Chicken Health Essentials
Firstly, your chicken doesn't need that much so don't panic. It is worth getting the following though, especially if you have a larger flock
Flea / Mite Powders - The birds natural way to prevent mites is to dust bathe. My bantams spend all day (when it's dry) rolling in the muck! However, sometimes I still need to dust everything with mite powder, especially as we have around 100 birds.
Nail Clippers - generally they'll be ok, but if their nails get too long they will need trimming. I have a pair of rabbit nail clippers. Make sure you trim the tips only - otherwise you could hurt the bird and it could get infected.
Anti-septic spray (We bought some last time as we took 20 ex-battery hens and the poor things needed anti-septic where they had pecked each other.) Its a good thing to have in just in case
Grit / Sand - chickens use this in place of teeth to aid digestion. You can buy oyster grit readily, although if you're birds are free range in a garden they can probably find enough grit themselves.
If you're eggs start to soft or very brittle then try baking your old egg shells until really crisp, grind them in a bowl and put them in with the feed. It ensures good quality eggs, and is natural to the birds.
WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER - a chicken can die very quickly of de-hydration. You don't need anything special, just so long as the birds have access to clean water in plentiful amounts, all the time. Don't worry so much about in the coop over night as the chickens will sleep, but from dawn till dusk minimum they need water. I have various tubs and pots all over the garden, washing up bowls, seed trays, clean litter trays, the bottom of a hamster cage...... I've found that over kill means the birds always have water, and that's what's important!
Clean food systems - otherwise the chickens will poo in their food! I keep meaning to get some feed containers for my chooks, but I've got a length of guttering - about 3 meters long (ish) and it suits as a fine feed trough. The birds can stand side by side without squabbling, and because there is a long length, all of my birds can feed from it at once. I have one of these in each of my chicken pens.
Some specific health issues I've come across, if you have any specific problems, give me an email
- While typically chickens are limited in their problems, there are a couple of things i've found it's useful to know.
1. What to do when birds get impacted crops - typically when the birds munch down on long grass they can get it all tangled in their crops. This can be nasty, turn into sour crop and could cause problems.
If you are keeping a few birds, its good practice to handle them daily, check their crops (top of the breast, bottom of the neck) and make sure it's not hard. You probably wont get this, but if it's bulgy and you're worried, take away the food for all but 10 minutes a day, give plenty of grit, water and apple cider vinegar (ACV is a pro biotic and will help digest the crop problem, and helps their gut too) and massage the crop. I have found that catch this early enough, and this is enough to fix the problem. If it's more persistent, seek out attention from a vet or an experience poultry farmer.
2. Lice, Mites and Worms
Well, this is inevitable really. Worming is always a good idea, also making sure they have fresh food and water, and their beds are cleaned regualry will prevent this, or at least reduce the problem. If you have a large grazing area, rotate it so they have access to some one week, then a different area a week later - this way nature gets rid of the bugs while the grass recovers, then they can go back.
Mites - use some good all round lice/flea/mite powders available from pet stores, countrywide stores etc. (will be available from here in the new year)
Leg mites - use lice/mite sprays, powders etc. then rub legs with vaseline to stop them getting scaley legs.
In general, keep their area clean and use feeders and drinkers that can't be pood in by other birds! This will also prevent things like pigeons pinching and contaminating their feed and water supplies!
3. Colds
Who'd have thought chickens caught colds! Well, we lost Za Za to cold... it was gutting! If you have non-hardy birds, especially small, fluffy, or breeds with very low legs and large feathers then try to keep them warmer over winter, and don't let them out if it's wet and muddy. You can build very easily with a gravel / paved floor a covered run for them for days when it's wet and muddly as they shouldn't be out on wet grass. Or invest in a green house / polytunnel and keep them in there when it's nasty weather.
4. Mycoplasma - Chronic Respiratory Disease
Well, I'd not come across this before, but a little while back I lost a few birds to this. The incubation period is 6 - 10 days (thankfully, my new birds all go into a quaratine pen for 2 weeks, otherwise it could have alot worse!). The bird gets a chesty cough and conjunctivitus. It sounds like a child with a rattly cough. Solution? well, I lost 5 birds and was gutted! Tetracyline is one of the anti-biotics used to treat this illness. An infected bird may carry the disease and it can be brought out by stress, poor weather, general ill health etc. If you suspect your bird has this, quaratine him somewhere warm for 2 weeks. If symptoms persist for a few days, speak to your local farm vet. There is an injection - 1ml of tetracycline and the bird will hopefully recover. I paid £15 for the consultation fee, then £3.00 for the injection. If you don't wish to treat the sick bird, keep him quarantined until he's healthy. (Or kill the bird to protect the rest of the flock). If you suspect it it is imperative you quarantine the bird, it is better to lose 1 or 2 birds than all of them!
Disinfecting the equipment and coops will help prevent this, also, injecting new birds when you introduce them to the flock may be viable (especially if you have expensive and rare birds!)
I AM NOT A VET - FOR MEDICAL ADVISE SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP - I CAN ONLY SPEAK FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE
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