Happy Valentine’s Day (but don’t kiss your chickens)!

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© Fotojancovi Dreamstime.com - Little Girl With Chicken Photo

According to the Centers for Disease Control, a salmonella outbreak that occurred over the summer may have been caused by contact with chickens, ducks and other live poultry. 252 people in 43 states were sickened. Out of these, 39 people reported snuggling with baby poultry and 4 reported kissing baby chickens.

The CDC recommends washing your hands after handling your birds and “do not let live poultry inside the house, in bathrooms, or especially in areas where food or drink is prepared”.



Photo © Fotojancovi  Dreamstime.com

Guide to Common Chicken Illnesses and Diseases Part II

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Hey folks, John here. Here is part two of the series I wrote about chicken diseases and common illnesses. But before I get too far into that, I wanted to address something here based on several emails I’ve received since the first post:

I’m not a doctor or a vet. I know, big surprise! With that obvious statement made, I need to advise you all to speak more with your vet if you suspect a serious problem. Sure things like garlic, oregano, cayenne, yogurt, and vinegar are going to help keep your chickens healthy and can reduce the severity of many common illnesses. But how can you tell the difference between a common illness and a serious disease? Even experienced chicken farmers can’t do that sometimes so getting a vet you trust will help out enormously in the long run. Remember, if they recommend a course of treatment it doesn’t mean that you have to follow that exact protocol if you feel another way is right. But you do need to get a good idea of what you’re working with first. If it’s something serious you may be legally required to destroy your flock to protect the people and animals nearby. Or if your vet starts prescribing a bunch of antibiotics for your chicken’s cold, well . . . you can probably treat that as you see fit. It all has to do with using common sense (which they say isn’t common, incidentally). Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and accept a treatment which would otherwise be something you wouldn’t use. Perhaps if I describe to you the term ‘allopathic medicine’ then you will better understand what I mean.

Allopathic medicine is the type of medicine most commonly practiced in Western countries for humans and animals. It was originally meant only for emergencies, then it became used for all situations. Think about it like this: if I break my leg I’m definitely going to the ER and I’m going to be thankful for the allopathic medicine the doctors use there such as x-rays and pain meds. However if I have a cold I’m not going to call in the AMA’s S.W.A.T team. I’m going to treat it myself instead of proverbially dropping napalm to kill a squirrel in the forest.

Lastly, before I get to the meat of this article, I’d like to ask you to not believe everything you read on the internet or even in books when it comes to herbs and natural healing. When my wife took a course on herbalism she was told to cross check everything among at least 3 separate sources but preferably more. A lot of forums will have information that is very helpful but is usually incomplete and written by folks that are hardly experts. On the internet, knowledge gets passed around like kids playing Telephone. D Mannose might be great for people with UTI’s, for example, and it prevents bacteria from sticking to the urethra which eliminates them and usually cures the UTI. But if you rush right out to treat yourself with it and happen to have diabetes then you might wind up in the hospital since it also raises blood sugar levels. See what I mean? Do your homework. I know too many people who just accept something they read on Dr. Google ( or hear from Dr. Oz or Dr. Phil) as fact without further research. Your chickens (and you) deserve better.

Mareks Disease

This is actually a viral disease that attacks chickens all over the world. Although sometimes turkeys and quail can fall victim to this, it rarely spreads to other fowl. In recent years there have been some pretty nasty strains of Marek’s popping up in North America and Europe. It can also be hard to get rid of and even industrial disinfectants can’t destroy it all the time.

Look out for birds that seem to appear like they’ve had a stroke. By this I mean that they look like parts of their body are paralyzed, especially in their legs or wings. Sometimes you’ll see their necks go floppy like they can’t hold them up. Their eyes may look funny as if the pupils are different sizes or a different shape. Usually they go blind if their eyes are affected. Many times you’ll have a few birds who show symptoms and many asymptomatic birds so be warned that your flock may be affected more than what is immediately apparent. There is no cure for Marek’s and it’s often fatal. Things that can help prevent this is good hygiene for your flock. If your flock does develop Marek’s then you need to probably build a new coop and move all surviving hens. Any new hens you introduce need to have been vaccinated against Marek’s disease, even if they are chicks born of mothers who carry the disease since it doesn’t pass on from mother to chick. Do not put your hens back in the old area for 3-5 years if ever since Marek’s is known to be able to survive in open conditions for years.

If you suspect Marek’s, call your vet right away so you can have someone walk you through the complicated steps of dealing with this nasty virus.

Infectious Coryza

This is a bacteria called Haemophilus paragallinarum and is relatively common but rarely fatal among fowl. It’s easy to kill once outside the host and usually dissipates within a few days. A good scrubbing inside the coop will usually get rid of it easily.

Garlic is a good preventative for any bacterial infections, such as coryza, as well as properly caring for your flock by cleaning their environment regularly and preventing cold, damp conditions from existing.

Even though coryza is really just a dreadful cold with symptoms such as bubbly eyes, open-mouthed breathing, nasal congestion, and a bad smell coming from the sinuses, most experienced chicken farmers will cull all affected birds for a number of reasons:

    1. affected birds are carriers for life and will infect other birds that are healthy
    2. birds who recover from coryza, which most do, will suffer recurrent bouts for most of their life and particularly when they are under stress
    3. you generally can only completely get rid of this by using antibiotics, which is okay in emergency situations, but then your hens are weaker and eventually the whole flock is weaker including weak offspring
    4. you probably can’t ever introduce clean, healthy birds into the flock again because they will also get sick

If you choose to cull the entire flock then this is probably also a prudent option, even if it is a sad one. Make sure to scrub and disinfect everything the chickens have used and leave it to dry for a week or two before introducing a new flock.

Avian Pox

Also called Fowlpox, this is a virus that can spread easily amongst fowl through bits of dead skin from the chickens rubbing up against each other and from mosquitoes. It spreads and develops very slowly, over several weeks. You’ll probably first notice that your chickens seem depressed with a lack of appetite and their egg production will probably start to drop. Then you will see little nobby wart-type nodules start to form on the combs, legs, and skin of the face. Although the actual pox aren’t dangerous and morbidity for it is fairly low, it often leads to secondary infections which do cause serious complications. Since this is a virus then obviously no antibiotic will cure it. Elderberry and astragalus given as a tonic daily in your chicken’s water will help prevent viral infections of all kinds, but stop giving it at the first sign of an actual virus since it will strengthen the virus as well as the chicken’s immune system.

If you live in an area with a lot of mosquitoes you might consider getting your flock vaccinated for this disease.

Until later,



Guide to Common Chicken Illnesses and Diseases Part I

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Avian Flu











Vaccinating Your Chicks Against Marek’s Disease

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Photo by: faungg’s photo

Marek’s disease is a highly contagious and frightening phenomenon, characterized by paralysis of the legs, wings, and neck, vision impairment, weight loss, and raised and roughened skin around feather follicles. This herpes virus infection shows up in various manifestations: neurological, visceral, and cutaneous. It is also highly fatal and if your chickens get the disease, there is no cure. What can one do to protect their flock against Marek’s Disease? Vaccinating your chicks against Marek’s Disease is a good place to start.

To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate

While it is common practice to vaccinate all newly hatched chicks in large factory farms, it is not always done in small flocks. Vaccination is an excellent way to prevent the adverse effect of diseases, but even greater is careful sanitation and effective flock management. Small backyard farmers may not vaccinate because they have never had a problem with disease in their flock. That is entirely possible and this is the case with many backyard chickens. Or perhaps they are not aware  disease is present, don’t know how to diagnose a disease or get the disease diagnosed, don’t know where to buy vaccines, or don’t know how to give a vaccine.

Introducing new birds into your flock greatly increases the risk that your birds will be introduced to a new disease as well. If you buy birds from an outside source, it’s a wise idea to vaccinate. If you take your birds to poultry shows or have had problems with disease in the past, it’s a great idea to get your chicks vaccinated.  While it is entirely up to you whether or not to vaccinate your birds, it can save you a whole lot of heartache and hassle later on.

When To Vaccinate Against Marek’s Disease

Chicks are generally vaccinated against Marek’s Disease on the day they hatch. This is done at the hatchery and is given subcutaneously at the back of the chick’s neck. If you order chicks from a hatchery, they should already be vaccinated for Marek’s Disease. Be sure to ask just in case!

Chicks between the age of 2-16 weeks are quite susceptible to Marek’s Disease, so if your chicks hatched at home or you purchased them from a supplier that did not vaccinate before delivery, consider vaccinating yourself. The vaccine can be purchased online from livestock supply companies such as Jeffers Livestock. Here is a link for Marek’s Disease vaccine for day old chicks: read more here.  Since it must be administered to day old-chicks, order before your chicks hatch. Your local farm supply store may also have the vaccine.

Common Egg Layer Health Problems

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Photo by: HA! Designs – Artbyheather


Egg-Bound Chickens



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Respiratory Infections


Common Problems With Backyard Chickens

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What causes disease or sickness among a flock of chickens? According to Roy Butler of the Government of Western Australia Department of Agriculture and Food, inadequate shelter, feed, and water as well as too much stress are common reasons for ill chickens (http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/objtwr/imported_ assets/content/aap/gn_diseases_of_backyard_chickens.pdf). Infectious diseases can also be caught, just as humans catch and transmit diseases. Even mosquitoes can carry diseases harmful to chickens.


