Preventative meds?

[MamaMeChicken]

Our chickens (white leghorns, pullets 18 weeks old raised by us from 1-day-old) seem perfectly healthy for now but I keep reading about preventative stuff. The hatchery place sells several antibiotics and wormer type meds that they recommend having on hand for emergencies and even to give occasionally as prevention. Do you ever use any of these? Are there any I should keep on hand? I have CORID and Sulmet already - we had an illness the first week we had them.

I already use raw apple cider vinegar in their water and occasionally give them plain yogurt with several cultures.

Also, I keep reading about the benefits of letting your chickens bathe in diatomaceous earth - and feeding it to them. Do you use this either way or both, or have any experience with it?


Thank you!

 

[mnferalkitty]

the sulmet and corid are good to have on hand, I also have electrolytes on hand. I don't do vinegar but do DE i feed it to them when they get older and put it in thier dust bath holes.

 

[MamaMeChicken]

Thank you - I'll get some DE.

Does anyone also recommend wormers as an occasional preventative (or will DE take care of that?) and is it recommended to have any antibiotics on hand and if so, which?

 

[MamaMeChicken]

I do also have some of that Save a chick and Quick chick electrolyte stuff that I never used - I figured I could use it for the older chickens if they ever needed it.

 

[Missa Chickabee]

I think Corid should be part of every new chick order! However, I don't know about other hatcheries, but Murray McMurray sells a 16 cent vaccine against cocciciosis (and the Marek's vaccine for the same price) Any thoughts on that?

Looking at this thread, it's as though someone has been reading my mind. Have been frustrated and sad lately with the inability for a few to get a hold of Corid when it's needed so promptly to prevent otherwise probable death. (not always. Sometimes they overcome. One of mine did...before I knew about coccidiosos)

~I guess I would recommend Corid 9.6% solution for sure in the "just-in-case" medicine cabinet because of the rapidity of coccidiosis. Also an eye dropper to get the Corid water to the sick one.

~Hydrogen Peroxide for little cuts and wounds and neosporin (without the pain killer in it)

~Question: What would be best to keep in hand for respiratory disease? Tylan, Sulmet, ??

Some of the first aid kits I've seen for chickens would break the bank expense-wise, so maybe we can come up with a common-sense list that doesn't cover every remote possibility.

On the other hand (drat...there is always that other hand) if disaster struck and the store shelves were depleted, what would I need to keep here now for chickens for the long haul??

 

[MamaMeChicken]

Thank you for suggesting this - I'd love to hear what all of you who have been doing this a while think is necessary.

 

[MamaMeChicken]

I'll add penicillin and syringes to the list - we are having to start that today for one of them. Thankfully, a friend had some on hand since the feed store is closed today. Getting some for the future!

 

[Missa Chickabee]

I'll add penicillin and syringes to the list - we are having to start that today for one of them. Thankfully, a friend had some on hand since the feed store is closed today. Getting some for the future!

Wondering why you needed the penicillin? Just wondering because my Roo is having a small amount of yellow eye discharge.

 

[MamaMeChicken]

Not sure about eye discharge - I'd ask on the forum. It was for what we believe was egg yolk peritonitis, caught early: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/700867/please-help-pullet-acting-strange-after-laying

 

[Missa Chickabee]

THNX!