Prevention through biosecurity, clean litter, good nutrition, and minimizing stress prevents roughly 80% of flock health problems before they start. This Part is the reference you reach for when one of your birds goes off — a table of the most common ailments by life stage, a no-nonsense first-aid kit, and the biosecurity habits that keep new diseases out of your flock.
None of this replaces a veterinarian for anything serious. But most issues — pasty butt, bumblefoot, scaly leg mites, coccidiosis, a bird that needs electrolytes after a hot afternoon — are handled at home by people who've seen them a few times.
Common Ailments Through the Ages
A quick-reference table of the conditions you're most likely to see, by life stage and cause.
| Condition | Signs | Age risk | Cause / vector | Treatment / prevention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marek's Disease | Paralysis, weight loss, tumours | 4–30 weeks | Herpesvirus; dust/dander | Vaccinate at hatch; biosecurity |
| Newcastle Disease | Respiratory, nervous signs, death | Any age | Paramyxovirus; wild birds | Vaccinate; report (reportable disease) |
| Infectious Bronchitis | Gasping, watery eyes, shell defects | Chicks & layers | Coronavirus; airborne | Vaccine; good ventilation |
| Coccidiosis | Bloody droppings, lethargy, death | 3–8 weeks | Eimeria protozoa; wet litter | Amprolium (Corid); medicated starter feed |
| Fowl Cholera | Swollen wattles, sudden death | Adult | Pasteurella multocida; rodents | Antibiotics; rodent control |
| Avian Influenza | Sudden death, respiratory, swollen face | Any age | Influenza A; wild waterfowl | Biosecurity; report immediately |
| Mycoplasma (CRD) | Rattling breath, swollen sinuses | Adult | Mycoplasma gallisepticum; chronic | Tylosin / oxytetracycline; cull carriers |
| Bumblefoot | Hard black scab on foot pad | Adult layers | Staph; wire floors, obesity | Soaking, debridement, antibiotics |
| Egg Binding | Straining, lethargy, penguin stance | Laying hens | Large egg, calcium deficiency | Warm bath, calcium; vet if stuck >24 h |
| Vent Gleet | Pasty, smelly vent, discharge | Adult hens | Fungal / bacterial dysbiosis | ACV; antifungal wash; probiotics |
| Scaly Leg Mites | Raised crusty leg scales | Adult | Knemidocoptes mites; from wild birds | Petroleum jelly suffocation; ivermectin |
| Lice & Mites | Scratching, pale comb, poor production | Any age | Night mites, feather lice | Diatomaceous earth; pyrethrin dust; weekly inspection |
| Pasty Butt | Dried droppings sealing vent | 0–7 days | Temperature stress; chilling | Warm damp cloth to clear; fix brooder temp |
| Aspergillosis | Gasping, head shaking, sudden death | Chicks & adults | Aspergillus mould; bad bedding | No treatment; prevent with dry litter |
| Worms (Roundworm) | Weight loss, diarrhoea, poor lay | Adult foragers | Soil-transmitted Ascaridia | Fenbendazole (Safeguard); rotate pasture |
| Prolapsed Vent | Pink tissue protruding from vent | High-production hens | Oversized eggs, obesity, genetics | Isolate, clean, push back, dim light; cull if recurrent |
A First-Aid Kit for Every Flock
Keep this on a shelf in the coop shed or near the back door. You do not want to be driving to town looking for Corid at 9 pm when a chick is failing.
- Vetericyn Plus: wound spray — safe around eyes and vents. No rinse needed.
- Corid (amprolium): coccidiosis treatment. Always have this on hand for chicks.
- Safeguard (fenbendazole): broad-spectrum dewormer. Safe and effective. 5 days on, 14-day withdrawal before eating eggs.
- Electrolytes: Sav-A-Chick or similar. For shipping stress, heat, illness.
- Petroleum jelly: scaly leg mite smother; frostbite prevention on combs.
- Epsom salt: warm soaks for bumblefoot, constipation, vent gleet.
- Diatomaceous earth (food grade only): dust bath additive and litter treatment for mite and lice control.
- Probiotic powder (Lactobacillus): add to water after any antibiotic course.
- Isolation pen: separate any sick bird immediately. Many diseases are airborne or fecal-oral.
Biosecurity Basics
Biosecurity is the boring habit that prevents the disaster. Most catastrophic flock losses on homesteads trace back to one or two of the rules below being skipped.
- Quarantine ALL new birds for 30 days in a separate space before any flock contact. No exceptions, even for birds from a friend you trust.
- Change shoes and clothes before entering the coop if you've been around other poultry (fair, swap, neighbour's flock).
- Keep a dedicated pair of coop boots. A small boot dip of dilute bleach at the coop entrance catches what your eyes miss.
- Avoid visiting other flocks during active outbreaks in your region.
- Dead birds: bag and dispose, or burn. Never compost unexplained deaths — they can re-infect your soil and water.
- Wild birds are vectors for avian influenza and Newcastle disease. Cover runs with netting wherever possible, especially during spring and fall migration.
If you see something serious: avian influenza, Newcastle, or sudden die-offs are reportable diseases in Canada. Contact the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) immediately. Early reporting protects every flock in your region, including yours.
From Flock to Table
Raising chickens well is a complete act only when the food reaches the table. Part 6 is the cook's corner of the course — whole roasted chicken, coq au vin from a retired rooster, a proper stock from the carcass, braised thighs, a soul-warming chicken soup, and the schmaltz Ray's grandmother would have recognized. Six recipes that honour the whole bird.
The Homestead Chicken Course · Part 5 of 8