Easy Health Checks

We think it’s great fun to tame your chickens. Not only is it fun and entertaining to have a chicken that will happily perch on your shoulder but it's very useful to be able to easily handle your chickens to carry out regular health checks.

If you tame your chickens from a young age health check are easy

If you tame your chickens from a young age health checks are easy

Carrying out a quick check on your hens daily will allow you to spot any health problems very quickly. This will allow you to manage and deal with the health issue before the problem becomes serious.

Daily Checks

Eyes - Your chicken's eyes should be free from discharge, fully open, and bright.

Comb - The comb should be firm, and a bright red if the chicken is in lay. Younger chickens will have paler combs.

Droppings - The droppings should be firm and dark brown with white on them. 10% of their droppings will be sloppy. This is perfectly normal and is just a sign that your chickens gut is cleaning itself.

Feathers - Unless in moult your chickens feathers should be shiny and full. If there are any bald patches or the feathers look unkempt then this could be a sign of problem.

Crop - The crop should be empty in the morning when you first let your chickens out. If the crop is full at this time is could indicate a blocked crop.

Legs And Feet - You should check the scales on the legs and feet. They should be smooth and not lifting. If they are this could be an indication of scaly legs.