Poultry First Aid kids and medications...things everyone should have?

[mhhousley]

Okay in light of my mini-emergency today:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=579663

I'd like to know what every poultry owner should have for first-aid. I have wormer, blukote antiseptic spray, and seven dust for feather mites. That's all I got. What else should I, and every other poultry owner have in case of emergencies? (I love my chickens but I'm unlikely to spend big bucks at a vertrinarian for treatment)

Any thing I can do to help keep them healthy is my ultimate goal. If injuries occur I want to know what to do and how to fix them.

Are there ways to safely sedate a chicken should dressing or stitching a would become necessary?

Any and all help and guidance would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks guys for all of your continued support. I hope I'm able to contribute to others as equally as others have contributed to me!

(Please provide links for things you recommend if possible, please)

 

[hensandchickscolorado]

I'd add some betadyne (sp?).

What kind of wormer did you get? Where did you buy it? I use DE but have not done anything else to prevent or treat worms as of yet...

 

[mhhousley]

Quote:
I googled betadyne and I assume you're talking about Betadine

The wormer I have is called Wazine 17 "Turkey, Chicken, and Swine Wormer" and I bought it at my local coop.

Here is another thread about the wormer on here

 

[hensandchickscolorado]

Yikes, the warning on that wormer:

"Warning: Do not medicate prior to slaughter within 14 days for turkeys and chickens and 21 days for swine. Do not use in chickens producing eggs for human consumption.
Restricted Drug - use only as directed"

I will read the other posts about it.


And, back to the first aid kit...

I also have some Apple Cider Vinegar, which I put in the H2O sometimes
Q-tips & scissors
Electrolytes
Eyedropper

 

[mhhousley]

Quote:
So what do you use each of those for? Some are kind of obvious but just curious?

 

[flowerchild59]

The electrolytes usually come in a package to be added to water or feed in times of stress. The less likely you are to find things locally, the more items you need to keep on hand. You don't want to pay for expedited shipping when you need something ASAP.
I would have other meds on hand like valbazen wormer, antibiotics of choice (sulmet, duramycin, tylan) and probiotics that can be added to feed or water to help gut flora stay strong or recover from illness or after antibiotics.
I keep scissors and a knife in the hen house, along with measuring spoons and cups.
If I open a bag of anything, date it so you know how old it is. So a black sharpie is nice to have handy too. I also like old glass jars like from ragu or prego, to transfer my meds to. You need a tight seal to keep things fresh. You can google on the med and manufacturer and find out how long they keep. Some meds need to be kept inside your house or garage where there are not temperature extremes. Read the label and find out how to store your meds. You don't want to waste your money by storing them improperly.
A cheap bottle of saline (the kind you use to irrigate your contact lenses) can be used to flush eyes and wounds. Some paper towels are nice to dab things and dry off. You can keep some napkins or the such in a large zip lock bag so they stay dry. A big handful of napkins from a drivethrough stays clean and dry and are prefolded.
Have an emergency cage ready so you can separate the bird. Have hanging bowls and a way to water the bird ready to go.
Syringes with and without needles are nice to have. Keep in mind that some meds in vials have sort of thick solutions so you need like an 18 or 16 gauge needle to get it out easily. Have an assortment of different size syringes if you can find them. You can take them apart, wash them, and let them air dry. If you are discarding a used needle, bend it, and put it into something to contain it like a crushed soda can or into a milk jug with a seal. You don't want someone to get poked with it.
Sanitizing wipes are good to have on hand. I keep a carrier in the house for all my chicken stuff. I like to take the whole thing with me, I invariable need something from it. I wipe down the outside of the container when I bring it back in.
Gloves of a couple of sizes, latex or non latex. I don't care what kind. If you need to order them, do so, I wear small gloves and they are hard to find. It is impossible to work in gloves that are too big.
If you can't find disposable aprons to wear when handling sick chickens, cheap trash bags work pretty well, just cut out the head and arms and you are good to go. Choose your size and color and you are set.
Peroxide is good to bubble out wounds. Save your margerine containers or the such and you have disposable containers.
Oxine is a great disinfectant. Expensive but worth it.
Bleach can be used to disinfect bowls and feeders. Read up on mixing porportions or you aren't really disinfecting if you use too little. 10% bleach is one part bleach, 9 parts water. I use a measuring cup and don't guess. Take an old toothbrush and scrub the seams. Wear gloves when you do this.

 

[Imp]

Maybe this will help

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=210271

Imp

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I have Neosporin without pain reliever in the bathroom in case of a small wound. I think that's a good thing to have on hand, for them and for us. Most wounds are better left open to drain, instead of stitching them up.

I have some leftover DE for external parasites. Once in awhile some leftover wormer. I rarely need to worm. I don't keep anything else around anymore, for just in case. If I need something, I'll go get it, but the above are all I've needed. Many years ago I was sold a lot of stuff to keep on hand that I never needed and ended up throwing it all out. Most areas have farm stores that will sell you anything you need, if you ever end up needing it. Most stores have pretty convenient hours, too.

We have dog and cat crates we can use in case we ever need to isolate a chicken.