No veterinarian available

[592784]

My chickens are currently healthy, but I expect sometime they may need some care. I have checked with local veterinarians for chicken care. What I have found is that chickens fall through the cracks. They aren’t looked upon as pets and aren’t looked upon as livestock unless it’s a poultry farm. With only 3 chickens to raise, what suggestions does anyone have to treat my chickens if they become ill with worms, respiratory issues, injuries, etc. for over the counter or home remedies ?
I do see where local feed stores sell some of these items. Are these items worth using or should it be left to veterinarian care?

 

[pennyJo1960]

Most of us care for our own it is very sad but as a retired one I understand it is not something we are offered it is specialty..
If you have feed store you can trust yes use wormer if you see worms .. there is thread for emergencies

 

[592784]

thank you. I live in a rural area where vets are great but chickens just aren’t something they treat. If I ever suspect they have worms should I just treat them because I doubt I will be able to take a fecal sample to be tested anywhere ?

 

[black_cat]

I think that it is definitely worth it to do at home remedies. Many chicken ailments can be resolved at home, as long as you're not too worried about getting your hands a bit dirty. My go to cure method is posting a thread on BYC stating the problem. There are many people who are very experienced treating chickens that give great advice. I believe that you can send a fecal sample in to the state something or other to get tested for worms. @Eggcessive could probably help you with that.

 

[black_cat]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[NatJ]

If I ever suspect they have worms should I just treat them because I doubt I will be able to take a fecal sample to be tested anywhere ?

I have read that some vets will do a fecal float test on chicken manure, even if they typically do not treat chickens, because the test is done the same way for any kind of animal. You could call vets in your area and ask specifically about that, if you want to know.

 

[592784]

I have read that some vets will do a fecal float test on chicken manure, even if they typically do not treat chickens, because the test is done the same way for any kind of animal. You could call vets in your area and ask specifically about that, if you want to know.

Thank you for your advice !!

 

[592784]

I think that it is definitely worth it to do at home remedies. Many chicken ailments can be resolved at home, as long as you're not too worried about getting your hands a bit dirty. My go to cure method is posting a thread on BYC stating the problem. There are many people who are very experienced treating chickens that give great advice. I believe that you can send a fecal sample in to the state something or other to get tested for worms. @Eggcessive could probably help you with that.

Thank you for your advice

 

[CluckerFamily]

Vets in my area aren't experts on poultry. We come from a farming state and poultry aren't always pets (they are in some owners eyes). I would rather treat myself with the aid of BYC than to try to find a vet that isn't an expert and end up with no answers or solutions. We have many many experienced poultry parents from all over the world here! Welcome to the Family!

 

[Eggcessive]

Worming depends a lot on the climate one lives in. Some may need to worm more often than others. Getting a fecal float is great if you can get your local vet to get one or send one off to a lab for you. If you cannot get a fecal float it can be safe to worm them once to twice a year. In very warm humid areas, it may be necessary more often. Two very safe wormers for chickens are Valbazen or SafeGuard Liquid Goat Wormer. @casportpony and @dawg53 are very good people to help with worming issues.