How can I tell if my chicken is sick?
Chickens can be hard to diagnose, they tend to hide their illness until they are at the point where they no longer can, chickens are flock animals but will pick on and even kill weak members of the flock to ensure flock survival, as such a poorly chicken will try and hide their illness from her flock mates.
If you are worried about your chicken please go to our Health Care Page where there are lots of helpful resources including an interactive health checker.
- There are some signs you can look out for:
- Lethargy, usually a sick chicken will be low on energy and this will show in hunching, staying in one spot and nor moving around.
- Lack of appetite, your hen might have suddenly stopped eating and shows no interest in her normal favourite treats.
- Sneezing, coughing, wheezing, runny eyes or nose, these are all clear signs that something is wrong, it can range from a viral infection like a respiratory issue to mycoplasma, some worm infestations such as Gape Worm can also cause these types of symptoms.
- Sudden change in egg production or even a complete halt in production, if this occurs outside of their normal winter laying break then it can be a sign of something more sinister.
