Poultry Care: Healthy Chickens Through Hygiene and Mite Control

Poultry Care: Healthy All Year Round

Good poultry care starts with a daily look at your flock. If you know your chickens, you quickly notice when a hen withdraws, eats less or fluffs up her feathers. A clean coop, dry bedding and a watchful eye on parasites such as the poultry red mite are the basis. Add to that equipment for treating small wounds, taking a temperature and improving hygiene in the coop.

Keeping an Eye on Health

Many problems can be spotted early. A quick health check when you collect the eggs is often enough: are the eyes and nostrils clear, is the comb a healthy red, do the droppings look normal? A thermometer helps if you suspect a fever, and a wound spray deals with small pecking or scratch injuries. If there are serious signs, marked weight loss or several sick birds, the hen needs to see a vet. Vaccinations, for example against Newcastle disease, are also given by the vet.

Mites and Coop Hygiene

The poultry red mite is one of the most common pests in the chicken coop. It hides in cracks and perches during the day and sucks blood at night. Regular checks, thorough cleaning and a dust bath for the chickens are the most important countermeasures. Diatomaceous earth, sprays and concentrates help you with this. A boot dip tray at the coop entrance keeps germs from being carried in when several people enter the coop or you buy in new birds.

Frequently asked questions

How can I tell if a chicken is ill?
Typical signs are fluffed up feathers, a hunched head, a pale comb, diarrhoea and keeping away from the flock. If you separate the bird and watch it more closely, you protect the others at the same time.

How often should I deep clean the chicken coop?
Ideally clean the droppings boards several times a week. A thorough clean with emptying, scrubbing and drying is advisable at least twice a year, and more often if there are mites.

Do backyard chickens need vaccinations?
Which vaccinations or registrations are required in your country is something your vet or the local veterinary authority can tell you. Your vet also knows which vaccination schedule suits your flock.