Enteritis in Chickens and Other Poultry

Good gut health keeps your poultry going.

Enteritis in Chickens and Other Poultry

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Learn to spot enteritis in chickens and other poultry to help them maintain good gut health.

By Dr. Stephenie Slahor.

Gut health in poultry keeps your birds safer from infections and bacteria.

Watch TV any evening and you’re likely to see an ad about medicines and supplements for the amazing body biome we call our digestive system. When food travels from the stomach to the small and large intestines, it enters a realm of millions of bacteria, most are good, and some are bad. The process of going through the intestines is to draw out the nutrition, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and even the waste from the food we eat. Prebiotics, probiotics, and fiber are touted in those ads to help keep our bowels working just right, with good “flora.”

Causes and Symptoms of Enteritis

Lots of conditions can wreak havoc on our digestion, and among these is enteritis — a type of infection that can cause inflammation of the small intestine, stomach, and/or large intestine. It can be the result of harmful viruses or bacteria, inflammatory conditions, improper food handling/ cooking, certain medicines and illegal drugs, and even poor blood flow. It manifests itself in a variety of individual, but definitely unpleasant, ways including fever; vomiting; nausea; diarrhea; cramps; steady or creeping pain in the bowels, lower body, and/or stomach; noisy “growls” in the stomach or intestines; a loss of appetite; overall weakness; lethargy; thirst; dark/smelly urine; and even dizziness!

Now, with that background, start thinking about your flock’s digestive systems. Yes, quail, turkeys, ducks, pheasants, grouse, pigeons, geese, and chickens are all subject to possible enteritis. And now that you know the symptoms that occur in humans, stretch that knowledge to your flock. Are they inactive? Are they not eating? Are they having mobility problems such as being uncoordinated or staggering, or standing still too much? Do they look sleepy? Are their heads drooping? Do they have loose feces or caked fecal material around their vents? Are they losing weight? A call to the veterinarian may be in order but know that you can help prevent some problems by keeping clean premises, controlling mosquitoes, providing room for movement and exercise, hatchery sanitation, clean drinking water/feeders/equipment, and isolation of infected birds.

How Enteritis Manifests in Poultry

Ducks: Enteritis may cause weakness, but also sudden death or death of egg embryos.

Quail: Prone to viral enteritis, resulting in higher mortality than other bird species. Those that survive might become carriers of the virus. Cleanliness of the living quarters of any birds is important, but quail especially need clean ground, or wire or slat floors. Keep your young and new stock isolated from your recovered quail. Let infected ground stand unused for up to two years.

Turkeys: Enteritis can manifest in just 2 or 3 days, and the flock will be lethargic. Diarrhea will occur, followed by dehydration and weight loss. Medication might have to be added to the water rather than feed because infected turkeys may not want to eat. Good shelter and even supplemental heat may be necessary and, of course, keep new stock isolated from the recovered turkeys.

Chickens: Enteritis can result from too much protein in the diet (especially animal by-product protein), too much fat, and damage to the mucosa in the intestine. Some causes can be traced to mosquitoes carrying encephalitis. A few birds get infected, but if they peck other birds, they may transmit the disease to them.

Good animal husbandry is the key to good flock health. Keep alert to changes in behavior, fecal health, and any need for better sanitation. Your vet can prescribe medications appropriate for the water or feed to help keep the flock free of harmful bacterial or viral infections.

Glossary of Terms

  • Animal Byproducts — animal parts not used for human food such as skin, blood, horn, hooves, bones, offal, shells, or manure.
  • Borborygmy — “growling” body noise caused by the moving of water, food, or gas through the intestines. Although normal and natural, it can signal infection, inflammation, disease, stress, food allergy, or eating too fast or too much.
  • Encephalitis — a bacterial or viral infection affecting brain tissue.
  • Enteritis — inflammation of the small intestine usually caused by microbes that contaminate food or liquid. Related conditions are: Gastritis (affects the stomach), gastroenteritis (stomach and small intestine), colitis (large intestine), and enterocolitis (small and large intestine).
  • Enzymes — a catalyst of bodily protein for converting biochemical products needed by the body.
  • Fiber — plant material that resists digestion and digestive enzymes.
  • Gut Biome — digestive tract organisms that metabolize food, enhance immunity, and resist infection. (Also known as gut flora or gut microbiota.)
  • Inflammation — a usually beneficial bodily response to injury or infection, but can become too chronic for good health. Anti-inflammatory foods include whole grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, fish, poultry, and olive oil.
  • Large Intestine — the wider, but shorter portion of the intestines that controls water resorption and feces formation.
  • Mucosa — mostly produced in the gastro-intestinal tract, this secretion protects the linings of body membranes.
  • Prebiotics — non-digestible, robust food compounds benefitting the good bacteria in the digestive tract, like “fertilizer” for those bacteria.
  • Probiotics — live microorganisms that benefit gut microbes.
  • Small Intestine — the portion of the intestinal system between the stomach and the colon/large intestine, and the main area for digestion of food into molecules that can be absorbed into the body.
  • Vent — the external opening for the rectum or cloaca.

STEPHENIE SLAHOR, Ph.D., J.D., is a writer and lecturer. Coming from a farm and ranch background, she has enjoyed the company of cattle, sheep, goats, horses, mules, donkeys, chickens, geese, turkeys, ducks, tortoises, rabbits, dogs — although not necessarily all of them present at the same time! Her hobbies include travel, snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, horse/mulemanship, rockhounding, and the natural sciences. And she is a member of the Lions Club — although hasn’t (yet) kept lions!


Originally published in the June/July 2023 issue of Backyard Poultry magazine and regularly vetted for accuracy.

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