When/how to check for disease or injury.

[aart]

Definitely off the roost at night(I don't chase chickens).
I use a headlight, preferably with different brightness settings.
Helps if you get them used to being touched at that time before an actual exam, just a light touch and calm voice, when you lock up after dark. My coop shed is big enough to have a chair to sit in for exams.

I’m not even sure what to look for. I guess I’ll go educate myself.

These tips might help:

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Look fast, they will scatter quickly once the feathers are parted and the light hits them.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How quickly does a crop fill. I have their food in the coop with them so it’s likely they would eat before I get out there. I’ve tried to keep it outside but chipmunks got in and had a festival.

Is there water in the coop as well? My chickens won't eat in the morning until they've had a big drink first. Best advice I can give you is to go out and check a few as early as you can and see what you find. If they have not had water, perhaps their crops will still be empty.

 

[Lulu-vt]

Is there water in the coop as well? My chickens won't eat in the morning until they've had a big drink first. Best advice I can give you is to go out and check a few as early as you can and see what you find. If they have not had water, perhaps their crops will still be empty.

The water freezes overnight. Still working on this. So I bring them fresh water in the am. Usually outside so it doesn’t create a moisture issue inside.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The water freezes overnight. Still working on this. So I bring them fresh water in the am. Usually outside so it doesn’t create a moisture issue inside.

Then you should be able to check crops to see that they're empty in the morning. At least some of them if not all.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Perhaps it would make your life easier to remove the water at night when you lock them up. They won't drink during the night anyway and you won't have to deal with frozen buckets.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks. Eww because I hate bugs on pets, humans…sorry. It’s just me. My last flock, I just don’t think I ever checked them. I was lucky and never had any issues. I had them for 6 years until a family of raccoons moved in. Slowly they dwindled either from predators. Hawk, Fox, weasel, raccoon. Now I have a much better coop

Oh yeah, it is sort of "eww" to find bugs.

Sorry to hear about the past losses, glad you have a better coop now. Predators will test coops/runs from time to time it seems, so even with something built well, you still have to pay attention to any signs of something trying to get in or for weak points.
Everything likes chicken (or eggs).

Just go slow, if you birds are young, they are still growing up and trying to find their place in this world. Some will always hate being handled while others tolerate or even seem to enjoy it. Just visit with them when you can, talk to them and let them get used to your presence, that makes a big difference too.

 

[Lulu-vt]

Perhaps it would make your life easier to remove the water at night when you lock them up. They won't drink during the night anyway and you won't have to deal with frozen buckets.

I should do this and check them! I do have two 5 gallon buckets with nipples that I switch out. I’m digging some power out to the coop in the next week or two - I’m so excited about that.