Flock Health: Common Illnesses, Conditions, and Diseases
It’s a beautiful fall day on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 1997. The sky is crystal clear blue, and the air is sharp but still frost-free. Our chicken menagerie has grown, even though my husband and I still live as winter caretakers for six months of the year, in luxury homes vacated by their owners for warmer climes, and then in an unheated barn with no plumbing during the summer months. We have the obnoxious Border Collie who has just chewed my antique hooked rugs to pieces, and the beautiful, white Arabian gelding who loves to canter in the waves. We have our three cats, content with chasing June bugs and Fowler’s toads through the swampy lawn that surrounds us in the summer and the catbirds and mockingbirds that flit through the bull thistle and bittersweet in the winter. We sell eggs at the local health food store, and we grow custom chicken meat for a handful of people. And we are still searching for a small farm of our own.
Floyd the rescued white leghorn is happy in her rustic coop, finally able to socialize with the Plymouth Rocks and Rhode Island Reds, but as I look out the window, I spy Pinky, tittering across the lawn. Her head is down, her feathers fluffed up like she’s wearing a carnival costume, and she can’t seem to stay upright. I rush out to snatch her up, and then bring her inside to consult my chicken health handbooks. It looks for all the world as though she may have something horrible, like bird flu, or encephalomalacia—maybe it’s even mycotoxicosis. I can’t even open the books for fear of reading the diagnosis, so I just hold her close and try to think.
Pinky is one of my favorites. She’s a cross between an Ameraucana and a Leghorn, so she has the stature of the former (full of herself, almost haughty, because she has the ability to lay green-shelled eggs) and the demeanor of the latter (an extrovert, an over-achiever, a multi-tasker who is never quite satisfied with the final product). Only now, she just looks drunk. I cradle her next to me. She smells drunk—her breath actually smells like alcohol, even faintly like orange liquor.
It occurs to me that the compost is very close to the chicken yard, and Pinky is adept in escaping the dog-proof yard, in search of an adventure. I walk to the compost and discover evidence of a late summer’s binge: lots of tiny peck marks in odoriferous, fermenting oranges. I plop Pinky in a cage that I label the drunk tank and supply her with lots of drinking water. Sure enough, when I’m brave enough to crack open my chicken books, it warns of giving chickens free access to the compost pile for this very reason.
The next day dawns as clear and as beautiful as the last. Pinky is skittering around the yard in search of grubs and spiders. I putter around the yard, picking up the compost and moving it to a container that is chicken-proof. We decide not to talk of her indiscretion, or of mine.
On the home scale, preventing disease and illness in your flock is much more manageable than on a commercial scale. First, many of the commercial strains of chickens have been genetically selected over the last few decades for maximum production rather than for longevity and overall heartiness. Commercial egg laying facilities have flocks that aren’t free-range, are in climate-controlled environments, and are replaced (culled and killed) every 16 months, so not many of the birds succumb to natural causes.
On the other hand, the average age of chickens in the backyard or small farm flock is 4 years old. Natural mortality can appear higher in these flocks, particularly if it’s composed of commercial strains of layers or meat birds.
Until you’re comfortable caring for your flock, it would be best to choose a breed that is more robust—rather than a maximum production breed—and therefore easier to keep. (Refer to the Chicken Breed Chart, page 38–39, for specific characteristics that would best suit your flock’s conditions.)
Additionally, if preventative measures for nutrition and husbandry are followed, most health issues can be avoided. A quick summary of main points mentioned in previous chapters follows:
• Stay away from the “free chickens” offers. You’re only asking for problems if someone is trying to rehome their castoffs. Reputable poultry breeders ask a fee for their birds because it’s how they make part or all of their living.
• Isolate any new birds coming into your flock. The stress of introducing them to a new location with new birds and a different feeding regimen can cause health conditions that could mimic disease. You want to give the birds time to adjust before thinking that they’re truly sick. A period of 7 to 10 days in isolation should be enough transition time before introducing the new birds to the existing flock. Try to introduce them at night, and if you have a free-range flock, keep the whole flock inside for a few days, so the new birds learn where to come back to roost. During this time, give the flock “toys” to distract the old birds from ganging up on the new birds. I give mine over ripe cukes or zucchinis in the summer; in winter, I give them a winter squash to pick at.
• Don’t mix birds that are wildly different in age. Chicks can be housed together if they are between 2 and 10 days of age; pullets (hens that haven’t started to lay yet) between 10 and 20 weeks can commingle; and introducing the younger pullets to the established flock should occur at night.
• Don’t mix high production meat breed chicks and layer chicks. The layer chicks will pick at the meat birds and can even cannibalize them.
• If you lose birds to mortality, especially if the cause of death is unknown, properly dispose of their remains. If hatching your own chicks, either in an incubator or under a broody hen, don’t give the eggshells of the hatched chicks to the flock as a source of calcium. Instead, compost them away from the flock (they’re great for the soil).
• When you suspect illness or disease amongst your birds, get a professional diagnosis from a reputable breeder or veterinarian. Many medications used to treat illnesses, disease, and even parasites in chickens require withdrawal periods after treatment before the meat or eggs can be safely consumed again.
Common Conditions Affecting Your Flock
BREAST BLISTER
The bird’s crop (where it stores its food before being digested) should be prominent but not bulging, as in this hen’s. Chickens with impacted crops often regurgitate undigested food when handled.
Hybrid broiler chicks available from hatcheries take on such rapid growth rates, particularly in the breast, that their legs are unable to support their body weight. Many of the commercial meat breeds spend longer periods of time squatting on the ground at the feed trough rather than foraging for food, and their keels become irritated. Just as bed sores can form from constant contact with an irritant, so do breast blisters form. Heavier heritage breeds and poorly feathered breeds are also susceptible to blistering. Most of the sores can be prevented by providing deep litter that is dry and nonabrasive for birds with rapid growth rates, or by padding nighttime roosts.
CROP IMPACTION
Also referred to as Pendulous Crop or Crop Binding, this condition is not contagious. It usually occurs in mature or older birds; why it occurs is unknown, although it could possibly be genetic. Injury or improper rations can also cause the crop to lose its muscle tone and eventually become unable to empty its contents. Confined birds that are bored and pick up the bad habit of eating roughage like straw and other bedding can cause their crops to plug and become unable to function. Birds should be provided with fresh drinking water at all times and be provided with proper rations to prevent this condition.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
This condition is most easily diagnosed from its symptoms: noticeably distended or bulging crops that are filled with sour smelling or fermented feed and other debris is typical. While crops can become fairly full shortly after a bird has eaten, it should eventually shrink in size. A crop should feel firm and not squishy when palpated. If a bird regurgitates foul-smelling material after the crop has been manipulated, you should suspect an impaction. This is usually a chronic condition, so the bird will overall feel thin and look unthrifty.
FEATHER LOSS
Your birds will naturally lose their feathers, or molt once a year. Genetic manipulation has produced laying breeds that wait as late as possible to do this, as when birds are molting, they also cease to lay eggs. Typically, birds will molt late summer, allowing plenty of time for the new feathers to form in preparation for winter. Commercial breeds may not start their molt until late December, so they will need added care to stay healthy, such as higher protein food and a draft-free environment. A molt will generally take 6 weeks to occur, and it starts with feather loss at the head, progressing to the tail.
Chickens have an annual molt, where they replace their existing feathers with new ones. Here, the hen is in the “blood feather” state, where they are vulnerable to cannibalism by their coop mates and may have a compromised immune system because so much energy is being put into growing new feathers.
Another cause for feather loss is trauma. If a hen is at the bottom of the pecking order, her flockmates may pick at her and cause her to lose feathers. Bored hens can also learn this vice, picking and pulling at another hen’s feathers to the point of drawing blood. An entire flock can learn this bad habit, and the blood can spur cannibalism in the flock. Overcrowding, poor nutrition, and overheating can all lead to feather picking.
A rooster can also cause feather loss, particularly if there are too many roosters in the flock with not enough hens. Typically, feathers at the back of the neck and on the back will be missing, as this is where the rooster mounts or “treads” the hen during mating.
FROSTBITE
The comb of a chicken is highly vascular (filled with blood), and very susceptible to freezing, much like our fingers and toes are if not protected. Roosters and large-combed breeds like leghorns can’t tuck their entire comb under their wings when sleeping, so they can suffer during the cold winter months. Chickens are capable of tolerating a fair amount of cold, especially the heavier breeds like Australorps, Orpingtons, and Plymouth Rocks, but damp, drafty conditions combined with cold or frozen drinking water can cause frostbite. The stress and pain associated with frozen combs can cause lower production and general unthriftiness. Chickens may become depressed and uninterested in eating and drinking. Coop mates may also peck at the individual, so badly affected birds should be isolated from the flock. I would not recommend drastically changing the environmental conditions unless the bird is seriously ill. The stress of returning to the coop after healing may be just as detrimental to a bird that has acclimated to winter living conditions. Many professional poultry owners will cut the comb off, called dubbing, to avoid the chance of frostbite.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Both the comb and wattles are susceptible to freezing; they will at first become swollen and look pale in color. Eventually, parts of the comb or wattles will blacken and then shrivel and fall off. Applying an over-the-counter topical antibiotic on the frozen areas will prevent infection, though offering foods rich in vitamins and minerals as supplements is usually sufficient medicine to pull mildly frostbitten individuals through the worst of it.
PICKOUT/PROLAPSES
Also called blowout or prolapsed oviduct, this condition occurs when the lower part of the hen’s reproductive tract turns inside out and protrudes from the vent (the bottom). It can happen when hens that are too young are forced into laying, when the birds are too fat, or if they are laying larger than normal eggs because of some other reproductive disorder. Treatment using Preparation H or any other hemorrhoid cream applied to the area will usually resolve the problem if it’s caught early enough and if the hen is isolated from other chickens so that she’s not picked at.
An abnormal protrusion from the vent, typically bright red and bulbous. The hen may also have a soiled vent from stool being forced out around the prolapse.
VENT GLEAT
While the definitive cause for this is unknown, it is a condition that is quite common in chicks less than 10 days that are not reared by a broody hen, and sometimes seen in older laying hens. Both improper brooding temperatures, which results in chilled chicks, and inconsistent rations are often associated with vent gleat.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Droppings become “pasted” around the vent and can cause it to seal shut, resulting in the chick’s death. If chicks are found with vent gleat, carefully pull off the down from around the vent, and express the fecal material from the rectum by gently pushing below it, near the chick’s belly. Carefully inspect all of your chicks daily, as they are very rarely all affected by vent gleat at the same time.
Common Diseases
There are volumes written on poultry diseases, mainly for the commercial industry, because of its economic importance. Many diseases have similar symptoms, so diagnosing it successfully without a professional lab is almost impossible.
What should be kept in mind if you suspect disease are the following: is the problem isolated to an individual, or are you seeing coop-wide problems? One sick bird will most likely point to a less serious problem than if the whole flock is affected.
AVIAN INFLUENZA OR BIRD FLU
The virus that causes this disease has many strains; most infectious is strain H5N1, and it is of particular concern because of its highly contagious nature and the fear that it can mutate and be passed from bird to human (called a zoonotic disease). The media has often used this apocalyptic fear to stir up a frenzy, causing many people around the world to kill or sell their poultry, despite their dependence on the flock for income or sustenance. Often targeted as potential harbingers of this disease are backyard flocks, the logic being that the small flock owner will not recognize the signs of the disease. This makes no sense to me, as I believe that small, diversified populations that are well cared for are far less likely to contract disease than overcrowded, monocultured poultry houses, filled with all of the same genetics and susceptibilities.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Much like the virus that causes the “flu” in humans, avian influenza is highly contagious in birds. It is contracted when an uninfected bird comes in contact with the feces or expelled air from infected birds. The only way to avoid avian influenza in your flock is to prevent contact with infected poultry or infected wild birds; there is currently no strain of H5N1 in the United States.
Unfortunately characteristics of the infection mimic many other diseases: respiratory problems, unthrift, depression, and a lack of appetite. Diarrhea, swelling around the face, and reddish or white spots can also be associated with the disease. Only a specialized poultry laboratory can diagnose your flock with this disease. Certainly, if all of your birds are ill, it would be in your best interest to test one of your sick birds for this disease.
BUMBLEFOOT
This disease occurs when a bacterium naturally occurring in chickens, Staphylococcus, Escherichia coli, or Streptococcus enters a portion of the chicken’s foot, creating an infection. Because bird’s bones are hollow, the progression of the disease can be debilitating. An injury, improper bedding, rough roosts, rocky poultry yards, wire flooring, and even genetic disposition can all be culprits that lead to the infection. Once it has started, a pus-filled, black area in the foot pad forms, and sometimes even the hock joint will swell. The disease is very difficult to cure, so prevention is the best management: using deep layers of dry, soft litter, and choosing hearty breeds will avoid problems with bumblefoot. Washing the affected area and using a topical antibiotic can stop the spread of disease if caught early.
Chickens have small air sacs on either side of their beak and below their eyes. When they become infected, they swell.
CHRONIC RESPIRATORY DISEASE AND INFECTIOUS SINUSITIS
These diseases are both spread by the same organism, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, which is present in all parts of the United States and can affect many different species of poultry. The disease is spread through the eggs of infected carrier hens, but most commercial flocks are now free of the disease. Although high mortality is not usually associated with these diseases, it can lead to reduced growth rate and a lack of feed efficiency in meat breeds and a reduction in the overall production in laying birds. Antibiotics can be used to successfully treat the disease, but birds that recover should not be used for breeding or replacements.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
With both diseases, coughing, rattling sneezing, and difficulty breathing may be seen. There may be discharge from the eyes that is yellowish or foamy. The area below the eye and above the beak may be swollen or discolored. Birds may have a lack of appetite or have a reduction in productivity, both in growth and in egg laying.
DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH CONTAMINATED OR POOR QUALITY FEED
Chickens are especially sensitive to toxins associated with their feed. In the wild, birds eat fresh berries, plants, live insects, snails, even baby mice, snakes, and other unprocessed foods. When they are presented with a formulated feed, problems can arise. (Refer to Chapter 4 for more on this subject.) Mycotoxicosis is a disease caused by consuming feed containing toxic byproducts of molds. Many molds are grain-specific, and some prefer higher temperatures in conjunction with moisture. It can be hard to pin the problem on your grain, because after it leaves the mill, the storage conditions can contribute to conditions that favor the growth of mold.
One way to avoid mycotoxicosis is to store grain in containers that don’t attract moisture or high heat and favor low humidity. Another is to purchase commercially prepared feeds with mold inhibitors. Or, if using organic grains, only purchase an amount that you will be sure to use within a month. Symptoms of mycotoxicosis mimic several other diseases, so analysis of your feed would be necessary to rule out other possibilities. Of course, if your grain smells or looks moldy, you should suspect your feed as the culprit.
The organism Clostridium botulinum is responsible for botulism. Although it is more commonly found in waterfowl, other poultry can become affected. The organism grows on spoiled or decaying feedstuffs and produces toxins that affect the nervous system, specifically around the neck, which is why this disease is sometimes referred to as limber neck, because the affected birds lose control of being able to properly position their necks.
Crazy Chick Disease, also called Encephalomalacia, is a nutritional disease that most commonly affects young birds between 2 and 4 weeks of age. Although the disease is notably rare in commercially fed flocks, it can be more of a problem if birds are fed organic rations, which don’t contain artificial preservatives.
Natural antioxidants like vitamin C and E can become depleted quickly in organic feed if they are used up trying to stabilize other components in the rations that are susceptible to becoming rancid in high heat or humidity, like soybeans. A deficiency in vitamin E often goes along with a selenium deficiency, both of which can cause a young bird’s brain to swell and deteriorate. If caught early enough, the affected birds can be treated with a vitamin supplement in the drinking water, or with an injection of vitamins A, D, and E under the skin. The disease is easily prevented by using only fresh rations that are stored in cool, dry locations (where oxidization is greatly reduced). Using a vitamin supplement in the drinking water when hot and humid conditions persist will also guard against an outbreak of this disease.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
This is a rapid-onset disease, where chicks appear normal one day and sick the next. The chicks will appear “drunken,” and stumbling, unable to stand, may flap their wings uncontrollably, bend their heads back, and wag them back and forth. The condition eventually leads to paralysis and death, usually within a matter of 12–24 hours.
MAREK’S DISEASE
This disease is very common in large-breed chickens, though Sebrights and Silkies can also become affected; flocks that are unvaccinated are particularly at risk for the disease. Most poultry houses vaccinate their day-old chicks because of the severity of the disease and its associated high mortality (as high as 80 percent). Spread through feather dander, it is a strain of chicken herpes called Gallid herpesvirus 2. The virus is capable of traveling miles through the air, and once it is in your poultry yard it can persist for up to a year, with carrier birds that can shed the virus with no signs of the disease. The disease can cause tumors in the skin, muscle, and organs such as the spleen, liver, lungs, kidneys, and heart (these would only be visible during a necropsy).
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Because Marek’s can involve the nervous system as well as muscle, birds that are over 2 weeks of age can show signs of paralysis, stunted growth, abnormally red-colored feather shafts, pale skin, or a stilted gait. Changes in the iris can also occur; instead of a vibrant reddish-orange color, the iris turns grayish and mottled.
A blood test can indicate whether your birds are resistant to the disease; vaccination is the only prevention.
MUSHY CHICK DISEASE/ OMPHALITIS
Also referred to as Navel ill, or Navel Infection, this disease is caused by the bacterium, E. coli, which causes a condition called Colibacillosis.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
In unhatched eggs, fully formed chicks will be dead in the shell. Newly hatched chicks will fell wet or “squishy,” even after they have dried from hatching. Older chicks can be affected, and their navels will look unhealed, red, swollen, or distended.
There is no cure for the disease once contracted; hatching clean, uncracked eggs in an incubator with proper humidity and temperature prevents this disease. Keeping newly hatched chicks clean, dry, and at the proper brooding temperature is also necessary.
PULLORUM
Caused by the microorganism Salmonella pullorum, this disease affects young chicks resulting in extremely high rates of mortality in birds under 2 weeks of age. It is sometimes referred to as White Diarrhea, although several other conditions can cause the feces to appear white. It is passed from the diseased ovaries of a hen to her egg, and the chick is hatched already infected; chicks can spread the disease in an incubator or brooder through their down. While the hen has the disease confined to just her ovaries, nearly all of a chick’s organs can become infected. Pullorum occurs worldwide, and can affect other species of poultry. There are many blood tests available to test adults for the disease, and sulfa drugs can reduce mortality in the flock. However, treating your flock without diagnosing the disease can establish carriers. Birds that test positive for Pullorum should not be used as breeding stock (it is for this reason that you should always test your birds for this disease if you intend to use them as replacements or for breeding).
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Infected chicks show symptoms of Pullorum shortly after hatching. They almost always have a whitish diarrhea pasted around their vents, and they stand droopily with their eyes closed and feathers ruffled. On the other hand, birds that recover from the disease may show no symptoms at all, but a post-mortem of an infected bird reveals the ovaries to be dark, shriveled, and shrunken. In the chick, the liver looks yellow and soft rather than firm and dark. In some cases, the sac around the heart can be distended with fluid.
Parasites
Chickens are naturally infected with both internal (living inside the bird’s body) and external (living outside the bird’s body on the feathers or skin) pests, particularly if they are in a free-range or backyard coop environment. Wild birds, earthworms, blades of grass, other animals, and even the soil where chickens forage can contain parasites. An infestation can cause grave health problems, but worrying about keeping your flock completely parasite-free isn’t necessary. Usually, chickens that have been provided with good sanitation and proper nutrition with a diet high in vitamins and minerals can build immunities to ward off infestations or overloads of parasites. Parasites depend on their hosts to continue surviving, so setting up a balance that benefits their survival and the chicken’s is in their best interest. Sick, older, or broody chickens, and birds exposed to stress can all lead to conditions that can cause parasite outbreaks that birds cannot overcome.
Soiling around the vent, or cloaca, can indicate parasites or other infection.
If you suspect an infestation, consult your local grain supplier or veterinarian for appropriate treatment: don’t assume that because your bird looks down and out it has worms. Remember that proper husbandry will help you avoid the use of chemicals or medications that are used to control parasites. Keep your chickens clean and dry, especially younger or older birds, and maintain them on a healthy, free-ranging diet.
Following is a list of common internal and external parasites. Again, if you suspect a problem, consult a professional before treating your birds.
COCCIDIOSIS
Also referred to as Coxy, this is a very common affliction caused by a single-celled parasite called a protozoan (amoebas are protozoans). It can be responsible for mortality in a flock that ranges from mild to severe, particularly in younger birds that are between 3 and 6 weeks of age. Coccidia naturally occur in the environment and in mature birds. There are nine different species, and of these, three are the most detrimental to the health of your flock. These parasites affect the digestive tracts of the birds, hence the severity of infestation in young birds whose GI tracts are still developing. Coccidia naturally occur in the soil and in the litter (shavings, sawdust or other substrate) that you house your birds on. For a completely coccidia-free environment, your birds would need to be reared in a wire cage, away from the soil and natural environment. Instead, proper husbandry and vigilance can keep your flock from an outbreak of coccidiosis.
Many hatcheries offer vaccines for coccidia, but just as the flu shot for humans is developed for the most commonly occurring strains of the virus during that season, the coccidia vaccine is not 100% effective. There are also many feed rations that offer coccidiostats; if you keep your birds clean and dry, you won’t have problems and will end up relying on far fewer stop-gaps to raise your birds.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
Birds that are infected with coccidia will be fluffed up, feathers ruffled and rough looking, listless, and show no interest in eating or drinking. Their vents will be soiled, and the feces may be flecked with blood. Taking a sample of the feces to your veterinarian can diagnose the presence of coccidia (the protozoans are only visible with a microscope). Coccidia thrive in a hot, humid environment, so taking care to provide fresh, clean water, a dry pen and prevention from overcrowding can avoid an outbreak. Eventually, chicks build up immunity to this parasite. Some flock keepers put apple cider vinegar in the drinking water to fortify the intestines (1 tablespoon per gallon of water), as they claim it changes the pH in the gut and reduces the ability for the parasites to affect the absorption of nutrients.
If you diagnose a coccidia outbreak, isolate the diseased birds, as their feces will continue to shed parasites and potentially affect the rest of the flock.
Having a variety of species that pasture together can aid in the prevention of parasite infestation and predator threats. Here, chickens and pigs cavort at Fat Rooster Farm.
WORMS
Horror stories of all kinds have been associated with this five-letter word. Tales of cracking open an egg and finding a long, spaghetti-like strand send fear into the hearts of many small flock owners, when really it is incredibly rare and would occur only if the flock were severely under-cared for.
That aside, poultry are susceptible to infestation by a large number of intestinal parasites whose effects can result in loss of condition, productivity, an increased vulnerability to other disease, and, in some cases, death.
There are two principal types of worms that affect chickens: roundworms and tapeworms. Roundworms (in the Nematode family) are round and long and have no segments. They are usually gray or white in color. Tapeworms (in the Cestode family) are long, flat, and segmented. Mature tapeworms live in the gut, but shed “gravid proglottids,” the little broken off segments, which are little packets containing hundreds of mature eggs. If you see worms in your flock’s feces, the general rule of thumb is that if it looks like spaghetti, it’s in the round worm family; if it looks like rice, it’s in the tapeworm family. For a complete diagnosis, you should take a sample of the feces and the worm to your veterinarian; not all medications that control and kill Nematodes will kill Cestodes.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
Younger birds are most severely affected by worms; their gastrointestinal tracts are still developing and their immunities are not as effective in preventing infestations from occurring.
Unless you have a heavy infestation, you won’t necessarily see mature worms in the feces. Take a sample of the stool to your veterinarian, so they can look for eggs under the microscope and provide you with the correct medication. Other signs include stunted growth, emaciation, and general unthriftiness.
One type of worm, Syngamus trachea, or gapeworm, attaches itself to the trachea (air pipe) of the chicken. An infestation causes the bird to sneeze, stretch its neck, and “gape” its mouth open because of the inflammation and mucous caused by the worms.
Another worm, Heterakis gallinae, or cecal worm is associated with the disease Blackhead or Histomoniasis, which can be fatal in turkeys cohabitating with the flock. The mature worms live in the cecal folds (GI tract) of chickens, ducks and geese. A parasite called Histomonas meleagridis invades the cecal worm and then is passed to turkeys, where the parasites migrate to the liver and intestines, causing death. Because both parasites are needed to cause the disease, if you have a closed flock and don’t import chickens from areas that may have this worm, safely keeping turkeys in your flock shouldn’t be a problem.
Turkeys can happily co-exist with chickens, providing blackhead disease has not been a problem on the farm. Chickens are carriers and can infect turkeys.
For all worm infestations, the key to prevention is clean water and food, and dry, clean litter.
LICE AND MITES
Several different species of lice can be found in chickens, depending on your geographic location. Lice in chickens chew and bite, but do not actually suck blood from the bird. Still, they can be irritating and cause an unthrifty appearance. Chickens naturally preen their feathers several times during the day, but older, sick or broody birds don’t and can therefore become infested. Lice are host-specific, so if you handle a chicken that has lice, they may crawl on you, but they won’t take up residence. Our body temperatures are far too cold to sustain them for very long. A louse will stay on the bird for its entire life, and it is visible on the skin and feathers. I inspect a bird for lice near the eyes, the mantle feathers (behind the head), and near the vent. Lice are fast, so you need to look quickly. They lay their eggs typically near the vent or the wattles. They look like columns of grayish white eggs huddled in clusters.
Chickens naturally prevent infestations of lice by dust bathing. You can provide your birds a dust bath of soil if they don’t have access to it. Many flock owners also give their birds diatomaceous earth to bathe in. Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. It is naturally abrasive, so the theory is that it will penetrate and damage the body of the louse while the bird is dust bathing in it. However, prolonged inhalation of the siliceous remains of these diatoms can cause lung damage in humans, so it should be used with caution.
Wild birds are naturally infected with lice, so if you are free-ranging your birds they are bound to have lice. However, young, sick, older, or broody birds can be adversely affected by lice. If you feel that your flock’s health is being compromised, there are several louse medications that will successfully treat an infestation. Again, consult a professional before treating your flock.
Scaly leg mite on a mature bird versus normal leg conformation.
Mites are bloodsuckers and can cause weight loss, anemia, and loss of egg production. Some mites are only active at night. They are smaller than lice, typically brownish or red in color and may live in nest boxes, cracks in the walls of the coop, or near the vent, tail, or breast of the birds themselves.
The Scaly Leg Mite (Cnemidocoptes mutans) is an exception. It generally confines itself to the legs of poultry, burrowing under the skin, and giving the scales a rough, grayish appearance. If a severe infestation occurs, it can cause weakness, reduced production and loss of appetite. A tried and true cure for this malady is to treat the infected bird by dipping its legs into a mixture of 1 part kerosene and 2 parts oil, such as mineral, raw linseed, or petroleum jelly. By treating once or twice weekly until the problem is resolved, the mites are suffocated and eventually die. Ivermectin, a parasiticide available at your veterinarian, also kills the mites.
A healthy, barred rock cross struts his stuff at Fat Rooster Farm in Royalton, Vermont.
Victoria Rickard, 7, of Hampton Bays, New York, reacts to placing second with “Snowflake,” her White D’Uccle in the Pee Wee Showmanship Competition. Rickard placed first in the year before, her first time showing chickens.
