Introduction 1
Part I: The Healthy Chicken 7
Chapter 1: A Picture of Backyard Flock Health 9
Chapter 2: The Anatomy and Body Functions of the Happy, Healthy Chicken 19
Chapter 3: That's What Chickens Do: Healthy Chicken Behavior 35
Chapter 4: More Than an Ounce of Prevention: Biosecurity for the Backyard Flock 47
Chapter 5: Keeping the Flock Clean and Comfortable 63
Chapter 6: Feeding the Flock Well 75
Part II: Recognizing Signs of Chicken Illness 87
Chapter 7: Inspecting the Flock and Examining the Sick Chicken 89
Chapter 8: Troubleshooting Common Illnesses in Adult Chickens 101
Chapter 9: Sizing Up Sick Chicks 123
Chapter 10: Sleuthing Subtle Signs of Illness and Mysterious Sudden Death 133
Part III: A Close-Up Examination of Chicken Woes and Diseases 145
Chapter 11: Accidents of Flock Management 147
Chapter 12: My Chicken Has What? Diseases Caused by Bacteria and Viruses 165
Chapter 13: Exterminating Chicken Parasites and Other Creepy-Crawlies 181
Chapter 14: Identifying Miscellaneous and Mystery Chicken Diseases 197
Part IV: Your Chicken Repair Manual (and Advice for When to Close the Book) 207
Chapter 15: Making a Diagnosis: Getting Advice or Going It Alone 209
Chapter 16: Medicating and Vaccinating Chickens 225
Chapter 17: Performing Chicken Maintenance and First-Aid Procedures 243
Chapter 18: Euthanizing a Chicken and Disposing of the Remains 261
Part V: The Chicken/Human Interface 273
Chapter 19: Can You Get That from a Chicken? 275
Chapter 20: Food Safety and Quality of Homegrown Eggs and Meat 283
Part VI: The Part of Tens 293
Chapter 21: Answers to Ten Common Questions about Chicken Health 295
Chapter 22: Ten Common Misconceptions about Chicken Health and Treatments 301
Appendix: Chicken Health Formulary 305
Index 311
