Ascites in backyard chickens isn’t super common, but it’s possible you will come across this condition if you keep chickens. Ascites isn’t really an illness itself. Rather, it’s a symptom that something is wrong with your chicken. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, ascites is when fluid builds up in the peritoneal cavities of a […]

Animal-Assisted Therapy has come into its own in the last decade or so. Marissa Buchanan helps us understand how to start an AAT program with chickens. Response to the Cackle and Purr In the human body, there are all sorts of hormones floating around. Some of these hormones cause stress, while others induce relaxation. Some […]

In the winter months, as the weather turns colder, chicken keepers are forced to keep their birds shut indoors to protect them from adverse weather conditions. Confinement indoors can create conditions, triggering respiratory illness in poultry.   The respiratory systems of chickens are very sensitive to dust and ammonia, too much of either can bring […]

Impacted crop surgery on your chicken sounds scary, but it’s not impossible to perform this surgery. It’s inevitable if you have chickens that you are going to encounter crop issues at some time. The crop, located on the hen’s right side just beneath the skin, is a balloon-like pouch where everything they eat or drink […]

Thyme, oregano, a little vodka…not a recipe for pasta sauce, but herbal treatments from  Amy Fewell for chicken ailments such as bumblefoot, external parasites, and respiratory ailments. Poultry body language can help you recognize the first signs of sickness, and to help them prevent issues from arising. Prevention is key when it comes to keeping […]

To heat or not, predator protection, managing molting, and other alliterative ways to prep your poultry for winter from Elizabeth Mack. Winter is here—if an arctic blast hasn’t surprised you already! While chickens are quite hardy, they do need some special cold-weather management, depending on your location and breed of chicken. Taking a few steps […]

Former GRIT Managing Editor, Kellsey Trimble, sat down with Patricia Foreman and Joe Putnam to discuss the best ways of preventing and treating common flock problems. From pests and predators to illnesses, dietary considerations, and the effectiveness of electric fences, listen as these three converse about the various issues they’ve experienced when raising poultry and […]

In this episode of the Community Chickens Podcasts, Bill Sadler talks chicken nutrition and why pastured poultry are best raised in mobile coops and/or fencing.   Thank you Brinsea for Sponsoring this episode! Our Podcast Guest: Bill Sadler has both technical and personal experience with a broad range of animals and birds. He grew up on a small […]

Turkeys are pretty healthy birds, but they can catch some diseases. Luckily, you can vaccinate your birds for many of them.  Turkey Diseases Turkeys are generally healthy birds. Most backyard farmers will tell you while the birds may be fragile for the first couple of weeks, they grow into robust adults with few health problems. […]

Most fungi are beneficial or harmless, but a few will cause serious health issues in your chickens. Fungi comprise a kingdom of organisms that include molds, mildews, yeasts, and mushrooms. These related organisms share the following characteristics: They have a nucleus, or core. They lack chlorophyll and thus are unable to produce their own food, […]