Is there a high chance my flock will get a disease?!

[Dalylah]

Hi everyone, I have a question, I have seven hens in my big backyard and I like to throw them piles of scratch but there’s a problem with that, the groups of crows like 25 to 30 are coming into my yard and eating the scratch off the ground, I am now worried the crows will give diseases to my chickens? Is that possible, if so what should I do?

 

[Offshoreorca]

Wild birds can also carry diseases, that’s why they recommend feeding wild birds away from the coop. I’ve never had an issue with transfer and we have lots of wild birds in the yard including crows (and had a feeder right next to the coop for quite a while). The best thing to do would be to feed treats in the coop and run instead of where the crows can get to them.

 

[Dalylah]

Wild birds can also carry diseases, that’s why they recommend feeding wild birds away from the coop. I’ve never had an issue with transfer and we have lots of wild birds in the yard including crows (and had a feeder right next to the coop for quite a while). The best thing to do would be to feed treats in the coop and run instead of where the crows can get to them.

Ok I will start doing that, thank you!

 

[Kiki]

Hi everyone, I have a question, I have seven hens in my big backyard and I like to throw them piles of scratch but there’s a problem with that, the groups of crows like 25 to 30 are coming into my yard and eating the scratch off the ground, I am now worried the crows will give diseases to my chickens? Is that possible, if so what should I do?

The scratch may be just as bad for your birds health. I'd mot ever offer them scratch much less piles of it. A complete balanced diet only (commercially made crumble or pellets feed) better than feeding treats daily.

 

[GreedySeedFeedy]

Yes, it's possible! In addition to diseases they can carry extremely unpleasant parasites and bacteria to your birds. If you keep your birds in an area where there is a lot of wild bird traffic, make sure your birds get ivermectin treatments monthly. Having a covered waterer or nipple-type drinker will spare you a lot of grief, some of the more slutty little backyard finches will give your chickens scaly mites and mycoplasmosis by bathing their filthy little selves in their drinking water.

 

[Kiki]

Yes, it's possible! In addition to diseases they can carry extremely unpleasant parasites and bacteria to your birds. If you keep your birds in an area where there is a lot of wild bird traffic, make sure your birds get ivermectin treatments monthly. Having a covered waterer or nipple-type drinker will spare you a lot of grief, some of the more slutty little backyard finches will give your chickens scaly mites and mycoplasmosis by bathing their filthy little selves in their drinking water.

Do you treat your birds with Ivermectin monthly?

 

[GreedySeedFeedy]

Here it is, if you live in a warmer state the gregarious wild finches are rife with this, you don't want them partying anywhere near your flock's scratch! It's highly contageous, and they will spread it from yard to yard.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycoplasma_gallisepticum

 

[GreedySeedFeedy]

Do you treat your birds with Ivermectin monthly?

My birds live indoors, but in summer months when they feed outdoors they get a drop of beaphar/cutaneous ivermectin on their necks every month. We live in a city area, and the birds here have visible mites.

 

[Tobiano Filly]

Yes, it's possible! In addition to diseases they can carry extremely unpleasant parasites and bacteria to your birds. If you keep your birds in an area where there is a lot of wild bird traffic, make sure your birds get ivermectin treatments monthly. Having a covered waterer or nipple-type drinker will spare you a lot of grief, some of the more slutty little backyard finches will give your chickens scaly mites and mycoplasmosis by bathing their filthy little selves in their drinking water.

Those finches will get ya every time. SMH.

 

[roosterhavoc]

You guys make it seem like chickens running loose are gonna automatically get sick. That couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s more natural for chickens to be scratching through the grass and leaf litter looking for bugs and seeds. While wild birds carry a lot of diseases, lice and mites unless they’re totally locked up they can still come into contact with them.