Death Comes to Call

Jennifer Green Sullivan

April 9, 2018

Last week, my daughter found our Sultan hen dead inside our smallest coop. She had been our favorite and the gentlest chicken. We had showered Sookie with love since bringing her home, and I must admit that it was tough to prepare to bury her with my husband and kids.

A mourning period has no place in chicken rearing because I need to find out what made her sick and protect my flock from further disease. Since her death, I have researched many illnesses that chickens are prone to suffer from, and I realize that I need to better recognize a sick bird. Some signs and symptoms of sickness in chickens are:

1. Comb Issues

A chicken’s comb can reveal so much about its health. If your chicken’s comb is pale, limp, warm, or has sores, there are health concerns to examine. First, a chicken could have an enlarged comb that is very warm. These traits can mean a fever due to an infection or virus. On the other hand, combs that are limp or pale could signal sickness as well.

2. Respiratory Problems

Chickens with breathing difficulties exhibit symptoms of a viral or bacterial infection. How would I recognize these problems? Signs and symptoms of respiratory illnesses are: sneezing, sniffling, running nose, and watering eyes. Unfortunately, respiratory illnesses are CONTAGIOUS.

3. Feather Concerns

When beloved birds lose feathers outside of molting, those birds could be ill. Broody hens will pluck their breast feathers, and chickens who are bullying other members of the flock can pluck out targeted chicken’s feathers. However, parasites cause the infected chicken’s feathers to fall out. It is possible that chickens can suffer from lice or red mites.

4. Dropping Changes

A sick chicken will also exhibit changes in its excrement. Diarrhea is NEVER normal in your flock. Diarrhea has many causes; such as: drinking too much water, suffering from worms, or exhibiting symptoms of intestinal disease.

5. Appetite Decreases

Sick chickens will have a decrease in appetite. Any animal who will not eat is a SICK animal.

6. Laying Halts

A hen may stop laying for several reasons. One issue could be that an egg is stuck in the vent. A trapped egg will cause death to the hen. In addition to a trapped egg, a hen will stop laying due to environmental changes like temperature extremes and lack of food or water. On the other hand, diseases will also cause a hen to stop laying eggs. Keep a close eye on egg production when trying to monitor sickness in your flock.

7. Wing Worries

Sometimes sick birds will have droopy wings along with signs of tremors or strange neck and head movements. Watch your flock for these symptoms. All aforementioned symptoms can warn of serious illness. My upcoming blog post will discuss how to treat symptoms and care of ill birds.

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