10 ways to tell if your chicken are unwell

Timothy Sande at his Kamsa Poultry farm in Sinyolo, Kisumu West. [Kevine Omollo, Standard]

The poultry farming business in Kenya is small, growing and heavily challenged by diseases, poor feed, and water quality, dwindling market access, and a lack of veterinary services. Today, I will highlight ten simple ways to identify signs of ill health early enough in order to seek veterinary help before it is too late.

1. The eyes tell it all

Always check the birds' eyes for signs of trouble. The eyes should be clear with no discharge or abnormal swelling. Most acute respiratory diseases cause inflammation of the eyes, reddening, swelling, conjunctivitis, and facial edema or swollen eye syndrome. In some severe cases undetected early, the eye may swell into a ball of pus that may be difficult to treat.