Watch for signs of Avian Flu
Feb. 7, 2025 — Here’s what I’m watching for in my back yard flock when it comes to avian flu. From the American Veterinary Medical Association, watch for:
Sudden death
Low energy or appetite
Purple discoloration or swelling of body parts
Reduced egg production or soft/misshapen eggs
Nasal discharge, coughing or sneezing
Lack of coordination
Diarrhea
If you have chickens, you know some one these are easier to notice than others — and some are more common. The purple discoloration and body part swelling is one of the symptoms I’ve never run into before with any other chicken diseases. I’ll definitely be watching for this symptom.
During the winter, it’s usual for egg production to go down. It’s not unusual for my older hens to have a few misshapen eggs when they first get back to laying in the spring. Temperature stress (too high or too low on the thermometer) or molting can affect egg production as well.
Soft shells on the eggs typically means that I haven’t fed them enough oyster shells. Though, if they eat too many oyster shells it can lead to strange bumps and ridges on the eggs until the calcium levels out.
Coughing or sneezing can be normal. I have one hen in particular that sneezes large chicken ah-choo’s during mealtimes. It’s pretty adorable, though I think it would be shocking for someone who hasn’t heard it for the last three years. It’s important to note what’s in a normal range for a bird.
Diarrhea can be caused by a great many things, including illness. I usually feed my birds cucumbers in the heat of the summer to help them keep up with hydration. With so many cucumbers to munch, and so much heat, there’s usually some diarrhea, but it typically clears in a day or so.
I’ve found lack of coordination, low energy and low appetite to be signs of imminent death.
Any time there’s been a sudden death, I’ve gotten a necropsy (an animal autopsy) to make sure the hen wasn’t contagious. The University of Georgia has necropsy services as does the Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network.
Even if a hen dies suddenly and it’s not avian flu, a necropsy can help you protect the rest of your flock.
I have a tendency to over-feed my hens. I love them and give them too many treats. There was a time when I would buy microwave popcorn just to eat half and then share the other half with my chatty feathered friends. I cut out the popcorn with the first necropsy report. With the second hen’s death coming from too many calories, I stopped feeding them stale bread and switched to growing a few extra cucumber plants for my ladies. They love the cukes, as well as the cucumber beetles and pinworms that eventually burrow into the vegetable’s flesh. No one’s died of over-eating since.