Interested in a "Locate Nearest Vet" tab on the website?

[SBPP]

BYC is an amazing resource for members and new comers. When you have questions or chicken emergencies it is very useful to be able to post your concerns and have responses with help and support within minutes. There is, however, no substitute for finding a local vet and being able to take x-rays, prescribe medications, or accurately diagnose a condition. I live in a town of 130,000 people and 45 min away from a town of 500,000 people and when my pet chicken was sick I had a terribly difficult time locating a vet that would see her. If you have every tried to find one you know what I mean. Most offices do not see poultry and will refer you to a livestock vet. The livestock vets typically only see large farm animals. Avian specialist are usually the best bet but are few and far between. When you do fine a good vet that will see poultry you want to share your resource with others that might be in your same situation at a later time.

I am proposing BYC creates an additional tab that is a map or list by state/area that lists vets that will see chickens. Members can contribute by sending their information to one person that could update the listing. There is one thread that I found that lists the locations of some vets that see chickens but it is very limited and not current. Also, the forum format is not the most effective way to find a vet. I would like to see something that is comprehensive and in map format so people can locate the closet vet. I believe other members would find this very useful and this addition could be a very attractive option to reel in new members to BYC.

I have been asked to gather member opinion regarding this topic of consideration so please reply with your comments, suggestions and support if you feel this is something BYC and its members would benefit from.

***I have initiated a google doc that will be the start of our find a vet list. See link below. The list is organized by state and county. Please check it out, contribute and show your friends!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zIN7E-xvLwxW19IqMi6fIS79VJVRZm3k_Hpz5LQBmNo/edit?usp=sharing


Thanks!

Scott

 

[redsoxs]

That's an awesome idea! Usually when there is a sick chicken or duck it's something you want to act on right away. So it would be a real time saver not to have to peruse the web trying to find vet phone numbers and then spend more time calling to see if they treat fowl, but instead to have all that info centrally located on BYC. I like it! I'd be happy to call vets in my general vicinity to see if they treat poultry and make that info available for my area.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

It's an interesting idea!

We'd want to make sure there are a lot of peeps interested in and willing to submit vet info and reviews before we invest in too much infrastructure to support such a database.

Maybe we could have members start a thread (or multiple threads) with information about their local vets and then, if there is a lot of interest and activity, we could convert that data into a database, map, etc?

 

[SBPP]

Thanks for listening! Here is the link to a google doc I have started that will hopefully become a comprehensive listing of Vets that will see chickens. Please check it out and add in your local vet. I would love to grow this project into something that could become a part of the BYC website someday. Check out the doc and tell your chicken loving friends to contribute!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zIN7E-xvLwxW19IqMi6fIS79VJVRZm3k_Hpz5LQBmNo/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks!

Scott

 

[casportpony]

@SBPP , welcome to BYC! Have you seen these vet search links?

• http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803
• http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/vetfinder.htm

-Kathy

 

[SBPP]

Thank you for your response. The AAV website was my inspiration for creating a list of vets that see chickens. When I searched for an avian vet in my town of 130,000 people it came up with one specialist. He is a very nice person but only preforms autopsies on poultry and will analyze blood/stool samples. When I searched in the largest town in my area of 500,000 people it shows zero providers. The AAV was not a helpful resource for me. Although most vet offices specialize in cats and dogs there are vets that are familiar with chickens or will at least do some basic diagnostic work, x-rays and prescribe medications. The resource that I am proposing is a comprehensive list of vets in your area that will care for your pet chicken when you need help. This database will thrive if everyone will do their part by contributing. If you know a vet that can see poultry, please add them on the list. If you don't know of anyone in your area that will see your pet if they become ill then please start checking around. The effort you put forth now may save you critical time if there were an emergency later and will certainly benefit other BYC member for the future.

Check out the Find a Vet list here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zIN7E-xvLwxW19IqMi6fIS79VJVRZm3k_Hpz5LQBmNo/edit


Thanks!

Scott

 

[casportpony]

Have you seen this?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/200108/list-of-vets

 

[SBPP]

Yes I have seen this thread. Four vets listed in our entire state posted several years ago is not a comprehensive list. I'm thinking bigger, much bigger!

 

[casportpony]

Yes I have seen this thread. Four vets listed in our entire state posted several years ago is not a comprehensive list. I'm thinking bigger, much bigger!

How's the project going?

-Kathy

 

[SBPP]

It's all set up, just hoping people contribute to help make the list complete.

Check out the Find a Vet list here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zIN7E-xvLwxW19IqMi6fIS79VJVRZm3k_Hpz5LQBmNo/edit

- Scott