One of the most important aspects of animal husbandry is sanitation. A clean chicken / quail / turkey coop is key to animal health. Keeping a clean coop requires weekly muckings and a steady supply of dry clean bedding. I prefer straw hay to pine shavings but both will do. It is also important to wash hands and scrape off shoes before and after entering a coop. It is especially important to wash hands after touching other birds, bedding, droppings or coops.
It is also important to keep poultry species separate because while a certain disease can be benign in one species it can be deadly in another. I also choose to keep several breeds in my flocks with the intent to ward off the possibility of complete flock loss through this genetic diversity. It is also crucial that any new birds be kept quarantined from established flocks until the health of the new birds can be accurately assessed.
Nutrition is also very important for a flock's health. A well fed bird is a healthier bird. In addition to feed, fruit, vegetables and chicken scraps I often offer herbs to my poultry. There is some evidence to suggest that oregano, basil and rosemary have medicinal properties for poultry. A few ounces of unpasteurized unfiltered apple cider vinegar mixed into the flock's water allows for healthy digestion and cuts down on the the smell of bird droppings.
To recap, keeping your flock is just like keeping yourself healthy.
1. Wash your hands often.
2. Healthy diet.
3. A healthy caution towards new people... just kidding... but don't forget to wash your hands!