Fatty liver disease in chickens can sneak up on flock owners, as this disease attacks hens silently with no side effects until it’s usually too late. Like most backyard flock diseases, prevention is key. Here are the causes, prevention and more about this common disease.
What is it?
Fatty liver disease in chickens, also called hepatic steatosis, Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome (FLHS), is when fat accumulates around the liver and abdominal cavity, causing a liver rupture.
Causes
Fatty liver disease in chickens can be caused by genetics, breed, other preexisting diseases such as cage layer fatigue, obesity, and consuming moldy feed or toxins. However, the most prevalent cause is poor nutrition.
Symptoms
There are multiple symptoms of fatty liver disease in chickens, but it can still be hard to diagnose as chickens often exhibit the same symptoms for multiple diseases. If your chicken starts to exhibit these or other symptoms, take it to a licensed veterinarian for a diagnosis.
Symptoms include:
- Overweight or obese hens
- Pale or shrunken comb
- Dandriff on comb
- Lethargy
- Abnormally long growth of beak or nails
- Increased water consumption
- Dull Feathers or changes in feather color
- Loss of appetite
- Not engaging in normal activities
Treatment
Sadly, by the time symptoms start, it is usually too late to save a chicken suffering from fatty liver disease. Often, if a vet does diagnose this medical condition, humane euthanasia is the best course of action to prevent suffering.
However, if the condition is caught early on, some veterinarians will work with poultry owners to reduce the effects of a chicken diagnosed with fatty liver disease.
Did You Know?
While fatty liver disease in chickens is a serious condition, there are some interesting facts that you may not know about this disease.
- Fatty liver disease is more likely to occur in layers versus broilers.
- Fatty liver disease is more likely to occur in white egg layers than brown egg layers.
- While roosters can suffer from this disease, it is more likely to occur in hens.
Prevention
Before you trade in your flock of Leghorns for some Barred Plymouth Rocks, be sure to know that there are less extreme measures that you can take. While you can’t prevent all cases, starting with good nutrition and maintaining proper weight in the flock is a good starting point.
Reduce High Fat Treats
Put away the scratch and sunflower seeds and instead offer your flock some healthy treats such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, strawberries, raspberries and oats.
Not only do the treats mentioned above contain low amounts of fat, they are also high in biotin (vitamin B7). Biotin helps keep the liver healthy and prevent fatty liver disease in chickens.
No Molds Allowed
Never feed moldy feed, treats, or table scraps to chickens, as levels of mold and toxins will increase your chickens’ chances of contracting this disease.
Add More Protein
Chickens fed a high-energy, low-protein diet (also known as HELP-formulated feed) are more likely to succumb to fatty liver disease. As a general rule of thumb, laying hens should be fed a diet with sixteen to eighteen percent protein.
The reason for this is that chickens naturally require more protein and fewer carbohydrates and fat in their diet. When a hen receives too much fat and carbohydrates, the fat begins to accumulate around the liver, causing damage to the organ.
Vitamins, Please!
Just like we take vitamins to keep our bodies healthy, our chickens’ bodies also need proper nutrition in the form of vitamins and minerals to keep them healthy.
These vitamins are included in quality layer feed, but if you want to ensure your flock is receiving enough vitamins, add a water-soluble, poultry-formulated probiotic with extra vitamins to your flock’s water every day.
Important vitamins for preventing fatty liver disease in chickens include B vitamins, vitamin C and E.
Lifestyle Changes
Yes, if you want to help prevent fatty liver disease in chickens, your flock may need to undergo some lifestyle changes. The good news is that if handled slowly, your flock will probably not even notice these changes and should adapt quickly.
Often, fatty liver disease in backyard flocks is caused by hens becoming overweight due to the amount of treats and table scraps flock owners hand out and even overeating their layer pellets.
So how do you help prevent your chickens from becoming overweight? Below are a few ideas.
- Introduce timed feeding. Since most backyard flocks spend their days foraging in the run, a chicken tractor, or scratching in the garden, limiting your flock’s feed intake to thirty minutes twice a day will prevent your flock from overeating.
- Reduce the treats. If your flock is used to having three handfuls of scratch every evening, reduce the amount to two handfuls, or replace the scratch with a healthier option such as peas, oat groats, or oatmeal flakes for a healthier treat.
- If you don’t already, be sure to provide your flock with free-choice access to oyster shell, as low levels of calcium in the body can contribute to fatty liver disease in chickens.
Preventing fatty liver disease in chickens may not always be possible, but ensuring we provide our hens with proper nutrition and helping them maintain a healthy weight should help them live longer, healthier lives.
This article was written for Chickens and Hobby Farms magazines. Click here to subscribe.
