Cures for Chicken Diarrhea

Diarrhea is one of the most common illnesses in chickens. You can see your chicken has diarrhea when you notice watery, loose droppings that are a white, yellow or greenish color. Your chicken's environment and diet can contribute to diarrhea, but some simple remedies can get rid of diarrhea and can help prevent it.

You must surround your chicken with the proper environment to prevent and cure diarrhea. Poor environments with cold, damp and dirty surroundings can cause diarrhea. Unclean food is a risk factor also. Be sure to clean your chicken's home often, and be careful not to overcrowd your animals.

When your chicken has diarrhea, give it a warm and dry place to rest until it is well again. Isolate the sick chicken from the rest of the flock to stop the spread of the illness.

Your chicken's diet can also play a role in its bout with diarrhea. Be sure you are not providing your chickens the wrong foods. Chocolate, large servings of meat, raw potato skins, citrus fruits, bones, avocado skins and pits, spoiled meat and long-cut grass can all cause digestive problems in chickens.

There are several remedies to cure your chicken's diarrhea.

Mother Earth News recommends giving your chicken a potassium permanganate solution to drink. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of the chemical in 1 quart of warm water. Feed each chicken 1 tablespoon of the concentrated solution diluted in 1 cup of warm water. In a case of severe diarrhea you may need a stronger solution, one that is potent enough to turn your finger slightly brown when you dip it in the liquid. Be sure to not keep the potassium permanganate mixture in a metal container.

Another remedy is Epsom salt. Add one-half tablespoon of Epsom salt to the affected chicken's feed. You can also feed your diarrhea-afflicted chicken wheat bran moistened with sour milk or buttermilk.

If diarrhea keeps occurring despite all your attempts to alleviate it, take your chicken to the vet. Your bird could have a serious illness that requires medical treatment.