Most introductory chicken manuals fail in their attempt to describe the 1,001 diseases, maladies and afflictions that sometimes befall our friend, the chicken. I will hit on the most common, but certainly many more are out there, and you should continue to do your research and, of course, visit your veterinarian whenever a concern arises.
PREVENTING PROBLEMS
It’s infinitely easier to keep chickens healthy than to doctor them after the fact, and in most cases, keeping them healthy isn’t at all difficult. To keep healthy, bright-eyed chickens, begin with healthy, bright-eyed chickens.
BUY FROM RELIABLE SOURCES. Don’t stock your coop with someone else’s rejects or bedraggled bargain fowl picked up at country swap meets. Instead, consider starting with day-old chicks from reputable hatcheries.
PROVIDE SUITABLE QUARTERS. They needn’t be fancy,…