Keeping Pet Chickens - Health Care

Your chickens should have bright eyes, red comb, dry nostrils, shiny feathers, a good weight, clean feathers under the tail, and an alert and active manner. Lack of feathers could be due to the annual moult (late summer/autumn) on any part of the body.

Missing feathers at the tail could be due to other hens pulling them out due to mineral deficiency or maybe even stress. Lack of feathers on the neck sides may be due to the other hens or the de-pluming mite. Broken and/or missing feathers on the back of the neck and back of the females may be due to over/vigorous attention from the male bird.

Scales on the legs and feet should be smooth and not lifting.  The colour of the legs is a good indicator of whether the chicken is laying. If they are very yellow then she is probably not laying eggs yet.  When you pick your chicken up her body should be plump and firm, but with no flabbiness.  You can examine your chickens eyes and nose to check there are no discharges.

Poultry Spice is a mineral supplement to improve all round condition and performance.  The blend of highly palatable spices will encourage your chickens to eat their ration and so help keep them strong and healthy.  The high mineral content in the Poultry Spice will promote good egg shell quality.  Invaluable to help your chickens get over moult.  Will also help to keep condition on during cold weather.  Easy to use, just add to their daily ration.

Poultry Drink contains a selection of five minerals in a high energy sugar syrup base.  Supports all round condition and health for your chickens.  Ideal to use if your chickens are looking a little off colour.  Particularly of benefit to chickens recovering from a red mite infestation.   Easy to use, just add directly to the clean drinking water or add to their daily ration. 

Chickens can have minor ailments, like colds and runny noses but these are easily treated with a bit of good old-fashioned love and attention.  Most problems occur when many chickens are being kept together or are being neglected. 

Lice:  White build up around the feather base near the vent, in a bad case there could be a build up on feathers as well. The whiteness is lice eggs. If you do find lice eggs around the vent when checking the chicken's health, brush them off and rub vaseline around the area, (sulphur ointment is better than killing lice if the problem persists). To prevent this, dust the nest box with louse powder every week or so. They will not spread to you or other animals!

Poultry Louse Powder: Poultry Louse Powder is a ready to use insecticidal powder for use in animal houses (not on the chicken). Contains Permethrin it will be effective against mites, lice and fleas.  For application to bedding and housing used by infested chickens.  Rapid kill with sustained residual activity.  Use in conjunction with Red Mite Powder.  Poultry Louse Powder is NOT intended for use directly on to your chickens.

Red Mite: Egg production will go down. In a bad case the bird could look a bit pale from blood lost to the little suckers. You will not be able to find any by inspecting your birds during the day as they only crawl onto the birds for a nibble at night. Have a look every month or so for mites in the crevices at the ends of the roosting bars.  

Red Mite Powder: Red Mite Powder will give lasting protection against mites and lice.  Containing a new generation insect repellent, Red Mite Powder can be applied directly onto the chickens.  Simple to use, you apply the powder directly from the shaker over the affected areas of the bird.  Contains p-menthane-3,8-idol.  Use in conjunction with Poultry Louse Powder.  Poultry Louse Powder and Red Mite Powder is available at Scampers.

Scaly Leg:  Symptoms:  Raised and encrusted scales on the legs are an indication of the scaly leg mite. It lives and burrows under the scales and causes intense irritation. It will take a long time, maybe a year, for the legs to look normal as scales grow very slowly but are replaced annually.

Scaly Leg Spray: Barrier Scaly Leg Spray will treat the irritation of Scaly Leg in Poultry. A fully licensed, ready to use insect repellent for use against Cneminidocoptes mutans (Scaly Leg Mite) in Chickens.  Spray directly onto the legs, comb and wattles to soothe, calms and rectify an existing problem and used regularly as a proactive deterrent. Contains 100% natural ingredients that are suitable for use in both intensive and organic farming systems.  Scaly Leg Spray is available at Scampers.

To see our full range of feeds, remedies, feeders and housing, pop into Scampers on the A142 Soham By Pass, between Ely and Newmarket.

Scampers promoting your pets wellness.