How to Treat Chicken Diarrhea

Diarrhea in chickens can be dangerous as well as distressing.

Treatment for chicken diarrhea depends on the age of the chicken. Diarrhea in chicks is usually the result of bacterial infection and can be fatal if left untreated. If your chickens are grown, you have more time to act. In adult chickens it may have other causes, including nutritional deficiency. Treatment in babies consists of frequently washing the cloaca to prevent blockage. Adult chickens rarely become blocked by diarrhea because they are capable of grooming themselves. If your chickens are grown, you may skip the washing step and move on to oral treatment. Do not use oral treatments for baby chicks except on the advice of a livestock veterinarian.

Things You'll Need

• Warm water
• Paper towels or sponge
• Yogurt or buttermilk
• Potassium permanganate powder
• Plastic measuring spoon
• 2 glass or disposable plastic containers
• Epsom salt
• Wheat bran

Instructions

Treating Your Chickens

1. 

   Diarrhea kills chicks by blocking their cloacae.

   Carefully examine the cloaca of each chick. The most critical measure you can take to save the lives of baby chicks is to ensure that their vents do not become blocked. If you see feces adhered to the vent, you must remove it. Hold the chick in one hand. Do not squeeze. Dampen the paper towels or sponge in warm water and apply to the adhered feces. Do not immerse the chick in water. Gently rub the moistened feces to separate it from the vent area. Continue until the vent is free of feces. Dry your chick with a fresh paper towel and return it under the heat lamp. Dampness can lead to hypothermia. A hair dryer set to the lowest possible setting may also be used to dry your chick. Vents must be checked frequently, a minimum of twice a day, until the diarrhea outbreak has passed.

2. 

   Grown chickens can be treated with yogurt.

   Begin oral treatment if your adult chickens have diarrhea. First, try feeding yogurt or buttermilk. Only use plain, organic, whole milk yogurt--flavored and low fat varieties have too much sugar and additives and too little beneficial bacteria. Chickens relish dairy products, so simply present the yogurt or buttermilk at feeding time. If the diarrhea has not cleared up within 24 hours, move on to the next step.

3. 

   Potassium permanganate can cure some diarrhea outbreaks.

   Give your chickens potassium permanganate, which can clear infections that cause diarrhea in poultry. Do not use metal utensils to measure or mix this material. In a glass or disposable plastic container, dissolve one tablespoon of the potassium powder in a quart of warm water. Place one tablespoon of this liquid per bird in a second container, and add one cup of water per tablespoon. Mix well, and place this solution in the birds' waterer. If your entire flock is not affected, you may isolate the birds who are and only treat them. However, as the cause may be contagious, you may wish to treat the entire flock. If the diarrhea worsens, or potassium permanganate has not cured it after three days, move on to the next step.

4. 

   Epsom salt can treat some causes of diarrhea.

   Give each affected bird 1/2 teaspoon Epsom salt. Mix the salt with wheat bran and yogurt or buttermilk to form a thick, crumbly paste. Assuring that each bird gets the proper dosage may require supervision, separation, or hand-feeding.

5. 

   Cleanliness is key in preventing diarrhea outbreaks.

   Prevent the spread of disease and parasites by keeping your birds on clean hay. Rotate your coop to a new location periodically, or shovel out old bedding and manure and air the coop thoroughly. Scrub waterers and change water daily. Promptly remove any manure from feeders. Keep coops warm in cold or wet weather, and make sure that your coop has adequate ventilation. Do not overcrowd chickens.

6. 

   Proper nutrition also prevents diarrhea.

   Feed your chickens a balanced diet that includes green plants and food scraps in addition to a commercial mash. Allowing them free access to a growing field or lawn during the day is ideal. A diet that consists only of grain invites intestinal infection.

Tips & Warnings

• Baby chicks are especially prone to disease and, unfortunately, it is common for losses to be quite high during the first few days. Keep your chicks warm and dry with constant access to clean water and food. Chicks may be kept on wood shavings (never cedar or treated wood, which are poisonous), but timothy hay is best and suppresses odor. Bedding should be changed frequently. You may be able to wait three to four days initially, but as the chicks grow changes will become much more frequent.

• Bacteria that causes diarrhea in chickens can cause severe illness in humans. These diseases include campylobacter and salmonella, some of the most common causes of food poisoning. Be sure to thoroughly wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 30 seconds after handling chickens or anything that has been in contact with a chicken.

References

• "Mother Earth News"; Old Time Remedies for Common Poultry Diseases; Patricia Earnest; March/April 1974
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Diseases from Farm Animals
• "Basic Animal Nutrition and Feeding"; Wilson G. Pond, et al.; 2005