Small Flock

As a prey species, chickens are stoic and typically suppress signs of weakness, including when they are sick. It is difficult to detect sick chickens because they rarely show signs of illness before it becomes severe. Chickens also instinctually hide sickness behavior in the presence of a perceived threat, such as humans, because such behavior tells predators that the ill chicken may be an easy meal (Figure 1; Tizard, 2008). While sickness is mainly associated with pathogenic disease, sickness behavior can also result from injury, nutrient deficiency, and environmental stressors, such as thermal stress. Authors: Ashlyn Snyder, Dr. Jon Moyle, and Dr. Shawna Weimer; Title: Sickness Behavior in Chickens (FS-1178)

The purpose of this extension bulletin is to provide an understanding of what Salmonella is, how it is picked up by birds, and what control strategies can be implemented to reduce its survival and transmission in poultry flocks. Authors: Ashlyn Snyder and Shawna Weimer; Title: Understanding Salmonella; Its Presence and Control in Live Poultry (FS-1137).

Mice and rats are nuisance animals that typically can be found anywhere that poultry are grown. These rodents can spread disease and cause structural damage to your facilities, resulting in economic losses. Rodents are known to carry up to 45 different diseases including leptospirosis, Salmonellosis, fowl pox and erysipelas.

Animal welfare is oftentimes housed under the same umbrella as sustainability because improvements in both are viewed as progress towards the future. In other words, any improvement in animal welfare also improves the sustainability of production or potentially has less impact on the surrounding environment. However, the relationships between poultry production and welfare and the impact of production on the environment are complex and difficult to balance

Crop issues are an occasional problem in small flocks. This fact sheet goes over some of the more common crop ailments and how to deal with them. Authors: Jon Moyle, Mostafa Ghanem, and Maegan Perdue; Title: Common Crop Issues in Backyard Chickens (EBR-60)