Chicken First Aid Kit

[AmyJane725]

Hey guys,

Still preparing to bring my babies home, and I'm trying to be as prepared as possible. I read a lot of threads where people's birds are in trouble and so many helpful people come to recommend the proper medications and treatments. I thought it might be helpful for the community, as well as myself, to have one place with a comprehensive list of the items that a fully stocked first aid kit should have.

A friend on here told me the stuff she keeps in hers, and I've added in a few that I've jotted down while reading the various "Emergency, what do I do?!" type posts on this site. Please let me know any items that are missing, or any that are redundant. I want to have a clear use for each item and not get into a crisis and have 50 different bottles of stuff and not know which to pick. Not to mention that having a bunch of things that all do the same thing is a waste of money.

ALSO: Given the choice between liquid or ointment, which is it better to choose, or doesn't it matter? I guess it probably depends on the application. I'll put "Liquid/Ointment?" next to an item if I'm not sure which to pick. Would love any feedback on those.

So, here's what I've got so far:

Medications:
Corid
Tylan 50
Fluconazole
Baytril
Liquid Safeguard
10% Permethrin
Fish Mox (https://www.allivet.com/p-2377-fish...iate&cjevent=211512a04bd311e98265003e0a1c0e0f)
SMZ-TMP Fish Aid (https://www.allivet.com/p-9140-fish-aid-antibiotics-sulfa-tablets.aspx?sku=51314-1)

Supplements/Disinfectants:
White Oak Bark Powder
Vetericyn Plus
Neosporin (Painkiller Free)
Blukote
Pine Tar
Coconut Oil (Unrefined/Virgin/Cold-Pressed)
Betadine (Liquid/Ointment?)
Chlorhexidine
Hydrocortisone (Painkiller Free)
Poultry Nutri-Drench
VetRx
Drawing Salve (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GKN36W/?tag=backy-20)
Caltrate/Tums (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/handle-buy-box/ref=dp_start-bbf_1_glance)

Equipment/Disposables:
Pipet
Bulb
100 mL Volumetric Flask

Diabetic Needles
1 mL Syringes
3 mL Syringes
Monoject Syringe

2x2 Gauze
Vetwrap
Q-Tips
Cotton Balls

Biopsy Punch
Scalpal
Curette


AGAIN, PLEASE POINT OUT IF I HAVE ANY DUPLICATE MEDICATIONS. I'M NEW TO ALL OF THIS AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT MANY OF THESE THINGS ARE FOR YET/WHEN SOMETHING IS JUST THE BRAND NAME VS. THE GENERIC NAME OF SOMETHING.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You may also be interested in this thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/suggestions-for-a-first-aid-kit-updated-2-16-2019.1150128/

 

[AmyJane725]

You may also be interested in this thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/suggestions-for-a-first-aid-kit-updated-2-16-2019.1150128/

Yes, that looks right up my alley. Thank you

 

[AmyJane725]

Looks like that thread doesn't have medications though, and I don't know that the thread they were talking about staring ever got off the ground, so I'd like to get the meds figured out here.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You may want to start at a place like PoultryDVM it has a decent list of medications, conditions and treatment options.
http://www.poultrydvm.com/

Some people use a book like this for reference. I don't know how much emergency care is discussed in it, but likely it does mention disease and wounds.

 

[AmyJane725]

Can anyone recommend/link me to an amazon listing for some hydrocortisone cream that is safe/works well for chickens? There are so many different kinds and formulas I don't want to get something that will accidentally poison them.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You can find Hydrocortisone at any pharmacy or Walmart too. Usually even the dollar store has it. 1% Hydrocortisone cream should be sufficient. What are you trying to treat?

 

[AmyJane725]

You can find Hydrocortisone at any pharmacy or Walmart too. Usually even the dollar store has it. 1% Hydrocortisone cream should be sufficient. What are you trying to treat?

Not trying to treat anything. Trying to be prepared in case I have to treat a prolapsed vent.

Does this one look ok?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0779CBH6S/?tag=backy-20

Active ingredient: Hydrocortisone 1%. Purpose: Anti-itch. Inactive ingredients: aloe barbadensis leaf juice, aluminum sulfate, calcium acetate, cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, cholecalciferol, dextrin, glycerin, isopropyl palmitate, light mineral oil, maltodextrin, methylparaben, propylene glycol, propylparaben, purified water, retinyl palmitate, sodium cetearyl sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, tocopherol, white petrolatum, white wax, zea mays (corn) oil.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Not trying to treat anything. Trying to be prepared in case I have to treat a prolapsed vent.

Does this one look ok?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0779CBH6S/?tag=backy-20

Active ingredient: Hydrocortisone 1%. Purpose: Anti-itch. Inactive ingredients: aloe barbadensis leaf juice, aluminum sulfate, calcium acetate, cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, cholecalciferol, dextrin, glycerin, isopropyl palmitate, light mineral oil, maltodextrin, methylparaben, propylene glycol, propylparaben, purified water, retinyl palmitate, sodium cetearyl sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, tocopherol, white petrolatum, white wax, zea mays (corn) oil.

That should be fine.
You don't have chickens right now? Hopefully you won't ever see a prolapse or atleast for a couple of years since you are getting ready for chicks.

I do keep a few basic things on hand for emergency care, but usually only buy what I need when it's needed. I suppose a lot depends on your location and how easy it is to source supplies as well.

If you want just a basic bare bones "kit". Epsom salts, triple antibiotic ointment, blukote, some type of antiseptic for flushing (betadine, dial soap,chlorhexidine) or a recipe to make your own saline, Tums, poultry vitamins and either hydrocortisone or prepH will take care of a lot of things.

 

[Eggcessive]

When I first bought baby chicks, I went out and bought a lot of medicines to have on hand. My chicks did not get sick, so I wasted money on Corid, (oxytetracycline when you could buy it in feed stores a few years ago,) some ointments. I did use BluKote when my polish heads were pecked.

So, I would just keep some normal first aid items that you can use on your family. Those would include either betadine or chlorhexidene (Hibiclens) and some plain Neosporin (Triple Antibiotic Ointment.) We usually keep hydrocortisone cream at home for itching. Many products can be used for prolapses just to keep it moist, but you don’t need all of them. I have never seen a prolapse in 8 years.

You may find that many use what they have available, such as soap and water, homemade saline, homemade electrolytes, and get what they need after an incident.

Then I would decide what you might need to buy for coccidiosis, a wormer, or if you should see a respiratory disease. Syringes and needles can be found at feed stores and sometimes in a local pharmacy, depending on state laws. Dressings can be found in your local first aid aisle at drug stores.

I would look locally to make sure that I could find those if needed, and then just buy them if something happens. Most feed stores sell SafeGuard, Valbazen,Tylan 50, and Corid. Other antibiotics and wormers are found online, at least for now, but keeping a lot of them around can be expensive.

Many people never use antibiotics on chickens, since most are not approved. If I were buying only one antibiotic, I would buy enrofloxacin (Baytril,) which is banned in chickens. It can treat respiratory diseases, gram positive, and other infections that can be caused by E.coli and other gram negative bacteria. But egg withdrawal time can be a little hard to figure out since it is not approved.