A quick "newbie" question for you more experienced folks:
What would be a good, basic start to have on hand for a chicken "medicine cabinet"? I was looking thru some of the things at the Feed Store yesterday and although I like to be prepared, I don't want to waste $$. What are some remedies, over-the-counter or home-made, you can't be without?
Thanks!
TOB
Stony, stony, stony....I'm sure you have some antibiotic ointment around the house you would use on puncture wound....you know the kind without pain killer....
TOB, I have blue kote to spray on red spots so the other birds don't peck the injury, the above meantioned antibiotic ointment without pain reliever, "Save a chick" (which is just powdered electrolyte stuff, you can use unflavored Pediasure--I hatch chicks and have saved a few with it), Corrid and an broad spectrum antibiotic powder (just in case). Oh, and a hatchet. If it requires more than I have in the house and bed rest, it becomes dinner/landfill fodder. (Some you don't eat because you don't know why it died, some you eat because you do know why it died) And Eprinex for worming. I don't worm often, but I do it....I have seen an increase in egg production both times I did it. But my chickens live in a very very swampy area, so they get stuff that more dry land raised birds do not get.
Chickens get mites, feather mites, vent mites and scaly leg mites. I don't consider Sevin "in my medicine cabinet" cuz I keep it with the garden stuff, but I have powdered a butt or two with it, in the past for mites. Other people use Food Grade DE for mites. Vasoline or cooking oil works on scalely leg mites. I have never had those in my flock. Face masks for when you use this stuff is a good idea too. DE is not good to breath in.
Most things that chickens get do not kill instantly. (Predator attacks would be the exception to that) If your chicken starts to have a problem you ask around and then go get what you need to help/fix the problem. (there is a thread on BYC for emergencies....responses can be in a matter of minutes) The one thing I would have in the house, even before I got the chickens, is Blue Kote. Some injuries can be blue koted instantly and saves you having to find a place to separate the bird from the flock til you get to the store to get the blue kote. With that said I have used BLue Kote 3 times in the past 18 months. One of those times was to cover blood that showed up on EVERYONE and I don't know, to this day, where the blood came from, but it dripped all over everyone and they wanted to pick at the spots on their neighbor while roosting. (Note: BLue Kote is actually purple and a permanant stain....use gloves and clothing you don't care about, cuz they WILL flap and manage to spray it all over you before it dries. I keep an old coat around for covering up with when I have to use the stuff)
