As a chicken owner, it’s important to know how to identify signs of illness in your flock. A sick chicken can rapidly infect the rest of your chickens, so being able to recognize symptoms early is crucial. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about how to tell if your chicken is sick.
Watch for Changes in Behavior
The first signs that a chicken is ill often show up as behavioral changes. Healthy chickens are active and energetic, scratching in the yard, mingling with flockmates, and coming eagerly when you bring food. Here are some behavioral changes to watch for:
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Lethargy or lack of energy A sick chicken will mope around and be disinterested in activities.
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Staying isolated from the flock. Chickens are social, so a solitary chicken likely feels unwell.
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Decreased appetite. Chickens naturally have hearty appetites, so a lack of interest in food signals sickness.
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Difficulty walking. Ill chickens may limp stumble, or be unable to stand up.
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Messy feathers. Sick chickens won’t groom themselves properly.
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Sleeping more than normal. Extended periods of sleep and low energy are red flags.
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Strange vocalizations. Coughing, sneezing, wheezing, and odd clucks can indicate respiratory issues.
Check Physical Symptoms
In addition to behavioral cues, physically examining chickens can reveal illness through symptoms like:
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Pale or discolored combs and wattles. Healthy combs are vibrant red.
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Swollen eyes or nasal discharge. Signs of respiratory infection.
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Diarrhea, bloody stool, or pasty vent area. Gastrointestinal distress.
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Lice or mites. Look for parasites crawling on skin and feathers.
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Skin lesions, scabs, or blisters. Can indicate fungal or bacterial infection.
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Loss of feathers. Especially around neck and tail.
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Lameness. Difficulty walking points to injury or joint issues.
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Dull, ragged feathers. Indicative of nutritional deficiencies or stress.
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Weight loss. Sudden drop in weight is cause for concern.
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Labored breathing. A sign of respiratory disease.
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Drooping wings. Makes chickens appear unbalanced and lethargic.
Watch for Issues with Eggs
For laying hens, keep an eye out for the following egg irregularities that can indicate sickness:
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Reduced egg production or stopping egg-laying altogether.
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Soft or thin shells. Insufficient calcium.
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Eggs with no shells at all. Calcium deficiency or stress.
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Misshapen eggs. Possible reproductive issues.
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Blood speckles or meat spots on eggs. Common in stressed chickens.
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Watery egg whites or runny yolks. Nutritional deficiencies suspected.
Isolate Sick Birds Immediately
Once you’ve identified a sick chicken, quarantine it right away to prevent illness from spreading. Set up a separate, comfortable housing in a warm, draft-free area and provide food and water. Limit contact between the sick bird and other chickens. Disinfect any shared housing or equipment. Monitor the sick chicken closely for improvement or decline.
Keeping a vigilant eye out for any signs of sickness, familiarizing yourself with common chicken illnesses, and acting promptly will give your beloved backyard flock the best chance at a rapid recovery. Don’t hesitate to contact a veterinarian if symptoms persist or you’re unsure how to proceed. With quick intervention, most backyard chickens bounce back from illness and get back to clucking happily with the flock.
Isolate the Sick Bird
The first thing you’ll want to do in your sick chicken treatment process is isolate the bird. Moving the bird to its own dog crate or rabbit hutch in a separate building from the rest of the animals ensures that the disease doesn’t spread from bird to bird and that the other chickens don’t bully it. The quarantine area should be quiet, warm, and protected from predators and other animals.
Until the bird gets healthy again, you should always use separate supplies to feed and hydrate the bird, which prevents the disease from spreading. It’s also a good idea to wear boot coverings when in the building with the sick bird so that you can dispose of them and not contaminate other areas of your back yard or farm. Alternatively, set a bucket full of bleach water outside the building to dunk your boots in after leaving the isolated area.
Don’t forget to wash your hands well after handling a sick chicken!
Basic Sick Chicken Treatment
Having a process in place for when your chickens are sick helps give the bird its best chance to get well and prevents spreading it to other birds in your flock. And much like taking care of yourself or your children when they’re sick, home remedies for a sick chicken are similar.
20 Signs That Your Chicken Is Sick. You Need To Know Them ALL!
FAQ
What are the symptoms of a sick chicken?
- Lethargy, lack of energy, drooping wings.
- Loss of appetite.
- Swelling of the head, eyes, comb, wattles and hocks.
- Purple discoloration of the wattles, combs and legs.
- Nasal discharge.
- Coughing, wheezing, or sneezing.
- Lack of coordination or complete paralysis.
- Muscle tremors or twisted necks.
Will a sick chicken recover on its own?
The time it takes for an injured chicken to heal or a sick chicken to recover varies depending on the severity of the injury or disease. Some may need a few hours to recover, others may need a few days, weeks, or even months to be healthy enough to rejoin the flock.
What do chickens do when they’re sick?
Common signs of a sick chicken include: hiding, inactivity, unusual droppings, unusual posture, lack of appetite and reduced egg production. Priority #1 is to provide a sick chicken with a quiet, protected, warm environment away from the flock where it can be observed closely.
How do sick chickens act?
Natural chicken behaviors include walking, eating, foraging, dust bathing, play, and reproductive behaviors. Sickness behaviors, on the other hand, can include lethargy (fatigue), anorexia, self-isolating, and hunching.
How can you tell if a chicken is sick?
You can tell if a chicken is sick by observing changes in behavior or general symptoms. Usually, sick chickens may stay hidden where you won’t notice, but backyard chicken owners are often attuned to their pets’ personalities and can tell when a bird needs attention. General symptoms of illness for chickens include:
How do I know if my hen is sick?
More often than not, when I pick up a hen with one or more of these symptoms, I will see right away that she is thin and weak. Chickens, like most animals, will hide when they are sick, and unless you are watching daily, you will miss the early warning signs.
When do chickens show symptoms?
Generally, chickens won’t show their symptoms until they are really really sick. Because chickens are prey animals, they hide things quite well. This is why it’s extremely important to be in tune with your flock and to notice basic signs before the chicken shows the worst symptoms.
Do chickens have warning signs?
Luckily, chickens do have several warning signs you can watch for. Things that you will want to be aware of, and yes, in the beginning, those signs will be subtle, but if you know what to look for, you can save yourself and your chicken from loads of heartache.
How do you know if a chicken is healthy?
The first thing to look for when determining the health of your chicken flock is the comb color. A bright red comb is a good indication that you have a chicken in good health. Healthy birds will also have: As I mentioned, sometimes you can have a chicken that looks totally healthy but then suddenly has an onset of symptoms.
How do you know if a chicken has a respiratory disease?
Look for coughing and sneezing. The symptoms of these diseases in chickens are similar to the symptoms in humans. Chickens will normally sneeze every once in a while, but if you notice persistent sneezing throughout your flock, that could be a sign of a respiratory disease. You may also notice coughing spreading through your flock.