Feathers are an indication of overall health and condition. They are the visible indicators of other problems: poor diet, parasite infestation, behavioral problems such as aggression.

Omphalitis is a fairly common infection, also known as mushy chick disease or yolk sac infection, and it occurs in the first few days of a bird’s life. It is seen most commonly in artificially hatched eggs and is associated with contaminated eggs or incubators.

To find the best practitioner for your flock, it helps to understand what a poultry veterinarian does, and how this type of veterinarian fits into your homestead life.

While there are nine types of chicken combs recognized, Dr. Brigid McCrea says children and backyard hobbyists who are interested in genetics would find the results of breeding different combs very interesting.

Most backyard poultry keepers rarely give such damage and disease in poultry much thought. Kidney malfunction in poultry may show very few signs until the sudden and final stages when it is often too late to remedy.

Joan had died of an affliction I’d never heard of before but is the most common cause of death in laying hens: fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) or, in plain terms, being severely overweight.