How to use the sick chook checklist


When you have a sick chook, it can be helpful to observe all its symptoms so a poultry expert or vet can give you the best advice.

Words: Nadene Hall

Birds can pick up all sorts of diseases from their environment. A sick chicken will be listless, crouched over, its feathers will be fluffed up, it will be sitting separate from the rest of the flock and generally looking quite miserable. Unless you are confident you know the cause and it is not infectious, a sick bird should always be quarantined from the flock in a warm place.

There are a large range of diseases that can affect birds, and difficult to narrow down just what the problem is. A lot of owners jump to conclusions – for example, thinking their hen is egg bound is particularly common, but relatively rare – when careful observation may make the answer more clear.

This is NZ Lifestyle Block magazine’s sick chook checklist which can help you to gather information that a more experienced poultry person or vet will find useful.

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