Question: How can I check the health of my chickens?

If you use your basic stockman’s skills and your senses, a visit to the poultry house will provide a wealth of information regarding the health and management of the chickens.

LOOK

As you enter the poultry house, especially where young birds are being housed, observe the distribution of the chicks/chickens:

• If there’s an even spread throughout the house, conditions are favourable.
• Chickens up to 21 days old huddle when they’re cold.
• Chickens collect in cooler areas when it’s hot and either stand or lie down and gasp.
• Draughts make chicks collect in draught-free areas.
• Crowding at feeders or drinkers indicate insufficient feed or water.
• An absence of feathers in the house could mean that the chickens are feather pecking.

LISTEN

• Chicks chirp continually when they feel uncomfortable.
• Snicking, either mild to heavy and wet, indicate an upper respiratory tract problem. This could be a reaction to a Newcastle vaccine application.
• A heavy wet snick could develop as a result of a field challenge by diseases such as Newcastle disease, infectious bronchitis, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, Coryza or even Infectious laryngotracheitis.
• Chicks/chickens that have been chilled could also develop a snick.

SMELL

• If you feel comfortable sitting in the house, the chickens should also be comfortable.
• Crouch down so you will breath in air at the same level as the chickens.
• Excessive dust irritates the respiratory system and contains numerous Escherichia coli bacteria that will result in secondary bacterial infections if there’s any inflammation in the respiratory system.
• Ammonia is a dangerous gas. By the time you can smell it, damage to the upper respiratory system of the chickens will have occurred.
• Litter management and good house ventilation are critical in combating this problem.
• Drinker management is also involved, as water spillage causes wet litter.
• Smell and taste the feed – musty feed could indicate the presence of mycotoxins, which can cause poor weight gain.
• Old, stale feed wouldn’t contain sufficient levels of water-soluble vitamins, and this could result in deficiencies.
• Check for excessive salt content by taste; it causes wet droppings.
• Smell and taste the water – note that high chlorine levels could result in decreased water intake; even kidney damage.

Also read:
Egg production: On draughts and egg laying problems
Poultry production: Raising broiler chickens without electricity
Poultry production: Vaccines – Newcastle disease

• This article was written by dr. Mick Versfeld and first appeared in Farming SA.