What to look for in a healthy bird.

Visit our health section for essential health products and supplements for many of the ailments below.

A healthy chicken will be alert active and generally perky. Their eyes should be bright. Check their legs and in particular their scales on their feet, they should be smooth and show no signs of lifting. Indeed the colour of their legs often indicates whether the chicken is laying. Their legs tend to go pale or white when their laying. To hold the birds they should be plump and firm, they should have a good firm comb often bright red when the chicken is laying.

Check their eyes and nose make sure there are no discharges. Also check the vent which should be clear from any lumps or bleeding.

When you buy a chicken you should make sure that the bird has been vaccinated. Vaccinated birds has a far less risk of ailment and are your best guarantee that they are in good condition. That is not to say that they can suffer from minor ailments similar to colds which are normally self healing within a few days. Problems can occur with many chickens being kept together in confined spaces or if they are neglected.

Some of the ailments you might experience are (but hopefully not):

Worms: there are two types of worms that the birds can get; round and tape. If your flock has either of these types of worm you may see increased hunger in the birds and a drop in their egg production. They may also have diarrhoea. Seek advice from your vet.

Lice: often signified by the buildup of white in the vent. This is caused by the eggs from the lice themselves. The best treatment is to brush them a way and vaseline the area. A good preventative measure is to use a louse powder to dust the henhouse and in particular the next box.

Red Mite: These little mites live in the henhouse in the nooks and crannies and sustain themselves off the blood of chickens. If you find that your hens are particularly reluctant to go into the henhouse at night or that egg production has gone down or that they are looking a little bit pale, this may be because of Red Mite. You can buy effective sprays and other products against red mite.

Northern Mite: Check the vent for an excess of grey black or in bad cases  - a scabby comb, face and wattles. Again, you can buy sprays against Northern Mite also.

Other conditions: There are other conditions at the birds can get in general you should seek advice from your vet and do your own research on the Internet and in the forums. There is a lot of knowledge out there to help you heal an unhealthy bird. With care and attention you can avoid most serious cases of illness.

Moulting: A natural process for the chicken after about a year or so of her life. She will start to lose some of their feathers. This is a required stage during plumage rejuvenation. It will normally take 4 to 6 weeks to complete the process. It is important to ensure that you continue to look after the birds during this period with attention to good food and water as this process is a little draining for the birds. You may expect a drop in egg production during this time.

Relocating birds
Birds are subject to stresses as we all are. If you intend to move your birds either from the place of purchase to your new home or elsewhere, try to make the experience as stressfree as possible. Use plenty of straw and use container boxes with plenty of room. It's often a good idea to temporarily enhance their food intake during these times and shortly afterwards. Some good foods surprisingly include Marmite on toast which provides a great source of vitamins B. Probiotic yoghurts mixed in their layers of mash help their digestive system and to overcome stress. Try to keep your other pets away from new birds initially until they are settled.

Droppings
There is a lot of information to be gathered here. They should be solid and healthy looking. Hens can be prone to diarrhoea as a result of eating too many slugs or worms. If they are young, their faeces may look more wet or yellow than on older birds.