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.