Redundancies In Medications - Do I Need All of These?

[Kathy Golla]

Ya I had to look in the other thread OP had to see she was planning on chickens. I get it now.

 

[paneubert]

I think they are like me a little bit. Lots of talking and hypothesizing. I started converting my quail aviary to chickens almost a year ago. Sold the quail and slowly started building/converting. Just got my chicken chicks last month. Did lots of talking between then and now. Haha.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I use whatever color of vetwrap I can find. So far I've had green and purple. They give it a curious peck and then ignore it.
I actually don't keep much of a medical kit as the feed store is 3 miles away. Most of the stuff I do keep is multi purpose, like I use Vetricyn on myself and the dogs as well.

Make sure anything you do get has decent shelf life. If it doesn't I wouldn't buy it ahead of time.

 

[Kris5902]

I am very far from vet help and the Feed Store (TSC), I think Blu Kote is essential, as is the Vet Wrap and guaze, and antibiotic ointment, and the sterile flushing fluid of your choice. If you’re close to a store that’s great, but what if something happens after they are closed? An evening predator attack... better to have some of those essentials on hand.

As far as the antibiotics go, if you can have next day access to them I think that would be fine, as most of those aren’t going to be the difference between life and death in the first few hours. I do not have easy access, so I’m stockpiling them when I have the opportunity. I’d say it’s situational, but you’ve got a good idea on where to start.

 

[dawg53]

Um... I currently don't have any chickens. I had 10-ish as a kid. The only injury we ever had to treat was a foot that got stomped on by my 3 year old brother. Parents put Blukote on it and gauze. That didn't work out great though, because the gauze would grow into the scab, and then every time they'd change the gauze the scab got ripped off and it would bleed all over again. That's hneow he got his name actually; Tenderfoot. Disclaimer: He survived and grew up fine. Wasn't the dominant rooster though.

What do you find is the best way to stop the broodiness? Is there any harm in just letting her sit in the nest box outside of not eating/drinking enough? Because I feel bad forcing her away from what she wants to do. Could I just put some food/water in there with her? My friend at work says she hates it/that it's annoying because of the sounds they make and stuff, but I don't feel like that would bother me.

I'd rather not use Blukote since it has alcohol in it. I prefer to use betadine/neosporin.
To break a broody, I put her in a cage with food and water away from the flock for however long it takes. I put the hen in the garage where she cant see the other birds.
About 10 or 12 days was the longest I've had to isolate a hen as far as I remember (been a long time ago.) Then you have to reintroduce her into the flock, which fortunately didnt take long for the several broodies I've had to break over the years. I'm glad it doesnt happen often, for me anyway.

 

[Eggcessive]

When I got hatchery chicks, I got chickens who would go broody every year, sometimes year round. Some people claim they never have had one. Two thirds of my hens have gone broody over the years, but most have stopped due to age. I currently have a 6 year old ameraucana that is starting to act broody.

You may want to raise chicks once in awhile, but if you don’t, you must break the broody. If you don’t they may become very thin, in poor condition, and could even starve themselves.

I have a large 7x8 covered cage on the ground that has a simple 2x4 roost. There is grass or dirt on the floor, and no bedding. Mine spend about 5 days there with a friend, and there is nothing to do but walk around and scratch the ground, eat, drink, or sit on the roost. A large wire dog crate with no bedding can work as a broody breaking pen as well. But cover the top with a weighted feed back or tarp, since their friends will poop on the top.

Broodies do not eat well, so when they go to the breaking pen, they get some cooked egg daily along with their chicken feed and water. They may get a little scratch once a day to get them scratching around. Usually, by 4-5 days they are broken, and when I let them out, they are eager to rejoin the flock. Most do not go to a nest box, but if one does, she goes back to broody jail for a few more days.

 

[dawg53]

"Broody jail." I like that lol.