Do you have a chicken "first aid" box? If so, what do you keep in it?

[casportpony]

What the heck do you do with those birds you give all that medicine? They wouldn't be good for eggs or to eat.

The meat and eggs are safe to eat if you wait until all of the medication is out of their system, And yes, I know Baytril is banned for use in food animals, but did you know the poultry industry used to use it?

-Kathy

 

[Triple Willow]

I have to pass on all of that. I don't trust those people that tell you when something is safe. They're the same ones that try to make you eat margarine, tell you eggs will kill you and pass out antibiotics like jelly beans!

 

[casportpony]

I have to pass on all of that. I don't trust those people that tell you when something is safe. They're the same ones that try to make you eat margarine, tell you eggs will kill you and pass out antibiotics like jelly beans!

If you ever bought chicken from the grocery store in the early 90's there was a pretty good chance that it had been treated with Baytril.

FWIW, I use the drugs in a responsible way. Baytril is reserved for the sickest of birds, ones that will probably die if not treated.

-Kathy

 

[Beekissed]

I have nothing in any first aid box specifically for chickens. I've never had to give chickens any medicines in the past 37 yrs so I wouldn't even know where to begin if I had constantly sick and dying birds. I think I'd just quit on raising birds at that point.

 

[realsis]

I agree with Kathy. I too have baytril reserved for a emergency. I believe in medications as well if their lives are at stake. I can't see letting a bird die if you can help it with medications. We have came a long way with science and we likely would not even be here without the invention of penicillin. We would have died from the common flu or other trivial disease that antibiotics has cured. I do believe in natural methods as well but my point is I'm not going to let a bird die if I can help save it with antibiotics or medication..

 

[Triple Willow]

I have nothing in any first aid box specifically for chickens.  I've never had to give chickens any medicines in the past 37 yrs so I wouldn't even know where to begin if I had constantly sick and dying birds.  I think I'd just quit on raising birds at that point. 

Ditto. If I had sick and dying birds all the time I would feel bad and figure I'd better leave birds alone.

 

[casportpony]

I have nothing in any first aid box specifically for chickens. I've never had to give chickens any medicines in the past 37 yrs so I wouldn't even know where to begin if I had constantly sick and dying birds. I think I'd just quit on raising birds at that point.

Most people that post here do so out of desperation and most of the time they don't have appropriate medications and supplies to save their birds. Many of my bottles, like Tylan 50, haven't even been opened, I just figure it's better to have than not. If you've never had a bird die, you're lucky. I have a very large flock, so I see more than the average person does, but the majority of the deaths I see are reproductive issues in hens and Marek's, which I brought home with me before I knew better than to "rescue", lol.

-Kathy

 

[Shan30]

None of my first aid supplies are just for the birds but all I really ever use on them are soap, water and Nu-Stock.

 

[Beekissed]

Most people that post here do so out of desperation and most of the time they don't have appropriate medications and supplies to save their birds. Many of my bottles, like Tylan 50, haven't even been opened, I just figure it's better to have than not. If you've never had a bird die, you're lucky. I have a very large flock, so I see more than the average person does, but the majority of the deaths I see are reproductive issues in hens and Marek's, which I brought home with me before I knew better than to "rescue", lol.

-Kathy

I understand that...that most people are desperate when they encounter illness in their birds. It's a bad time to start looking for a fix and that would make anyone be desperate. I've had birds die in the past...just fell off the roost with no prior healthy symptoms. That's it and it was bad breed selection...then I never got that breed again.

But, I can tell you that having birds that do not get ill and die has nothing to do with luck or the size of your flocks. It has to do with breed selection, judicious culling, good flock management methods and diligence in these areas. Thirty seven years of good flock health has nothing whatsoever to do with luck....that would make me the luckiest person alive. That's like telling an Olympic gold metal winner that they just got lucky.

It takes work and deciding that you will prevent sickness and suffering so you don't have to magic up a fix for it when it's already there. That way you don't have to feel desperate and wonder what med to give for what ailment.

I appreciate that there are many different paths to the same destination and some feel very secure taking the medication route to problems after they occur...but the thread did ask if I had a first aid box and, if so, what I had in it. I decided that my answer of no and nothing needed an explanation.

 

[Ellisa]

Quote:

I am a 1st time owner of chickens. I am beyond grateful for the help I've gotten for my chicken, who suffered from a bad bite from a dog. Prevention is key, but having said that having a 1st aid kit is realistic. If I had a 1st aid kit in place, I wouldn't have needed to run all over the place to buy what I needed. I was desperate and I didn't "appropriate medications and supplies". I wish I had a 1st aid kit. I can't imagine my chickens ever needing this, but if one or two may in the future should need something, for anything, I'll be prepared and equipped with all that I need. I understand things need to be put in place to prevent injuries/illness, but for those unforeseen/unpreventable events, I'll want to be prepared.