Tag: flock

Protecting Backyard Flocks from Avian Influenza

USDA recommends that owners of backyard flocks follow these six tips to prevent poultry disease. Feb. 2025

  • Keep your distance (restrict access to your property and your birds.)
  • Keep it clean (clean and disinfect your clothes, shoes, equipment, and hands.)
  • Don’t haul disease home (if you have been near other birds or bird owners, clean and disinfect poultry cages and equipment before going home.)
  • Don’t risk disease from your neighbor (do not borrow lawn and garden equipment, tools, or poultry supplies from other bird owners.)
  • Know the warning signs (sudden increase in bird deaths, sneezing, coughing, nasal discharge, watery or green diarrhea, lack of energy, poor appetite, drop in egg production, swelling around the eyes, neck, and head, and purple discoloration of wattles, combs, and legs.)

Report sick birds (call your local or State veterinarian, or USDA toll-free at 1-866-536-7593).

What can poultry producers do to prevent an outbreak on their farms?

  • Keep an “all–in, all–out” philosophy of flock management. Avoid skimming flocks—birds left behind are exposed to work crews and equipment that could carry poultry disease viruses.
  • Process each lot of birds separately, and clean and disinfect poultry houses between flocks.
  • Protect poultry flocks from coming into contact with wild or migratory birds. Keep poultry away from any source of water that could have been contaminated by wild birds.
  • Permit only essential workers and vehicles to enter the farm.
  • Provide clean clothing and disinfection facilities for employees.
  • Thoroughly clean and disinfect equipment and vehicles (including tires and undercarriage) entering and leaving the farm.
  • Do not loan to, or borrow equipment or vehicles from, other farms.
  • Change footwear and clothing before working with your own flock after visiting another farm or live–bird market or avoid visiting another bird farm if possible.
  • Do not bring birds from slaughter channels, especially those from live–bird markets, back to the farm.
  • If avian influenza is detected, farms must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Avian influenza viruses are inactivated by heat and drying and also these viruses are very sensitive to most disinfectants and detergents. The area to be disinfected must be clear of organic material, which greatly increases the resistance of avian influenza virus’ resistance to disinfection.

What should producers do if their birds appear to have signs of avian influenza?

If birds exhibit clinical signs of highly pathogenic avian influenza or might have been exposed to birds with the disease, producers or bird owners should immediately notify Federal or State animal health officials.

All bird owners, whether commercial producers or backyard enthusiasts, should continue to practice good biosecurity, prevent contact between their birds and wild birds, and report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to State/Federal officials, either through their state veterinarian or through USDA’s toll-free number at 1-866-536-7593.
Additional information on biosecurity for backyard flocks can be found at http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov.

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Chickens, Heat Distress Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention

Heat distress can lead to heat stroke, this is more common in poorly ventilated or coops that are either too small or over crowded. Here are some guidelines for both treatment and prevention of heat distress in chickens. Don’t bring your chickens indoors where it’s cooler, this will make it difficult for your birds to acclimate when returned to the coop. Move them to a shaded area and follow these steps listed below.

What Are The Signs of Heat Distress?


Panting: Chickens will often pant to try to cool themselves down when they are overheated. This is a common and visible sign of heat stress.
Wings drooping: When chickens are too hot, they may spread their wings away from their bodies in an attempt to release heat.
Lethargy: Heat-stressed chickens may appear lethargic and less active than usual. They may sit or lie down more frequently.
Pale comb and wattles: The comb and wattles of a chicken may appear pale or discolored during heat stress.
Diarrhea: Heat-stressed chickens may have loose or watery droppings.

Treating Heat Distress

Provide access to cool water: Offer the affected chicken cool, (not cold) water to drink. You can add electrolytes to the water to help with rehydration. This is available at any feed store.
Spray or soak the chicken with water: Lightly spraying or gently soaking the chicken with cool/warm water can help lower its body temperature. Do not submerge the bird in cold water, this can lead to shock.
Use fans or air circulation: If possible, set up fans or improve ventilation in the coop to reduce the temperature.
Use Shade Cloth: Never use tarps where birds are housed, they inhibit ventilation.

How to Avoid Heat Distress

Avoid overcrowding: Overcrowding can lead to increased body heat generation. Provide enough space for chickens to move around comfortably.
Limit outdoor activities during peak heat: If possible, restrict the chickens’ outdoor activities during the hottest parts of the day and allow them to roam when the temperatures are cooler.
Mist or sprinkle water in the area: Setting up a misting system or lightly sprinkling water in the chicken’s environment can help cool the air and reduce heat stress.
Monitor weather conditions: Stay aware of weather forecasts and plan ahead for extreme heat by implementing extra measures to protect the chickens.
Time feeding schedules: Consider feeding chickens during the cooler parts of the day to avoid additional heat generated during digestion.

Prevention is key to avoiding heat stroke in chickens. Being proactive and attentive to their needs during hot weather can significantly reduce the risk of heat-related health issues.

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Considering Backyard Chickens Because of Egg Prices?

What You Need To Know Before You Decide

Can You Have Chickens Where You Live?
Before you buy anything, make sure you’re allowed to have a backyard flock where you live. Check your local city ordinances, and remember, homeowner’s associations and residential subdivisions may have laws that aren’t included in government city ordinances.
The Cost of Getting Started
I certainly understand the cost of eggs has soared to an unreasonable price, and having your own fresh eggs every day sounds pretty nice. But like anything else, there’s a cost for that luxury. It has been said the cost of your first egg is $750, however, in today’s world, a $1,000 minimum may be closer to reality. Your baby chicks are going to need a brooder until they are 7-8 weeks old, then a suitable coop for the climate where you live. Don’t forget, there are numerous supplies needed to care for your chicks/chickens which we’ll address later in this article. 
In short, you can buy an awful lot of eggs for the cost of having fresh eggs in your backyard, let’s face it, you’re going to pay for eggs one way or another. Don’t forget there’s also a monthly cost of keeping chickens, there’s feed, shavings for the coop, and other necessities and/or miscellaneous supplies.

Still Interested? Then Let’s Get Started…

The Brooder for Baby Chicks
A place to raise your baby chicks can be rather simple, a box will do, but chicks also need a drinker, feeder, and a heat source. Today, we use radiant heat, heat lamps are seldom used as they are difficult to regulate a consistent temperature, not to mention they are fire hazards. This means raising your baby chicks should be in the Spring, or when temperatures are moderate. Radiant heat is most efficient in temperatures above 55. Learn more about Radiant Heat Brooders. 
The Chicken Coop
First-time buyers always buy a too-small coop, this will prove to be a mistake in the long run. Chickens need space in order to live in harmony, and happy chickens are what fill the egg basket. A coop should be easy for you to clean, and easy to gather eggs. It should be a suitable shelter for inclement weather and be predator-proof. And remember, you get what you pay for, buy quality, you’re not saving money if you have to buy a coop twice. 
View Coop Types
How Much Space Do Chickens Need?
Where to Get Your Chicks and Choosing the Right Breed
Choosing a breed depends on what your chickens’ purpose is, egg production is the focus here, so learning about which hens are prolific egg layers is most important. Some breeds, especially exhibition or ornamental breeds have broody tendencies and are not a good choice for egg production. (A broody hen has a strong urge to hatch eggs, and a strong desire to sit on and incubate eggs. A broody hen will remain on the nest for extended periods of time, even when there are no eggs present. During this time she will not lay eggs.)
Most Common Broody Breeds
Buff Rocks, Cochins, Buff Orpington, Brahmas, Silkies, Sussex, Dominique, & Dorking.
Note: The Silkie is probably the most broody of all.
Most Common Prolific Egg Layers 
White Leghorn: An excellent egg layer, leghorns produce 280+ eggs annually. They lay large quantities of big white eggs. 
Rhode Island Red: An excellent choice for laying 260 large brown eggs annually.
Ameraucana: (Easter Egger) Producing around 250 eggs per year. The eggs are medium in size and can be blue, green, white, or tinted pink in color. 
Polish Chicken (Top Hat) Looking for a hen with a little more character? The Polish hens lay about 200 eggs annually. This breed is not usually found in feed stores, but are available through online hatcheries.

White Leghorn
Rhode Island Red
Easter Egger
White Crested Polish
Silver Laced Polish

Where to Buy Chicks
You can usually find baby chicks in your local feed stores, but you won’t have the opportunity to choose a specific breed. There are many hatcheries online that sell just about any breed you want, and your baby chicks will be shipped to your local post office. You will be notified when they’re shipped, and when they arrive. This is primarily how I buy all my birds.
Here’s a list of Hatcheries to choose from. Wondering how many chicks to buy?

Mail order chicks arrive in a box like this & are shipped to your local post office.

Learn More About Which Breed is Best For You

Basic Start-up Supplies For Chicks
Brooder for chicks (Brooder Box Ideas)
Heat Source (Radiant Heat)
Bedding (Pine Shavings)
Chick Feeder & Drinker
Chick Starter Feed
Paper Towels (Best footing for the first week in the brooder. Also for pasting-up issues.)
Basic Start-up Supplies for Chickens
Coop
Fencing (with cover) for outdoor run.
Roosting Bar
Drinker & Feeder
Nesting Boxes (1 for every 2 birds)
Pine Shavings
Chicken Feed
Metal trash can for 40lb bag of feed
Rake
Wheel barrel (for cleaning & managing pine shaving transporting feed bags.)

The real question you should be asking yourself isn’t about saving money on the cost of eggs… it’s whether or not you want to raise chickens and enjoy fresh eggs. Because quite honestly, it’s far more expensive to raise chickens than buying eggs at Walmart.

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