinarian if you have any concerns because the earlier problems are correctly diagnosed and treated, the easier it is to get your chickens back to good health.
Every month or two, it’s good to do a much more up close and personal check of your chicken’s health. With all hose feathers, it can be difficult to spot changes in weight that could mean problems with diets or disease.
Recording their weight can help you track trends better. This can easily be done with a digital scale – just weigh yourself holding the chicken, then weigh yourself on your own, and subtract the difference between the two measurements.
While gently handling the chicken, you can also inspect the skin under the feathers more closely to look for signs of mites or lice and the skin on the bottom of the feet for sores or wounds that could mean your chicken has bumblefoot (pododermatitis).
Check out this video from Sez the Vet on how to do a physical exam on your chicken:
If you are keeping any animals, including backyard poultry, it’s a good idea to register with a veterinary clinic so you have a relationship in place for routine care as well as sick bird care or emergency care.
We highly recommend getting annual check-ups for the birds in your flock, which can help detect problems before they become much more serious.
During these visits, your veterinarian will typically discuss how things are going with housing, diet, health, and behaviour then examine your birds from head to tail to check for any problems.