Common Ailments of Chickens

In the United States, raising backyard poultry (chickens) in urban environments is a popular growing trend. It’s a great way to meet household food demands and for many, may be an additional source of income.

Modern day backyard chicken owners often view their birds as companion animals, in contrast to poultry raised for commercial production. And why not?! They’re the pet that poops breakfast! A study done in 2010 by the USDA found that in four of the largest metropolitan areas in the country, 0.8% of all households owned chickens — and nearly 4% of households without chickens planned to have chickens in the next 5 years!

As backyard chicken ownership becomes increasingly popular, owners need to be properly educated about how to keep their flocks healthy; thus, more veterinarians must be capable of providing this education and/or veterinary care. Therein also lies a problem: vets that deal with backyard poultry are pretty hard to find. This is where we come in!