Section

Health & pests

Guides on keeping a backyard flock healthy and safe: routine checks, parasites, disease prevention and predators. Each guide lists the sources it draws on; none of it replaces a veterinarian.

• Hen Health CheckA head-to-tail hands-on check (comb, eyes, crop, keel, vent, feet, droppings), the signs to report right away, and how to find a poultry vet or diagnostic lab.
• Worms in Backyard ChickensThe five worms extension services name (roundworm, cecal worm, capillaria, gapeworm, tapeworm), the signs, fecal tests through a vet or lab, prevention and the label rules on eggs.
• Chicken Mites and LiceNorthern fowl mite vs red mite vs lice: how to find them, and the treatment options extension entomologists list.
• Backyard Flock BiosecurityUSDA's Defend the Flock steps as a checklist, quarantine for new birds, the warning signs of bird flu and who to call.
• Adding New Chickens to Your FlockQuarantine length and distance by source, a step-by-step integration checklist, and what to expect while the pecking order resets.
• Salmonella and Backyard PoultryThe CDC's Salmonella rules for flock owners: handwashing, children under 5, chicks and ducklings, eggs, and recent outbreak numbers.
• Chicken Predator ID by SignRead the scene after a loss: a sign → likely predator → prevention table from extension sources, wire and fence numbers, and the law on hawks and owls.

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