By Violet Agweya
A normal chicken dropping has a white cap and is brown in color. This white cap is urate. Chickens do not urinate so the urates are expelled with the fecal matter.
Diarrhea in chickens will be very loose or not formed at all. It may look like colored water. When the dropping has a loose consistency and becomes watery and/or foul smelling, it is diarrhea. In addition, if your hen looks ragged and tatty and sits off by herself then it is likely to be sick.
Major causes of diarrhea in chicken include:
- Worms
- Viruses (such as rotavirus and adenovirus)
- Bacterial diarrhoea, caused by an infection
- Kidney damage
- A feed too high in protein
- Poor feeding
Other illness that have a symptom of diarrhea in chicken include:
Coccidiosis– a protozoan disease caused by poor hygiene and sanitation. Symptoms include sick looking birds with head down, ruffled feathers and bloody diarrhea and death of young chicks.
Prevention and control:
- Avoid keeping different age groups of birds in the same house as disease may spread from adults to young chicks
- Use of Effective Microorganisms (EM) in drinking water. EM provides beneficial microorganisms that improve the gut flora of the birds, making digestion more efficient.
- Clean up chicken house and disinfect the area with lime (dusting with whitewash or agricultural lime)
- During outbreaks use coccidiostat mixture in drinking water.
Fowl cholera – (Pasteurellosis)This may occur at all ages of chicken, causing infection of the stomach.
Symptoms: severe diarrhea, breathing problems, loss of appetite, blue combs and wattles. It may occur as a chronic disease or as sudden death. Infection is mainly through contaminated feed and drinking water. There is no treatment. Best prevention is strict hygiene and vaccination. Destroy through killing and burning affected birds.
Marek’s – Seen only in birds older than 16 weeks. Initially the birds may show paralysis of one or both wings, or one or both legs might be paralysed. The disease is a virus, so there is no treatment, but commercial vaccines are available.
Coryza – This disease can be acute, mild or chronic. Contamination occurs by faecal matter, aerosols or through feed and water. It can be prevented by vaccination with bacterin in water at 10 to 12 weeks and 16 to 18 weeks.
Symptoms: Swollen watery eyes, closed eyes, nasal discharge (runny nose), laboured breathing and decrease in egg production. All clinically ill chicken should be destroyed.
Newcastle disease – Newcaste is the most economically important and the only notifiable disease in chicken. Often 30-80% of the flock dies. It is spread by dogs, birds, wild birds and man. There is no cure, affected chicken must be killed in a humane way. Prevention occurs only by early vaccination.
Symptoms: Respiratory stress, lack of appetite, green diarrhoea, nervous symptoms and high mortality. Death can also be sudden without any perceived symptom.
Gumboro disease – This disease is common in hatcheries. It affects young chicken 2 to 6 weeks old and it is rare in indigenous birds. Transmission occurs through feed, water and faeces.
Symptoms: Diarrhoea, sleepiness and depression, ruffled feathers and trembling of the head. Mortality is between 50% and 80%. The disease weakens the immune system, making the birds more susceptible to other infections. It can be controlled by vaccinating the chicken when they are 2 to 6 weeks old though drinking water.
Salmonella – It affects chicks and adults. It is spread by contamination of eggs at laying or through contaminated feed and water and faeces.
Treatment of chicken diarrhea
Short periods of diarrhea that are caused by overindulgences do not require any treatment except removing the food. In weather related circumstances you can help them by providing clean fresh water enhanced with vitamins and electrolytes. Just remember not to give them electrolytes on a continual daily basis as it can easily cause diarrhea.
To make your own electrolyte solution mix the following:
8 teaspoons granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda and 1 gallon of water.
Prevention of chicken diarrhea
Having good biosecurity: Good biosecurity involves ensuring that the chicken coop is free from germs, by restricting any possible agent including visitors, or putting in place protective measures whenever visitors come to the coop. Secondly, to avoid infestation of lice and mites clean the chicken house by regularly applying lime wash/disinfect the floor and walls. Ensure to provide dry litter regularly where applicable and do not put too many birds together. Different species of poultry for example hens, turkeys, pigeons, ducks and guinea fowls should be kept separate. Also, separate chicks from adult birds except from the mother hen. Do not try to eat sick birds that have died – diseases can sometimes transfer to human beings no matter how well they are cooked. Burn or bury dead birds.
Finally, ensure to vaccinate birds against common diseases. Vaccination is very important in protecting your chickens from common diseases.
Below is the vaccination regime recommended for commercial chicks, but also applicable to improved management of indigenous chicken.
| Age | Vaccinate against | Application |
| 1st week | Marek and Newcastle disease | Subcut (neck) |
| 2nd week | Gumboro | In drinking water |
| 3rd week | Lasota + IB (Newcastle) | In drinking water or eye/nostril drop |
| 4th week | Deworming, IBD forte | In drinking water |
| 5th week | Lasota + IB | In drinking water |
| 6 to 8th week | Typhoid | Injection |
| 9th week | Deworming (every 2-4 weeks) | In drinking water |
| 8 to 10th week | Fowl pox | Wing stab |
| 12 to 14th week | Typhoid | Injection |
| 16 to 18th week | Renewed Newcastle (where disease is prevalent) | Optional |
Another good bio-security rule is: if you bring in new chickens to your flock, they need quarantining first. The new hens may look perfectly healthy, but some diseases do not show themselves immediately. The recommended period of isolation is 30 days.
Keeping your hens healthy is the best way to be proactive against diarrhea. Remember to always look for the cause before you act.
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