Official BYC Poll: Time for the Vet?

[JacinLarkwell]

I have some that is like to take to the vet if I had one near me, but I don't within any reasonable driving distance

 

[chkncrazy]

I voted no way.... Id give the best care I could whichnis prob the same techniques ive seen vet texhs use if not better.. If its more serious the are humanely dispatched...

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

I voted the bottom one... I don’t even have a vet for my rabbits. I can’t afford vet care, and thankfully haven’t had a need for it. Except when we got the rabbits fixed and that took three days of sitting outside asking for donations.

 

[casportpony]

I will say for folks who are on the "I don't know if my vet's office does poultry," it definitely never hurts to call, and the staff on the other end of the line DO genuinely care about your animals and are happy to advise you where to go even if their office doesn't handle avian.

Or do like I did, show up with the sick bird. My avian vet is over an hour away and I suspected the stress of a long drive would kill her, so I took her to my dog/cat vet that's 10 minutes away and they agreed to look at her. If I had not taken her I don't think she would have survived the night.

 

[GermanKennhuhn]

For me, it depends on the chicken. There’s a few that I would willingly take if I couldn’t it treat myself, but as for the others, I do my best to treat at home.

 

[JustSarahThanks]

Or do like I did, show up with the sick bird. My avian vet is over an hour away and I suspected the stress of a long drive would kill her, so I took her to my dog/cat vet that's 10 minutes away and they agreed to look at her. If I had not taken her I don't think she would have survived the night.

I'm glad they were able to help her! It really seems to depend on the DVM, too... Most I worked with at our dog/cat/potbellied pig practice wouldn't and would refer out, but we did have one DVM on staff who could handle any thing we threw at her (she's kind of a superhero). I recall one of my coworkers had a ball python at home who instead of eating her delicious frozen rat that he'd provided, swallowed the entire piece of carpeting he used to line her tank in. He brought her to work with him, we took x-rays and Superhero DVM had us forcefeed the snake mineral oil every few hours to help it pass through her. It was pretty wild.

 

[-Dakota]

I do have a vet- but she is very far away, and often backed up.

I've only had to visit her once with a respiratory emergency,

 

[LDev]

This is essentially my answer as also. Well said... and LOVE that you included the conversion factor on cost!

But I do fecal floats at the vet before worming, which is something that benefits the whole flock with a know outcome and affordable remedy. It's cheaper and easier on my shooks than treating for what I don't have.

This is great to hear, I also do a faecal egg count on my chickens and don’t treat if not needed. Better on cost, better for the environment and can also prevent Parasite drug resistance by over treating. I pay for a vet if my birds need it, I have a favourite who I have paid for vet trips before and she’s worth it for sure! Depends on your relationship and need from your birds

 

[RumneyRoost]

I voted “it depends”. Many things I can treat at home.
But in Canada we can’t get antibiotics without a prescription.

 

[LDev]

I voted “it depends”. Many things I can treat at home.
But in Canada we can’t get antibiotics without a prescription.

We can’t here either and also the new regulations mean that if any hen is treated with antibiotics then you can never eat her eggs or sell them. My favourite hen stopped laying after the age of 2 (she’s a hybrid) so that doesn’t matter lol! She’s had them and it’s done wonders as she picked up a respiratory infection but after being given antibiotics she recovered very quickly and is back to this again...wanting cuddles and stealing snacks!