How do you know your chickens are healthy?

[CloneFly]

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

It's a very valid fear. And as some pointed out on this thread you can do everything you can to protect them and they'll still get sick. I've only had chickens for 3yrs and have done everything I can to ensure their safety and health (100% predator safe coop, avc in water, oregano, cayenne, basil, etc in the feed, immunity boosters, weekly cleanings, lots of stimulation, attention and love.) And still I've had over 8 birds die, all from a plethora of illnesses/causes and some within a week of each other...

Egg yolk peritonitis, digestive issues, heart attack, cannibalism, swallowed a random BB... and on top of that, it always seems like someone is sick or acting weird. I brought a hen to the vet a few weeks ago because she suddenly couldn't walk and the next day she was fine! Vet said all was well and unless I wanted to spend $300+ on labs, she seemed fit as a horse. Also currently have a bird that will literally starve herself to death uses she's on a steroid... fun fact: chickens dislike needles as much as I do.

Guess the hard lesson is, we can do all we can but it ultimately comes down to the cards handed to us. I'm not saying "fate determines all", but there will always be external factors involved that we have no knowledge of or no way of preventing. What we can do, is care for them in the best way we can, learning all we can, just in case, and not allowing ourselves to be discouraged when the occasional loss does occur... Chicken keeping is very rewarding, but just like anything in life it'll have it's ups and downs. If we always focus on the "what ifs" we'll never be able to enjoy what we have now


Having an mini arsenal of first aid and chicken safe meds on hand does help lower the anxiety factor though

 

[scyllarus]

I have quail. My flock likely has Mycoplasma Gallicum as I've had two birds get swollen sinuses and not recover for weeks (required culling). The rest of the flock of 20ish birds? As far as I can tell, healthy and producing endless eggs.

I've been conflicted about what to do as I've had a lot of poor hatches - which, to be fair, I know MG is passed onto the egg but I haven't heard of it impacting hatch rates - and I don't feel comfortable selling diseased eggs or birds (for hatching/breeding - MG doesn't affect edibility). But on the other hand - MG is a disease that is basically carried forever by birds and can only be symptomatically managed. It's known to be spread by wild birds as well, so I feel it would be a waste to cull my whole covey just for them to catch the disease again.

My solution is just to breed for birds that are resistant to the disease. But that's just what I've decided - I'm open to being told why I'm wrong, haha.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

Spending lots of time hanging out with your flock can help you to identify what behavior is normal and what is sickly. All individual chickens act differently, and you can find illnesses quickly if you notice a certain chicken is not acting as they normally do. When a chicken appears sick, you will be asking yourself questions such as "Does she normally stand like that?" "Is his crop always that big?" "Do they always have combs that color?", and you have to really know your flock well to be able to answer them.

 

[Somshine]

Too bad there isn't a practical way for small flock owners to test all regularly.

 

[Somshine]

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

 

[Momma-Hen-Misti]

I know what you mean. I add apple cider vinegar to the water every few water changes & I use aquasol in the water once or twice a year to ensure they are wormed. Especially if you see dirty bums.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Here's that thread. Looks like maybe no egg withdrawl, depending....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/aquasol-dosing-confusion.1516980/

 

[NatJ]

I know! But then you worry about selling fertile eggs or chicks. My first six I got from a hatchery so I imagine they were vaccinated. The rest I hatched myself or got from a farm a county over. She hatches her own but has gotten several specific breeds by having eggs mailed. This leaves endless possibilities. Seems no way to guarantee your chickens are healthy unless you have them all tested and keep them in separate bubbles immediately afterwards so that if the results are good they'll stay that way.

There are a few diseases that can be transmitted through hatching eggs, but most of the chicken diseases cannot be. So eggs are a bit safer than chicks, and especially safer than older chickens (that have had more time to catch things.)

Too bad there isn't a practical way for small flock owners to test all regularly.

You might look into the NPIP (National Poultry Improvement Plan).
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou...ide/poultry/national-poultry-improvement-plan

That does involve some regular testing for certain diseases (not all diseases, but some.) From what I've read, it seems to be administered at the state level, so it might be a bit different in some states than others. Any time you see people talking about NPIP status, or having an NPIP number, that is what they are referring to. At least some states require it if you want to ship eggs or chicks across state lines (I'm not clear on whether just some states require that, or all of them.)

A number of people on this forum have their flocks NPIP certified, even with small flocks, so that is definitely possible.

I've read that the program was originally set up to deal with some very nasty poultry diseases, that we pretty much never see now (so presumably it did what it was supposed to there.)

 

[Farmgirl283420]

I feel I'm totally a vigilant chicken mama and flock manager and I'm constantly trying to learn but I'm also not rich or a scientist... So I don't know how to grow and make sure it's responsible. And the more research I do the more I realize this is a spectrum. Or more like, a Pandora's box... So I guess you talk to people and decide.

When I first got chickens I was so nervous they would get sick! I raised them inside and then was afraid to move them outside. The first time I took them out one of them ate bird poop and I was extremely upset and worried! After awhile I realized they live outside and you can only do so much so I do what I can and if they get sick I try to help them. I still get worried but not as much as I did at first!

 

[Somshine]

Thank you for that! I wish I could shut my brain off sometimes but such is ADD. I can never hear cool it a little bit in a kind way enough... I grew up with chickens but I didn't manage them, I was a kid. And I've had a handful of egg laying hens for 15 plus years. But this is my first time flocking. My gosh!?!?