Chicken Health For Dummies

Introduction 1

Part I: The Healthy Chicken 7

Chapter 1: A Picture of Backyard Flock Health 9

Chapter 2: The Anatomy and Body Functions of the Happy, Healthy Chicken 19

Chapter 3: That’s What Chickens Do: Healthy Chicken Behavior 35

Chapter 4: More Than an Ounce of Prevention: Biosecurity for the Backyard Flock 47

Chapter 5: Keeping the Flock Clean and Comfortable 63

Chapter 6: Feeding the Flock Well 75

Part II: Recognizing Signs of Chicken Illness 87

Chapter 7: Inspecting the Flock and Examining the Sick Chicken 89

Chapter 8: Troubleshooting Common Illnesses in Adult Chickens 101

Chapter 9: Sizing Up Sick Chicks 123

Chapter 10: Sleuthing Subtle Signs of Illness and Mysterious Sudden Death 133

Part III: A Close-Up Examination of Chicken Woes and Diseases 145

Chapter 11: Accidents of Flock Management 147

Chapter 12: My Chicken Has What? Diseases Caused by Bacteria and Viruses 165

Chapter 13: Exterminating Chicken Parasites and Other Creepy-Crawlies 181

Chapter 14: Identifying Miscellaneous and Mystery Chicken Diseases 197

Part IV: Your Chicken Repair Manual (and Advice for When to Close the Book) 207

Chapter 15: Making a Diagnosis: Getting Advice or Going It Alone 209

Chapter 16: Medicating and Vaccinating Chickens 225

Chapter 17: Performing Chicken Maintenance and First-Aid Procedures 243

Chapter 18: Euthanizing a Chicken and Disposing of the Remains 261

Part V: The Chicken/Human Interface 273

Chapter 19: Can You Get That from a Chicken? 275

Chapter 20: Food Safety and Quality of Homegrown Eggs and Meat 283

Part VI: The Part of Tens 293

Chapter 21: Answers to Ten Common Questions about Chicken Health 295

Chapter 22: Ten Common Misconceptions about Chicken Health and Treatments 301

Appendix: Chicken Health Formulary 305

Index 311