🐦 Common Bird Diseases & Solutions

Newcastle disease: respiratory distress, twisted neck, green diarrhoea, sudden death in flocks. Solution: strict biosecurity (no wild birds in the coop), vaccination in endemic areas, and report outbreaks — it is a notifiable disease.

Avian influenza (bird flu): sudden death, swollen head, blue comb, respiratory signs. Solution: biosecurity (clean boots/clothing, no contact with wild waterfowl), report to authorities immediately, and practise good hygiene handling poultry.

Mites & lice: restlessness, pale comb, feather damage, "scaly leg". Solution: treat the birds (permethrin-type products from a vet) AND the coop; dust bath area with diatomaceous earth; clean roosts regularly.

Coccidiosis (in chicks): bloody diarrhoea, ruffled feathers, drooping. Solution: keep litter dry and clean (moisture is the trigger), medicated starter feed, and vet treatment (toltrazuril/amprolium) at first signs.

Egg binding (hens): hen straining, sitting fluffed, no egg. Solution: warm bath, gentle lubrication, quiet dark box; vet if not passed within hours — it can be fatal.

Feather plucking (parrots/pet birds): boredom, stress, skin irritation or illness. Solution: vet check first (skin, mites, liver), then enrichment — toys, foraging, out-of-cage time, a companion, and more sleep (12h dark).

Pet bird basics: clean water daily, species-appropriate diet (pellets + veg — NOT just seeds), no avocado/chocolate/caffeine/onion (toxic), clean cage weekly, and quarantine new birds 30 days before introducing them.

Grit & calcium: laying hens need calcium (oyster shell) — soft-shelled eggs signal deficiency. Provide clean grit for digestion.

🩺 Real-world view

A chicken coop — biosecurity starts at home

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