Disease Prevention and Management Basics for Poultry and Waterfowl

Written by: Bria Osborne, OVC 2026

Edited by: Dr. Paisley Canning

Knowing the basics of disease management is an important step for ensuring the health and longevity of your poultry flock. Below are some recommendations for how to mitigate disease risks in your flock.  

Buy healthy replacement birds with known medical histories 

Be sure to ask your supplier questions regarding their birds’ health and vaccine status. Knowing what vaccines were given and when they were given is very useful information for you and your veterinarian. Having your birds vaccinated protects them from certain flock diseases. It is also important to ask your supplier (especially if they are not an accredited hatchery) if they have had any recent health events in their flock such as mites, respiratory disease, coccidiosis, or if they themselves have added any new birds recently. It is also important to know that your new birds may appear to be healthy and disease free but may be carrying diseases unknowingly.

All-in/ all-out management (especially for broilers and meat birds) 

All-in/all-out management means you purchase all birds at once and harvest or cull all the birds at once (or wait until all your birds have died), thoroughly disinfect their living space, and then buy all new birds.  With this method, you are not adding birds to an established flock. This method ensures that no new diseases are being introduced into your flock through the purchase of new birds. It also ensures that any diseases present in your old flock will not be transmitted to your new flock.  

Aim for a closed, single-age flock

Having a closed flock means that you are not bringing in any new birds. By having a closed flock and not bringing in new birds, you are not gaining and spreading any new diseases to your flock via the movement of birds.

For small flock producers it can be hard to maintain a closed flock especially when predation or a disease event drops your flock’s numbers and you need replacements.  Refer to our blog “Expanding your flock: The ins and outs of bringing in new birds” for more information on how to source and quarantine new birds https://upperthamesvs.ca/?p=1062 .

Different life stages of birds also have different susceptibility to diseases, different environmental needs, and different nutritional needs. By having all of your birds at the same life stage (age), you can ensure that all of their needs are adequately met.  

Get to know your birds (develop an intuition) 

By spending time with your chickens, you develop a sense of what is normal and abnormal for your flock and individual birds. Spending time watching your chickens in their coop and picking them up and examining them (figure 1) is an excellent way to get to know your birds. Noticing changes in your flock helps you recognize potential issues and can help provide insight for your veterinarian to help diagnose any problems. Get to know what your birds’ feathers, skin, eyes, feet, legs, and droppings look like normally. Be sure to part your birds’ feathers when inspecting feathers and skin! 

Observing and interacting with your birds is fun and a great way to reduce stress. Chickens are very social and many chickens like interacting and bonding with humans.  Many of our clients share the wonderful personalities and quirks of their individual birds and have developed a great social relationship with their flock. 

Figure 1: Regularly picking up and examining your birds is a great way to get used to your bird’s “normal” state and notice any chances.  

Keep good records

Keeping good records of your flock is important for recognizing production and/or disease patterns in your flock. Records are an excellent source of information for your veterinarian and can help you get to the root of the problem faster. Some recommended records are daily egg numbers and quality, any deaths, any disease events, feed changes, medication administrations, and any new bird arrivals into the flock.    

You can take pictures and videos of your flock if you notice that something is amiss – this can be an important tool for veterinary consultation.

Seek prompt disease diagnosis through your vet 

When something is not right with your birds, seeking a prompt disease diagnosis can help with the prognosis of your birds and can also help decrease any spread of that specific disease.  A good working relationship with your vet is necessary for a prompt disease diagnosis. 

When bringing new birds into your flock, having your vet come out and access them for lice, mites, worms, signs of disease is necessary to ensure good health of your new birds as well as your existing birds. 

Be wary of the internet’s advice as it can lead you in the wrong direction or potentially harm your birds

There are good online resources out there, it is up to you the chicken farmer or chicken owner to critically evaluate that information as it would apply specifically to your flock.  Having a veterinarian for your birds is a great way to get accurate information specific to your situation and flock.

Isolate ill birds and come up with a plan

When dealing with ill birds, isolating them from the rest of the flock is essential. Once these birds are isolated, you can give them some love and care, treat them according to your vet’s recommendations, or cull them from your flock. Isolating the ill bird is not only beneficial to the individual but also for the health of the flock as many diseases are contagious between birds.  

A hospital cage is a beneficial tool used for isolating sick birds. Your hospital cage should have heat, food, and fresh water for the sick bird. Having your hospital cage far away from the rest of the flock decreases the spread of disease. 

For minor issues, isolation from flock mates and some extra attention does the trick. For other issues, medications prescribed from your veterinarian will be needed to help your bird overcome their illness. In major disease outbreaks culling (humane euthanasia) may be the best option for your bird and the rest of their flock mates.  

Regular disinfecting and cleaning of bird environment as well as good biosecurity 

Having a clean living environment for your birds allows them to live comfortably and helps limit the propagation and spread of disease. When cleaning out the coop, using a spray disinfectant, such as Prevail (Figure 2) on walls, floors, roosting and nesting spaces, and feeders will decrease the pathogen load in the environment. 

Having good biosecurity ensures that you are not spreading disease from bird to bird, but also from location to location. Good biosecurity practice involves using PPE (personal protective equipment) such as gloves when handling sick birds. Having designated boots for your coop that you disinfect regularly stops you from bringing in any pathogens from outside of the coop. To keep your birds safe and healthy, not allowing people to visit who have been in contact with birds in the past 72 hours is a good idea. Keeping wildlife, wild birds, and rodents under control is another important factor in good biosecurity. Many diseases can be passed to your birds from wild populations.

Photo credit: Horizon livestock and poultry supply

Figure 2: Prevail is the chosen disinfectant for Dr. Canning. It is safe for humans, animals, and plants. 

If you have any questions on how to implement disease management in your flock or if you suspect something may be abnormal for your chickens, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Canning. You can contact the clinic at [email protected], or on facebook.com/upperthamesvs. 

References:  

The Chicken Vets  

WeCAHN and CAHSS small flock poultry course (May 2023)

Last updated on August 8th, 2023.