Chicken Health for UK Keepers

In England and Wales, you must register poultry or other captive birds with the Animal and Plant Health Agency within one month of keeping them, including a flock of fewer than 50 pet birds. Registration helps APHA contact keepers during disease outbreaks. You must confirm your details every year and tell APHA about relevant changes. Check the current registration instructions; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own guidance.

Before illness strikes, find a vet who sees poultry. Keep a record of your birds' ages, daily behaviour, egg production, feed, new arrivals, medicines and deaths. Those details help a vet assess whether one bird or the whole flock is affected. If you bring home new birds, ask the vet how to separate and observe them before mixing them with the flock.

Provide a dry, secure, well-ventilated house with perches and nesting space, plus room to explore, scratch and dust-bathe. The run needs protection from predators and should let birds avoid bullying. Keep bedding dry and remove wet or soiled material; clean feeders and drinkers regularly. Shade, shelter and water are especially important in hot weather. RSPCA guidance describes the different needs of a coop and outside run in more detail.

Chickens are social animals, but adding birds suddenly can cause fighting. Watch how the flock shares food and water, and provide more than one feeding point when needed. Check each bird at least daily: bright eyes, alert movement, normal breathing, appetite and droppings are useful baselines. A hunched bird hiding in a corner, limping, breathing noisily or producing fewer eggs needs closer attention and veterinary advice.

Use a complete commercial feed matched to the bird's age and purpose, such as a suitable layers feed for laying hens. Provide constant clean water. Insoluble grit helps birds grind food; laying hens may also need a suitable calcium source. Store feed dry and secure so that it does not spoil or attract rodents.

Do not feed household kitchen scraps or catering waste to poultry. This includes vegetable scraps from a household kitchen; the prohibition is intended to reduce disease risk. The older advice that scraps from the family kitchen are a harmless treat is misleading. Check the official feed rules before offering anything outside a balanced poultry diet.

Wild birds, their droppings, dirty footwear and shared equipment can spread infection. Reduce contact between wild birds and your flock, use dedicated footwear, clean equipment and control rodents. Check current bird-flu prevention guidance and any local disease-control rules; restrictions can change with outbreaks, so this guide does not claim that a particular housing order is in force.

Avian influenza can cause sudden deaths, a sharp drop in egg laying, swollen heads, breathing trouble or several birds becoming ill together. These signs are not a diagnosis, but suspected bird flu in captive birds is notifiable. Speak to your vet and report suspicion to APHA immediately. Do not move birds from the premises while seeking instructions.