Good animal husbandry and welfare is an essential part of keeping chickens. This not only means providing suitable food and housing which must be cleaned out regularly but also observing their behaviour and looking out for signs of disease and seeking veterinary advice if necessary. Taking the time to watch your chickens is part of the fun of keeping them and is a good way of spotting signs of disease early. It is important to worm your hens with Flubenvet (the only licensed product) 2-3 times a year depending on how much space they have. This will keep them stronger to resist bacterial or viral infections.

Disease
Some of the common signs of disease in backyard chickens are:

• Coughing / sneezing / runny eye(s)
• Listless / ruffled feathers/eyes closed
• Decreased egg production / loss of weight (only discoverable by handling)
• Excessive feather loss, except during moult
• Lame leg / dropped wing / loose droppings

Click here for more information on Health & Disease.

Also visit The Country Smallholder. This long-established monthly magazine now includes Practical Poultry and covers all smallholding subjects with advice from experienced keepers and is well worth a subscription.