ABSTRACT
Most companion birds are altricial. As juveniles, their health status is determined not only by their environment, but also by the input from their parents and how the eggs were incubated. The health of the parent birds can affect the chick via pathogens transmitted through the egg to the chick, and by the degree of transference on maternal immunity via the albumen and yolk. As with any other medical case, a good history of the chick is an essential key in the diagnostic workup. The chick should be weighed and its weight compared with the expected weight for that age, found in growth charts. Clinical pathology can be used readily on chicks. Radiography is an essential tool for assessing the status of the skeletal system, but the low density of the bones and the cartilaginous growth plates in very young chicks can make this difficult.
