Editorial Policy

Editorial independence

FlockVet accepts no advertising, no sponsored content, and no affiliate arrangements. We have no commercial relationships with pharmaceutical companies, feed manufacturers, supplement brands, or any other vendor whose products we may describe.

When we recommend a product (e.g., "Bragg's raw apple cider vinegar" in a treatment protocol), it is because it is the reference-standard example for that ingredient category, not because of any commercial relationship. We do not earn money from clicks, purchases, or referrals.

Sourcing standards

All clinical claims in FlockVet condition guides must be supported by at least one of the following source types:

• ✓

  Peer-reviewed veterinary literature

  Journals including Avian Diseases, Poultry Science, Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, and Veterinary Record.

• ✓

  Established veterinary reference texts

  Including the Merck Veterinary Manual, The Chicken Health Handbook (Damerow), Backyard Poultry Medicine and Surgery (Olsen & Dorrestein), and Diseases of Poultry (Swayne).

• ✓

  Government veterinary guidance

  USDA APHIS disease factsheets, FDA approved drug information, and state veterinary diagnostic laboratory publications.

• ✓

  University extension publications

  Land-grant university poultry extension materials reviewed by veterinary faculty (e.g., Penn State Extension, University of Georgia Poultry Program).

Sources are cited at the bottom of each condition guide. When a claim relies on a specific study, the citation includes the author, journal, year, and DOI where available.

Content development process

1. 1

   Research phase

   Each condition guide begins with a full literature review across our standard source types. Clinical attributes (species specificity, body systems affected, onset speed, severity, contagion risk, zoonotic risk) are validated against at least two independent sources.

2. 2

   Draft writing

   Content is structured to cover: summary, symptoms, causes (with pathogen/mechanism detail), diagnosis (including differential diagnoses to rule out), conventional treatment with dosages where applicable, natural and supportive care options, prevention, prognosis, and when to call a vet.

3. 3

   DVM review (in progress)

   We are currently recruiting a licensed DVM reviewer. All existing content will be formally reviewed and approved before we display a DVM credential. See our veterinarians page for current status.

4. 4

   Publication and citation

   Published guides include a citations section with all sources used. We do not publish guides that rely solely on anecdotal or forum-sourced information.

5. 5

   Update schedule

   Each guide includes a 'last reviewed' date. We review and update guides when new clinical evidence is published, when treatment guidelines change, or when a guide is identified as requiring correction.

Natural and integrative care

FlockVet covers natural, herbal, and supportive care options alongside conventional veterinary treatment. This is deliberate: many flock keepers want integrative options, and most conventional poultry health resources ignore them entirely.

Our standard for natural care claims is the same as for conventional claims: claims must be supported by evidence. We will cite studies demonstrating the efficacy of oregano oil against Mycoplasma, or the pharmacological activity of thymol against Candida, because the evidence exists. We will not make unsupported claims that an herb "supports immune function" without mechanistic or clinical evidence.

Where evidence for natural treatment is weak or absent, we say so. Where a condition requires conventional treatment and natural care is supportive only, we say that too.

Corrections policy

If we publish a clinical error - a wrong dosage, an incorrect treatment protocol, a mischaracterized mechanism - we will correct it promptly and clearly note the correction at the bottom of the guide.

If you believe you have found a clinical error, please contact us. Include the specific claim you believe is incorrect and your source. We take corrections seriously and respond to all clinical correction requests.