Can I take my chickens to a normal vetrinarians office?

[Miss Bockerton]

A while back my rooster got really sick and I didn't know if my cat's regular vets. office would think I'm crazy to ask to take my rooster there. My rooster ended up recovering from his sickness; but what if it happens again?

 

[1muttsfan]

Call them, ask it they work on birds, and if they will see your chicken. If not, maybe they can recommend another clinic that does bird work.

 

[speckledhen]

Most vets actually know very little about chickens, but you should ask the vet if his knowledge extends to avian species and chickens in particular. Most are quite willing to charge the big bucks, kill the bird through ignorance and never admit they really didn't know what they were doing. It's a fact that many BYC flock owners know much more about chickens than their vets do.

 

[katescountryfarm]

I searched my area in Florida and nobody would take chickens. Especially my rooster

 

[Daisy8s]

You may need to look for a large animal vet who works on farms. Perhaps look up a local feed mill and see if they have recommendations.

The other alternative is looking for an avian vet who sees parrots, etc. A search using those kinds of terms may show something.

P.S. I took a hen to a vet and she laid an egg in her carrier while there. I tried to offer him the egg as payment but surprisingly he wasn't willing to barter. Darn.

 

[Creed Bennett]

I took one of my hens to the local vet and he told me that birds weren't his thing but he helped me get the bird fixed up. He just charged me for the meds that I needed. He gets all my business now.

 

[theoldchick]

Simply call your vet and explain your situation. He or she can refer you to an exotic veterinarian. While many vets may not have experience in poultry, most can access a veterinary site which will allow them to communicate with veterinarians all over the world to help them with a particular case. So you never know unless you ask!

If more folks ask for veterinary care for their pet chicken the industry will respond. I remember when cats were considered an 'exotic' species and many people did not bring a feline in for vet care because, 'it's just a cat'. But when this attitude changed the veterinary industry responded by doing research and learning about the feline to provide top notch preventative care.

 

[keyt1969]

If you have a large college near you check to see if they have a vet school. That's where I have taken mine.

 

[growyourbrew]

I agree. Ask your vet for a recommendation. He/she will be able to direct you to the right vet!

 

[7L Farm]

I would try & get advice from BYC. There's some folks here that will probably tell you what to do.