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

[Beekissed]

.

 

[Eggcessive]

Casportpony's threads have been for teaching purposes, and she helps many people every day on the emergency forum with her advice. Many people have treated their chickens successfully because of her good advice.

 

[shmccarthy]

I understand that each person has their own way of dealing with sick animals, to each their own. The purpose of this post was to share ideas on what kinds of things people keep around in case any of their chickens get sick or hurt. I didn't intend to stir the pot in any way, I was mainly looking for ideas of what other people have, mainly because I'm starting to hatch a lot more eggs and I think it's good to be prepared!
Like another poster said, the best treatment is actually prevention, but we can't predict everything that is going to happen.
The only actual medicine I ever had to give I my babies was corid, when some of them got cocci. And at that point I was able to learn what caused the cocci and how I could prevent it in the future. I myself, mainly try to use home remedies and as a last resort, use medicine.
I unfortunately had one of my cockerels get attacked by a predator, most likely a raccoon, and he had a huge chunk of his neck missing. I saw it the next morning and removed him from the flock and cleaned his wound. I was he it the best I could and put gauze and neosporin on it. I changed his bandages every day until he was healed. He didn't like is so much, but he healed up nicely without any infection! He still doesn't grow any feathers on that spot ok his neck, but that's better than what could've happened. I learned from that, I needed to have a smaller gauge fencing that raccoons couldn't stick their dirty paws trough to get to my chickens.
What I'm trying to get at is we can't prevent everything happening to our chickens. I stated this because I was looking for what other folks keep handy in case of emergency. The most important thing is that we learn from our mistakes and are able to prevent it from happening in the future.

 

[casportpony]

I have a much larger flock than most, plus I have many old birds *and* Marek's, so I will see more than most, but I doubt the percentage is abnormal.

1st. Do I tube feed if they aren't eating and/or losing weight, yes, of course I do, which is what my vet said I should do and if more people here did that, their birds might still be alive.

2nd. Do I do medical procedures like crop surgery and vomitting? No, never, nor have I done anything more extreme. Do I help hens when they're egg bound? Yes, usually with calcium. Do I correct chicks hatched with curly toes? Of course.

3rd. All medications are given per the recommendations of proper veterinary literature like Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook and Harrison's Clinical AVian Medicine. Am I currently treating a thin 5 year old hen with wormer, yes, but do your reseach and you'll find that the treatment plan she is on is approved for use in poultry and that multiple days of worming are required to effectivly treat many worms.

4th Did I recently have a 3 year old rooster die from Marek's, yes, but he was given the best supportive care until the end. Did I recently have a duck die? Yes, but the fact she died from a hawk attack is something you didn't know, right?

Am I missing anything?

-Kathy

 

[Ellisa]

I understand that each person has their own way of dealing with sick animals, to each their own. The purpose of this post was to share ideas on what kinds of things people keep around in case any of their chickens get sick or hurt. I didn't intend to stir the pot in any way, I was mainly looking for ideas of what other people have, mainly because I'm starting to hatch a lot more eggs and I think it's good to be prepared!
Like another poster said, the best treatment is actually prevention, but we can't predict everything that is going to happen.
The only actual medicine I ever had to give I my babies was corid, when some of them got cocci. And at that point I was able to learn what caused the cocci and how I could prevent it in the future.

I myself, mainly try to use home remedies and as a last resort, use medicine.
I unfortunately had one of my cockerels get attacked by a predator, most likely a raccoon, and he had a huge chunk of his neck missing.

I saw it the next morning and removed him from the flock and cleaned his wound. I was he it the best I could and put gauze and neosporin on it. I changed his bandages every day until he was healed. He didn't like is so much, but he healed up nicely without any infection! He still doesn't grow any feathers on that spot ok his neck, but that's better than what could've happened. I learned from that, I needed to have a smaller gauge fencing that raccoons couldn't stick their dirty paws trough to get to my chickens.
What I'm trying to get at is we can't prevent everything happening to our chickens. I stated this because I was looking for what other folks keep handy in case of emergency. The most important thing is that we learn from our mistakes and are able to prevent it from happening in the future.

I appreciate your post, and I learned of things to have in a 1st aid kit and it's important to know and have these items. 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.

 

[Triple Willow]

I understand that each person has their own way of dealing with sick animals, to each their own. The purpose of this post was to share ideas on what kinds of things people keep around in case any of their chickens get sick or hurt. I didn't intend to stir the pot in any way, I was mainly looking for ideas of what other people have, mainly because I'm starting to hatch a lot more eggs and I think it's good to be prepared!
Like another poster said, the best treatment is actually prevention, but we can't predict everything that is going to happen.
The only actual medicine I ever had to give I my babies was corid, when some of them got cocci. And at that point I was able to learn what caused the cocci and how I could prevent it in the future. I myself, mainly try to use home remedies and as a last resort, use medicine.
I unfortunately had one of my cockerels get attacked by a predator, most likely a raccoon, and he had a huge chunk of his neck missing. I saw it the next morning and removed him from the flock and cleaned his wound. I was he it the best I could and put gauze and neosporin on it. I changed his bandages every day until he was healed. He didn't like is so much, but he healed up nicely without any infection! He still doesn't grow any feathers on that spot ok his neck, but that's better than what could've happened. I learned from that, I needed to have a smaller gauge fencing that raccoons couldn't stick their dirty paws trough to get to my chickens.
What I'm trying to get at is we can't prevent everything happening to our chickens. I stated this because I was looking for what other folks keep handy in case of emergency. The most important thing is that we learn from our mistakes and are able to prevent it from happening in the future.

I appreciate your post too. A "first aid" box is a great idea. A lot of times when I need something I can't find it so a box with a few things would be great. I bought a small Rubbermaid type box just for that last week.

 

[Triple Willow]

Pumping a sick old hen full of a chemical dewormer when you don't even know if the hen even has worms just might fall under an experimental medical treatment. In my opinion it is very bad judgement as well as dusting sick birds with chemicals for mites when you don't even know if they have mites to start with. What about investing a some preventative practices to prevent worms, mites, lice, disease, etc.? How about reducing the flock UNTIL a handle is obtained on keeping a healthy flock?

 

[casportpony]

Horse had colic and died before I could have the vet out to euthanize him. I've owned over 250 horses in my life and have lost two to colic and three to old age. Colic happens and to the best of us.

Keep in mind that I have had confirmed case of Marek's and blackhead here. There is no cure for Marek's, but blackhead is treatable if caught soon enough.

As for the birds mentioned in that thread, they are:

• Two peacocks, neither were mine, I offered to pick them up and treat them for blackhead, but the owner had waited too long to call me. I sure didn't experiment on them. Did I do a necropsy, yes and hopefully someone will learn something from that.

• There was also a peachick with a heart defect.
• Hen #1 I never did, but I suspect it was Marek's or something like EYP
• Hen #2 it was EYP
• I made a reference to three necropsied with coccidiosis, but those were dead chicks from the feedstore.
• Hen# 3 was an older hen, so it probably had a repro issue, too, but I let her sit too long and didn't get to do the necropsy.
• Hen# 4 Unclear what happened to her, possibly Marek's
• I made mention of a couple that died on the same day, but that was three years ago.

I'm sure if you go through other thread of mine you'll find more hens with EYP, ascites or Marek's, but I can assure you it's a very small percentage.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Pumping a sick old hen full of a chemical dewormer when you don't even know if the hen even has worms just might fall under an experimental medical treatment. In my opinion it is very bad judgement as well as dusting sick birds with chemicals for mites when you don't even know if they have mites to start with. What about investing a some preventative practices to prevent worms, mites, lice, disease, etc.? How about reducing the flock UNTIL a handle is obtained on keeping a healthy flock?

I can assure you that my vet would have me do this. FYI, Safeguard is often used in very sick kittens and puppies to treat giardia. As for dusting for mites or lice, I can tell you that most sick birds will have them and *most* people can't actually see them. Dusting and worming her is not going to kill her, that I am sure of.

-Kathy

 

[Ellisa]

Here is the point of the thread, "I understand that each person has their own way of dealing with sick animals, to each their own. The purpose of this post was to share ideas on what kinds of things people keep around in case any of their chickens get sick or hurt. I didn't intend to stir the pot in any way, I was mainly looking for ideas of what other people have, mainly because I'm starting to hatch a lot more eggs and I think it's good to be prepared!"

They were only asking for items for a 1st aid kit. I love the idea, of the thread. In my cabinet I have a 1st aid kit for my family, Band aids, pains meds, stitches, warming blanket, neosporin, countless other items. Have I used all of them no way, but should I need them, I have them. Do I want to get hurt, no... I will cut things a certain way and open letters and other things carefully. Things happen even with prevention and being prepared is realistic.