How do I spot a chicken allergy?

Itching, ear infections and loose stools that improve on an elimination diet. Here is the reasoning behind that answer, and the exceptions worth knowing.

The short answer

Itching, ear infections and loose stools that improve on an elimination diet.

True food allergies are less common than environmental ones. A vet-guided 8-week elimination trial with a novel protein is the only reliable test — switching bags at random mostly wastes money.

Why it works that way

Feeding decisions compound: a 10% overshoot becomes 2–3 kg a year, and joint disease follows weight rather than age. That is why portion control and body condition scoring outrank brand loyalty in every credible feeding guideline.

• Weigh food rather than scooping by eye for at least two weeks.
• Score body condition monthly using ribs, waist and belly tuck.
• Change one variable at a time so you can tell what worked.

When to ask your vet instead

See a vet rather than adjusting diet if you notice weight loss without diet change, persistent loose stools, vomiting, or a sudden refusal to eat. Those are clinical signs, not feeding problems.

Adjust slowly, measure consistently, and let body condition be the referee.