Anyone have a good list of simple products to have on hand?

[FirstTimeChikens]

If a farm store is close to you, I'd wait on the Corid as it's too expensive to just toss and buy new to keep it on hand. If it's a PIA for you to get, then I'd just stock it and keep an eye on it. Both powder and liquid have expiration dates.

The other things we keep on hand are:

Vet Wrap - for splayed legs.
Vetericyn - anti-bacterial spray.
Probiotic/electrolyte for water (Hydro-Hen)
Vitamins for water (Nutra-Drench and Poultry Cell)
3 and/or 5 cc syringes - in case you have to feed a weak chick/chicken.
Triple antibiotic ointment (without pain killer).
Epsom salt
Saline solution


The rest, I just go buy when it's needed.

Can you get saline wash and Epsom salt at like Walmart? Or do I need something chicken specific? Same with triple antibiotic, is that Terramycin?

 

[NatJ]

Like vetrx, rooster booster, that type. What do I need on hand and what do I not need? Thanks!

I generally go with clean water, chick starter or other appropriate food, and that's about it.

If I need a towel or something, I grab it from the house (usually the rattiest one available), rather than keeping separate supplies just for the chickens.

If I ever need electolytes for chickens (hasn't happened yet), I will look up a recipe online and make it with things from my kitchen. If I ever have a specific nutritional deficiency in a chicken, I will research and buy the right product at that point. But a "complete feed" for chickens will usually prevent all nutritional deficiencies, so I've never seen any.


For treating specific problems:
Coccidiosis is relatively common. and can kill chickens quickly, especially when they are young. So if you are new to chickens, maybe keep Corid (amprolium) on hand to treat that.

I can't think of any other medication that is commonly needed in a hurry. I would guess that at least half of chicken owners will never even need to use Corid, so if you have easy access to stores that stock it, there is no reason to buy it unless you do need it.

[Edit to add: there were two threads with the same question, so I answered without seeing the other responses. Once I realized there were two, I asked a moderator to combine them into a single thread.]

 

[Sally PB]

Get things one at a time, as you can. The calcium, dewormer, Corid, and lice/mite treatments are easily available and not too expensive.

 

[FirstTimeChikens]

A good antiseptic rinse is a lifesaver. Something like Vetericyn or hibaclense is wonderful to have on hand. They don’t expire for quite a while and can be used on all animal species. We’ve used ours on our dogs multiple times as well ad our chickens.

Good! I did go ahead and buy vetericyn.

 

[Debbie292d]

Can you get saline wash and Epsom salt at like Walmart? Or do I need something chicken specific? Same with triple antibiotic, is that Terramycin?

Terramycin is for their eyes, should they get an eye infection.

I would go to Walmart for the saline rinse, Epsom salts, and triple antibiotic ointment. They'd have it all.

 

[alinas2010]

Good! I did go ahead and buy vetericyn.

Other than that, the other thing we’ve most used and I’ve been super thankful to have on hand for our chickens is the calcium citrate plus D3 vitamins that @Sally PB mentions. Literal lifesaver for one hen in particular.

 

[FirstTimeChikens]

Other than that, the other thing we’ve most used and I’ve been super thankful to have on hand for our chickens is the calcium citrate plus D3 vitamins that @Sally PB mentions. Literal lifesaver for one hen in particular.

Can u buy a human bottle or does it need to be chicken specific?

 

[Sally PB]

Human kind is fine.

 

[Sally PB]

Calcium is for a hen laying thin/weak shells, or if a hen is egg bound, ie, trying to lay, but having trouble. The calcium will helps stimulate the muscle contractions to push out the egg.

As @alinas2010 said, it can be a literal life saver for a hen. Having an egg stuck inside spells big trouble for chickens. If it breaks, it becomes a breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria. If it doesn't come out, it's blocking everything up. Chickens can die from it in as little as 48 hours.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'm not sure if Corid has a shelf life, or not. It should have an expiration date on the package. Since it's easy enough to get, when the date gets close, get another package.

Unless someone more knowledgeable says something else? Anyone know if Corid is good past its date?

Liquid Corid does have an expiration date, not sure about powdered. I admit to using expired Corid (on a dog, not a chicken) but I think I should get a new bottle as it's starting to crystallize at the cap.

That said, I would definitely recommend having Corid on hand if you're getting new chicks unless you have a reliable farm store close by, as chicks can go downhill extremely fast if they get a coccidiosis overload. Most other medications/treatment items you have more leeway on and you can afford to wait a couple days for the item to be purchased or sent to your house.