Assemble a first aid kit before you buy chicks!

[Katanahamon]

Good advice to have emergency supplies on hand well before they're needed, even if everything in here is not what each and every individual person would buy.

Get your supplies while you're thinking clearly so you're prepared with what you need when the inevitable problem comes to your coop/run, and it will if you keep chickens long enough...

Why, thank you so much! Here I thought every post was subject to instant criticism, critique, judgment and repudiation! Well, at least some are..gee, I just thought it’d be smart to show beginners that Bad Things Happen, best Be Prepared..! Thanks again for seeing my intention! Just realize beginners..live animals are your responsibility, so please, think ahead..!

 

[Jory]

Also a good idea to write doses for your medications on a recipe card and store it in your kit inside a ziploc bag.
That way you will have them and not need to hunt them down when you are flustered.

 

[Katanahamon]

Also a good idea to write doses for your medications on a recipe card and store it in your kit inside a ziploc bag.
That way you will have them and not need to hunt them down when you are flustered.

With that, keep a notebook in your kit, record your animals’ issues, your treatments, etc, unless you keep records another way..great idea btw..

 

[Swbertrand1]

Also a good idea to write doses for your medications on a recipe card and store it in your kit inside a ziploc bag.
That way you will have them and not need to hunt them down when you are flustered.

Yep!

 

[Katanahamon]

Yep!

Another thing..do a search, ask friends, etc about a poultry vet in your area! Failing that, try the exotic bird vets, some will see poultry..my area, despite being metropolitan (sort of, Salt Lake lol) there are virtually no (affordable) resources..when you’re upset about an injury, waiting on hold with twenty vet offices only to be told “I’m sorry, we don’t see chickens” is even more upsetting..!

 

[Swbertrand1]

Another thing..do a search, ask friends, etc about a poultry vet in your area! Failing that, try the exotic bird vets, some will see poultry..my area, despite being metropolitan (sort of, Salt Lake lol) there are virtually no (affordable) resources..when you’re upset about an injury, waiting on hold with twenty vet offices only to be told “I’m sorry, we don’t see chickens” is even more upsetting..!

Yep! Fortunately, we have avian vets in our area, but that's a great point too!

Have an emergency care provider lined up BEFORE you need one.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I will admit this would be useful if you have someone watching the flock and you're out of town. I know one of my normal bird sitters would not be someone that would respond well to being told to cull a bird that got injured while I was away. It at least would let her know she tried to help it.

The notcard is a good idea though. I'll have to make one if I end up worming and adding it to my ID notebook for the birds

 

[rosemarythyme]

Not directly related but on the note of having medicine dosages and such written down so you don't have to look for it later...

This sounds morbid I know but another thing to read up on ahead of time is how to dispatch a chicken if needed in case of emergency. It's really awful having a bird that needs to be put down immediately but having to run back inside to watch a video on how to broomstick it (which happened to me).

Even with pet birds, most of us do not have access to a poultry vet and/or can't afford the high cost. If the bird is truly suffering I don't want to try to stitch it back together or make it sit around for hours/days until it expires.