Sick, Snick and Sneezing - How to Treat Respiratory Disease in your Backyard Flock
In episode 35 of The Poultry Doc Podcast, Dr. Blayne Mozisek visits Wendy to check on “'Lil Gray Chicken,” a hen with respiratory trouble that has returned after an earlier round of treatment. While respiratory issues have been covered before on the show, this episode is different because it follows a real return visit for a bird whose disease seemed to improve, then came back, making it especially useful for chicken keepers dealing with recurring respiratory illness.
Dr. Mozisek explains the likely causes, discusses how a viral infection can open the door to secondary bacterial problems, and shares practical care tips for supporting a sick chicken at home. He covers helpful ideas like using povidone-iodine solution in the water for its mucolytic and sanitizing effects, offering a denser diet to help the bird regain weight, and carefully tracking food and water intake so owners can monitor progress objectively.
The episode also emphasizes reducing stress, keeping a sick hen warm and quiet, watching for ongoing symptoms like coughing and nasal bubbles, and deciding when it may be time to reassess treatment if weight loss continues. Overall, it’s a practical episode packed with advice for anyone trying to manage respiratory disease in backyard chickens.