Just because your chicken stopped laying eggs or has a pale comb and wattle does not mean that she is unhealthy. She could just be broody or going through a molt. It is important to look at your chicken as a whole before you intervene. Do you know how to tell if your chicken is unhealthy?

Spotting an unhealthy chicken early can make all the difference. A hen that looks “off” may be showing signs of illness or stress. Here’s what matters most:

• Watch for changes in behavior (lethargy, isolation, unusual aggression)
• Check physical appearance (pale combs, drooping wings, missing feathers)
• Monitor egg production for sudden drops or irregular shells
• Use herbs to naturally support health and prevention

💡 Many chicken keepers rely on calming and cooling herbs—like chamomile, lavender, and peppermint—to reduce stress and help hens stay balanced through seasonal challenges.

There are 7 signs to look for that will help you to determine if your chicken is unhealthy.

1. Separated from the Flock

Chickens are social animals by nature and if they are off on their own, this should be a signal to you that something isn’t right.

Healthy chickens will preen together, sun bathe, eat and drink, peck and scratch the ground and perch together.

Instead, an unhealthy chicken is likely to be off on its own. It may be off in a corner or under a bush. They will instinctively do this not to draw attention to itself.

Sick chickens are picked on by other coop mates because they are a threat to the rest of the flock. They are, “only as strong as their weakest member.” A chicken that is ill is likely to draw attention to predators.

It is sad, but other chickens will peck an unhealthy chicken to death.

This is why it is important to recognize if a chicken is ill and separate them, in a separate enclosure, from the rest of the flock.

2. Crop Isn’t Emptying

A healthy chicken will fill its crop during the day and by morning it should be completely empty. There are 3 common crop issues that a chicken can develop that will affect their health. The sooner that they are treated, the better the odds of survival are.

3 Common Crop Issues that Can Affect a Chickens Health

1. Sour Crop
   • Look: Crop is full.
   • Feel: Chicken crop is squishy or feels like a water balloon.
   • Smell: Breath smells sour.
   • Listen: Gurgling coming from crop area. This is the yeast fermenting inside.
2. Impacted Crop
   • Crop is hard and not pliable when massaged. This can be due to eating too much long, fibrous grass, straw or foreign material.
   • Chicken will eat less or stop eating completely. When its crop is full, it send a signal to its brain to stop eating.
   • Chicken will poop less because food will not be moving throughout the digestive system.
3. Pendulous Crop
   • This is a crop that has expanded and the muscles do not contract back to its resting shape. A chicken with a pendulous crop will have a long, distended crop that has difficulty emptying without assistance.

3. Unusually Pale Comb and Wattle

Now, just because a chicken comb and wattle is pale does not always mean it is unhealthy. A young chicken that is not mature and a broody hen will also have a pale comb and wattle. This is completely normal.

It is if you have a mature chicken that once had a red comb and wattle, but suddenly develops a pale comb and wattle and exhibits other symptoms as well, then you should be concerned.

Reasons Chickens Develop a Pale Comb and Wattle

• It has mites, lice or other parasites.
• Chicken may have Marek’s Disease
• Coccidiosis
• Your chicken is experiencing stress
• Malnourished
• Your chicken is experiencing Heat Exhaustion
• Dehydration

4. Stops Eating and Drinking

A healthy adult chicken will eat about 1/4lb of feed a day. This is the equivalent to about 1/2 cup layers pellets.

Healthy chickens should be seen grazing throughout the day. You should see them pecking and scratching the ground, foraging for food.

An unhealthy chicken will often be off on its own and not have an appetite to eat or drink.

5. An Unhealthy Chicken Will Look Unkempt

Healthy chickens dust bathe and preen regularly. Unhealthy chickens will stop preening themselves and will not dust bathe.

An unhealthy chickens wings my be held out from its body and be slightly drooped. If may have ruffled looking feathers.

When a chicken preens, it restores the oil to its feathers, giving them a nice sheen or shine. Because it doesn’t preen or dust bathe, it may have dirty or dull looking feathers.

It may have its eyes closed and shiver.

SIGNS OF AN UNKEMPT CHICKEN

AN UNHEALTHY CHICKEN WILL LOOK UNKEMPT
WILL NOT DUST BATHE
WILL NOT PREEN
WINGS HELD OUT FROM SIDE
WINGS DROOPY
RUFFLED FEATHERS
DULL LOOKING FEATHERS

Herbs to Aid Digestion & Feather Health

When feathers look ragged or dull, it may point to nutritional deficiencies or stress. Adding digestion-friendly herbs can help your hens get the most from their feed and support healthy feather growth.

My Nesting Box Herbs contain parsley, fennel seed, and rosemary—herbs that aid digestion, boost circulation, and improve nutrient absorption. Over time, you’ll notice shinier feathers and a healthier overall appearance.

6. Change in Droppings

When a chicken becomes unhealthy, it will often show by affecting its digestive system. This can be seen with a change in the consistency of their droppings as well as the frequency. Any change at all in either the consistency or frequency should be a signal to you that something is wrong.

How a Chickens Health Affects Its Droppings

• Diarrhea
• Chicken Pasty Butt
• No Droppings

7. Hen Suddenly Stops Laying Eggs

When a hen doesn’t feel well, it will put all of its energy into battling whatever ailment it is going through. This means that she will either cut back or stop egg laying all together.

A hen will also cut back or stop laying eggs if she is molting or just broody(trying to hatch a clutch of eggs).

So, this is something that you will need to observe. If your laying hen suddenly stops laying eggs and is also listless, withdrawn or has diarrhea, then you need to be concerned.

If you have a sick chicken, it is especially important to take precautions when cleaning and interacting with them. According to the CDC, you need to “Stop Nuzzling Chickens.”

Herbal Boost for Nesting Areas

Keeping nesting boxes clean and fresh is essential for preventing illness. Herbs like lavender, chamomile, and marigolds don’t just smell good—they naturally deter pests and create a calming space for laying hens.

That’s why I use them in my Nesting Box Herbs blend, which can be sprinkled directly in nest boxes to keep your flock healthier and your coop fresher.

CONCLUSION: How to Tell if Your Chicken is Unhealthy- 7 Best Signs

Keeping chickens healthy is about prevention + quick response:

• Observe your flock daily for small changes
• Provide clean water, balanced feed, and a tidy coop
• Add herbal support for natural wellness boosts

🌿 My flock thrives with:

• Nesting Box Herbs – lavender, marigolds & chamomile for fresh, calming nests
• Cooling Herbs – hibiscus, peppermint & lemon balm to help in hot weather

A little daily attention, plus these natural helpers, will keep your flock happy, resilient, and laying strong through every season.

7 SIGNS YOUR CHICKEN IS UNHEALTHY
1. IT WILL SEPARATE ITSELF FROM THE REST OF THE FLOCK
2. CROP DOES NOT EMPTY
3. UNUSUALLY PALE COMB AND WATTLE
4. IT STOPS EATING AND DRINKING
5. IT APPEARS UNKEMPT
6. CHANGE IN DROPPINGS
7. SUDDENLY STOPS LAYING EGGS

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