When you raise chickens for commercial purposes, homesteading, or as backyard pets, chicken illness prevention and treatment is an important topic to know about. There are various diseases that can affect chickens and have devastating effects on the health of your flock.
By understanding the different diseases and clinical signs to look out for, you can help keep your flock healthy and protected against them.
8 Common Chicken Illnesses: Signs and Treatment
1. Avian Influenza
Signs and Symptoms
Avian influenza (yes the one that always makes the news!), also known as “bird flu”, is a viral infection that affects wild birds and domesticated poultry.
The main symptoms of this disease are a decline in egg production, lethargy, discolored combs (usually purple or blue), and respiratory issues. It can spread rapidly between flocks and can become fatal very quickly, leading to high mortality rates.
There are several different strains of avian influenza, but the HPAI strain is associated with a high mortality rate of 90-100% often within just 48 hours of the infection.
Treatment
It can be challenging to treat avian influenza because there is no specific antiviral treatment for the virus itself. Treatment generally includes supportive care, isolation to avoid the spread of the virus, and antibiotics.
Chickens can have a much better chance of recovery if the infection is caught early. That’s why it’s important to take your chicken to a vet right away if you notice any signs of avian influenza. However, even with treatment, there’s no guarantee that a chicken will successfully recover from this disease.
2. Newcastle Disease
Signs and Symptoms
Newcastle disease is a highly contagious viral disease that affects wild birds and domestic poultry (aka your pet chicken). It’s caused by the Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV), also called Avian Paramyxovirus (APMV).
There are different strains of NDV, and each one can cause different symptoms depending on whether they attack the nervous, respiratory, or digestive system.
The most common signs of this disease are uncoordinated movements (ataxia), making the chickens seem unbalanced when they walk. Other signs include abnormal head positions, like tilting, and either partial or complete paralysis of the wings or legs.
To see birds impacted by NDV, here is a video that compares it to H5N1.
Please note the video above may be disturbing for lovers of our feathered friends.
Treatment
Unfortunately, there is no specific cure for the Newcastle Disease Virus. It is often fatal even with supportive care and antibiotics. Catching the disease early and isolating the ill chickens from the rest of the flock is important to prevent it from spreading. There are also vaccinations that can protect chickens against this disease.
3. Fowl Cholera
Signs and Symptoms
Fowl cholera is a highly contagious bacterial disease caused by a gram-negative bacteria known as Pasteurella multocida. Chickens can suffer from either the acute or chronic form, which causes different symptoms.
The acute form of fowl cholera has a higher survival rate with clinical signs that include fevers, lethargy, white or greenish mucus discharge, respiratory distress, and anorexia.
The chronic form causes signs of a localized infection, such as swelling, inflammation, abscesses, and secondary respiratory infections.
Treatment
According to PoultryDVM, the chronic form of fowl cholera may last up to four weeks and can sometimes persist for years even after proper treatment. Treatment usually involves antibiotics such as penicillin, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines, but there is still a possibility that the disease will reoccur after the medication is stopped.
4. Coccidiosis
Signs and Symptoms
Coccidiosis is a fatal protozoal disease that causes diarrhea, decreased egg production, and weight loss in chickens. The coccidiosis parasites infect the intestines, leading to severe damage to the intestinal lining and impairing proper nutrient absorption.
Other common signs of this disease are pale or discolored comb and skin around the eyes, along with huddling behavior due to feeling cold.
Treatment
Treatment typically involves antibiotics to control secondary infections and anticoccidial medications to kill the coccidia parasites. These medications include Amprolium and sulfonamides, antibiotics such as amoxicillin and tylosin, along with water-dispersible vitamin A and K supplements.
As I’m sure you do, please check with your vet before you give medicine to your pet chickens.
5. Infectious Coryza
Signs and Symptoms
Infectious coryza is an acute, sometimes chronic, respiratory disease that affects the upper respiratory tract of chickens. It causes excessive nasal and eye discharge, sneezing, lethargy, facial swelling, conjunctivitis, and a 10-40% drop in egg production. Often there is edema (swelling) of the face, wattles, and sinuses as well.
Uncomplicated infections are rarely fatal, but co-infections with other viruses and bacteria can be.
Treatment
Treating infectious coryza involves a combination of antibiotics, supportive care (adjusting diet and living conditions), and preventative measures. Antibiotics are the primary form of treatment, including (deep breath) erythromycin, dihydrostreptomycin, streptomycin, sulfonamides, tylosin, and fluoroquinolones to combat bacterial infection.
As with all illnesses infected chickens should also be isolated from the rest of the flock to prevent the spread of this disease. Infectious coryza is an especially contagious disease, so act fast.
If you have any concerns, isolate first then call your vet!
6. Marek’s Disease
Signs and Symptoms
Marek’s disease is a highly contagious viral disease with no known cure and a high mortality rate. It’s caused by a form of the herpes virus that leads to cancer growing throughout the chicken’s body. This cancer affects the organs, feather follicles, and organs.
The main symptoms include tumors in various organs, blindness, wing, neck, leg paralysis, and irregularly shaped pupils.
Treatment
Unfortunately, even with proper treatment, up to 90% of chickens with Marek’s disease do not recover. Even if they do manage to recover, they will still be life-long carriers of the virus and must be isolated from healthy chickens to avoid infecting them.
There is no known cure for this disease, but the treatment involves dietary supplements like sodium butyrate to impede the lymphoma caused by Marek’s disease, along with metyrapone to control the lymphoma regression.
7. Fowl Pox
Signs and Symptoms
Fowl pox is not to be confused with chicken pox, a human disease caused by a different virus. Instead, fowl pox is a viral disease affecting chickens and other birds and is caused by the avian poxvirus.
It’s one of the most common chicken illnesses and manifests as either dry pox, characterized by wart-like lesions on areas without feathers such as wattles and combs, or as wet pox, which affects the throat, mouth, and respiratory tract.
Treatment
According to the University of Florida, there is no treatment for fowl pox. Vaccines are used as a preventative measure to protect chickens against this disease. It’s administered from as young as 12-16 weeks and is the only effective way to prevent fowl pox.
However, antibiotics can be used to treat and control secondary infections, and supportive care through strict hygiene practices can help prevent the lesions from becoming infected and developing secondary infections.
8. Botulism
Signs and Symptoms
Botulism is one of the most life-threatening diseases caused by a neurotoxin botulinum produced by Clostridium botulinum. Infection occurs orally when chickens eat infected food, carcasses, or maggots living in infected carcasses.
To make this disease even more serious, botulism spores can be found everywhere, including in dust, soil, and untreated water.
Botulism causes symptoms like paralysis of the neck, uncoordinated movements, drooping eyelids, and difficulty breathing and standing, followed by rapid death from respiratory and cardiac failure.
Treatment
There is no effective treatment for botulism infections in chickens and it has a very low survival rate. Activated charcoal can be administered by a veterinarian twice a day for the first 24 to 48 hours to help absorb some of the toxins in the digestive tract.
Antitoxin can be used in severe cases to neutralize the botulinum toxin. Some chicken owners also used homeopathic remedies like Carbo veg (30C) or Nux vomica (30C) for supportive treatment.
3 Chicken Illness Prevention Tips
Prevention is always more effective than trying to treat common chicken illnesses.
So, here are my top three chicken illness prevention tips you can follow to keep your flock healthy and disease-free:
Tip #1: Vaccinations
I strongly recommend getting your chickens vaccinated at the appropriate ages to help prevent them from becoming ill with any of the diseases I have discussed in this article. They are the most effective way to keep your chickens safe and protected. Think about what we know from the diseases above. Chicken diseases can be way more harmful and potentially even fatal than a few necessary vaccines.
It can also help prevent the severity of an outbreak, which is important for protecting the rest of the flock. If you have young kids like me, waking up to sick birds (or worse) is something nagging in the back of your mind.
Vaccines work by stimulating the birds’ immune systems to recognize and combat specific pathogens. When chickens are vaccinated, their immune systems produce antibodies and memory cells that can effectively fight off the actual pathogens if they are exposed to them in the future.
It’s best to speak with an avian veterinarian about the types of vaccinations your chickens require and whether booster shots are necessary in the future for full protection.
Tip #2: Proper Care and Diet
Proper care and a balanced diet can help prevent certain diseases by strengthening the immune system and improving overall health. A balanced diet ensures that chickens receive the necessary vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients to fight off infections.
Maintaining a clean coop can help prevent exposure to pathogens and parasites that could cause diseases.
Tip #3: Isolation and Biosecurity Measures
If you suspect that one of your chickens is ill, then it’s important to immediately isolate them from the rest of the flock. This helps to reduce the spread of possible disease and protects healthy members of the flock.
Always use different supplies for the isolated chicken and thoroughly sanitize any items they come into contact with to prevent cross-contamination between the isolated and healthy chickens.
Keep An Eye on Your Pet Chickens
If you suspect your chickens are showing signs of diseases or seem in poor health, immediately taking them to a veterinarian (or getting a vet to come to you if needed) and isolating them from the rest of the flock can significantly reduce the spread of the disease.
Regularly doing health checks on your flock can help you catch common chicken illnesses early and potentially give your chicken the best chance of a proper recovery, rather than letting it progress into the severe and possibly fatal stages.
With a proactive approach to chicken illness prevention and treatment, you can ensure the health and well-being of your flock.
Addressing Your Concerns: Chicken Disease FAQs
Q: I'm worried about my chickens getting sick. What are the most common diseases I should be looking out for?
Some common chicken diseases include Avian Influenza, Newcastle Disease, Coccidiosis, and Marek’s Disease. These diseases can cause various symptoms like lethargy, respiratory issues, diarrhea, and even paralysis. Regular observation of your flock and seeking veterinary advice at the first sign of illness is crucial.
Q: How can I prevent my chickens from getting sick in the first place?
Prevention is key! Vaccinating your chickens against common diseases like Marek’s and Newcastle Disease is highly recommended. Providing a balanced diet, maintaining a clean coop, and implementing good biosecurity practices (like isolating sick birds) can significantly reduce the risk of disease outbreaks.
Q: What should I do if I suspect one of my chickens is sick?
If you notice any unusual symptoms in your chickens, such as lethargy, decreased appetite, or respiratory issues, isolate the affected bird immediately from the rest of the flock. Contact an avian veterinarian for proper diagnosis and treatment. Early intervention can significantly improve the chances of recovery and prevent the spread of disease to other birds.
