How do you know your chickens are healthy?

[Somshine]

I mean of course it's obvious when a chicken is sick. But you hear about these diseases they could carry and that are so contagious and can be carried by wild birds and so on and so on. So what if all your chickens appear perfectly healthy but have something? Seems like having a whole flock tested once or twice a year would be quite pricey. But how else would you know if nobody has any symptoms?

 

[SandyRiverChick]

It's a really valid question because if you're on BYC you're reading about quite the plethora of issues and if you're me you're thinking, how am I never dealing with this stuff, shouldn't I be? Shouldn't my chickens be sick from all sorts of issues? Well it's really just that alot of people are here seeking solutions to problems and a whole lot more are either not on here because all is well or they're on here doing other stuff because all is well. I've had chickens for 20 years. I've had a grand total of 3 health issues in 20 years (Cocci, bumblefoot, respiratory.) Chances are really good that your chickens are healthy and will stay that way. I've never ever dealt with the majority if issues I see on here. Like what is Vent gleet, um water belly? other things I've seen and I don't even know what it is.... hasn't happened to me.....

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Wow, no offense but I just don't over analyze like that. Everyone is different and I have a bestie that is consumed by analysis. Just seems to me to be so much work. Guess I'm lazy. I prefer to throw caution to wind... Carpe Diem... y know... The wild birds constantly fly in and out of my run and eat chicken food. Yet my stats are awesome... I'm not worried about a thing.

 

[Somshine]

I mean what if you had your flock tested and everybody was good but two months later wild birds bring it in. The more you read about this stuff and things that can be passed through the egg and things that can live in the ground for years or in the birds with no symptoms the more it feels overwhelming. If these things are so contagious and long-lasting and there are wild birds everywhere seems like all birds would have it. Then even if you tested your flock and they were fine could they not pick it up a week later? Seems impossible to know unless birds start dying. And then the Mareks vaccination doesn't do anything but suppress symptoms which seems adverse to keeping spread down...Maybe I just need to stop reading about this stuff lol

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I guess my approach is about odds... Like people see airplanes in the news and decide it's not safe to fly. YET what are the odds of getting hurt via plane travel as compared to auto/motorcycle, etc. So what are the actual statistics on disease? I'm just going to assert that chances are slim enough to make me not worried.

 

[Australorpfamily]

Wow, no offense but I just don't over analyze like that. Everyone is different and I have a bestie that is consumed by analysis. Just seems to me to be so much work. Guess I'm lazy. I prefer to throw caution to wind... Carpe Diem... y know... The wild birds constantly fly in and out of my run and eat chicken food. Yet my stats are awesome... I'm not worried about a thing.

I agree, no offense to those who do worry, but if I worried about that there would be ten thousand more things to do so and I'd never have a life.

Like currently we have a hen with a crop/reproductive issue and are doing everything we can for her but it seems like nothing is helping, and she's a favorite, just a bit slower

 

[Acre4Me]

Well nothing presently. Just reading about all of these diseases and what deadly, ridiculously contagious creepers they can be. So far I've hatched chickens to keep but if I were to sell fertile eggs or chicks (or even thin a few young layers) I would want to know I wasnt risking other people's flocks. There just doesn't seem to be a way to assure that unless you've got a lot of time and money.

Currently I have 2 pregnant goats. I bought them locally 1.5 years ago, and invited a buck to stay for a short while (from same farm I purchased the does from). They are due soon. So, naturally, I’m reading up on goat birth, kids and kid care, and some of this learning is coming from goat related fb pages. Honestly, reading those pages -where folks come to ask questions and advice-makes one think “how in the world do goats even survive?” Well, they have for millennia, I just have to remind myself of that and keep all the good learning. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the bad.

Chickens: I’ll second NPIP for you. It is required for shipping any chicks. But selling locally, it is not required.

We finally have our run completely covered. The chickens are allowed to roam outside of the pen occasionally. But, by excluding wild birds, we haven’t had mites or lice! If your chicken area has never had chickens or other animals then it is unlikely to harbor chicken diseases. If you source your chickens from quality NPIP places, you most likely will have good stock.

 

[Australorpfamily]

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Well I'm just wondering, say for instance wild birds, are the ones that appear healthy really just asymptomatic? Then you think about herd immunity and wonder what's more likely, or even what's better. The immunity of a landrace or the possibility of untouched chickens

I Think the only way to help minimize issues is biosecurity. Things happens, and not everything is foolproof, but the better biosecurity the safer they are. But then there are issues that present that have no baring on vaccines or wild birds.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Make sure you check out how long you have to toss your eggs if you use Aquasol. I can't remember but I know that I read that on here a while back.

 

[TooCheep]

My opinions: specifically about bird flu. Take them for what they are worth. I've included a bunch of links (mostly from the CDC and USDA) to support my points. If they make sense to you, you might get some real value:
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If you are worried about the sudden rise in government/media hyperventilating about HPAI/H5N1/Highly pathogenic avian flu, the single best answer is to turn off the TV. All of the scaremongering is based on one person who got bird flu... from a cow. His primary symptom... pink eye.

Want to know how you recognize it in your flock? Most of your flock will be dead within 48 hours, often with very visible symptoms pre-death. It doesn't get any easier than that. Want to be sure your eggs are safe? Put them on a rotation and don't eat them until they are several days or a week old. Any laid several days ago and your birds aren't dying cannot have any traces of HPAI in them.

HPAI is a real thing, but the current media scaremongering sounds exactly like 4 years ago. Remember when they said Covid had a 3.4% fatality rate, but it turned out to be well under 1%? Be afraid! You have no control. Be afraid! Be afraid!

So take control. Use appropriate measures to protect yourself and your flock. Even if your birds end up sick, the odds of you getting sick as a result are very low (but not 0%). HPAI has been detected a number of times in the wild, in backyard flocks and in commercial operations in the US, but only one human has contracted it that way to date. There is no absolute protection, but living in fear and depression is definitely not the right answer.

Here is another way to look at it:
-Average deaths per year from bee/hornet/wasp stings in the US: about 70.
-Average deaths per year from HPAI in the US: 0.00 (2 infections in 3 years)

The USDA has some good info on how to recognize the disease and protect your flock.