Topic of the Week - Treating Chicken Injuries

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

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Injuries in our flocks are something most, if not all of us, have to deal with at time point during our chicken-keeping venture. Whether it's a small, minor scrape, or a life-threatening injury, it needs to be looked after and in most cases taken care of, to ensure the bird makes a fast and full recovery. This week I would like to hear your thoughts and practices on chicken injuries and treatments. Specifically:

- What do you have on hand for injuries (in your first aid box)?
- How do you handle injuries and treat them?
- What do you do with the injured bird during its recovery?


For a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads, see here:https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

Honestly, it would take less time to list what I don't have. I have a handy husband, I'm crafty and my stepson is inventive. Walkers, wheelchairs, seats, slings, beds, specialized nesting boxes... If I don't have it, or have it in the right size...gimme a minute.

I have medical supplies in a closet. Yeah, closet. I can literally perform a surgery and stitch it up. Treat with antibiotics and cast appendages.

It's not mentioned, but I have all the preventatives and treatments for sicknesses and parasites as well.

My wishlist is a speculum and fecal float supplies.

 

[Maty]

Honestly, it would take less time to list what I don't have. I have a handy husband, I'm crafty and my stepson is inventive. Walkers, wheelchairs, seats, slings, beds, specialized nesting boxes... If I don't have it, or have it in the right size...gimme a minute.

I have medical supplies in a closet. Yeah, closet. I can literally perform a surgery and stitch it up. Treat with antibiotics and cast appendages.

It's not mentioned, but I have all the preventatives and treatments for sicknesses and parasites as well.

My wishlist is a speculum and fecal float supplies.

Hello there I wish I had your abilities I don't have a Vet that treats chickens in my area and it's frustrating not knowing what to do maybe you can give me some suggestions. I have a small Serama chicken she is 6 months old now and started showing what I thought was an ear infection, we cleaned the ears and took some junk out of them, soon after she started loosing her head and neck feathers and the skin is very dry also under her wings we have used all sorts of creams and try different oils but nothing seems to work, I looked on line for inserts and thought it could be mites or fungus but not sure and afraid of giving her so many different treatments. Please help me what else can I do.thank you for listening

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Hello there I wish I had your abilities I don't have a Vet that treats chickens in my area and it's frustrating not knowing what to do maybe you can give me some suggestions. I have a small Serama chicken she is 6 months old now and started showing what I thought was an ear infection, we cleaned the ears and took some junk out of them, soon after she started loosing her head and neck feathers and the skin is very dry also under her wings we have used all sorts of creams and try different oils but nothing seems to work, I looked on line for inserts and thought it could be mites or fungus but not sure and afraid of giving her so many different treatments. Please help me what else can I do.thank you for listening

It sounds like she has a Biotin deficiency. It's a B vitamin. Combined with an upper respiratory infection. But that's dependent on whether or not the irritated area was in her ear or outside the ear next to the beak. It's a tiny space.

A Biotin deficiency can cause lesions in the beak area.

 

[Maty]

It sounds like she has a Biotin deficiency. It's a B vitamin. Combined with an upper respiratory infection. But that's dependent on whether or not the irritated area was in her ear or outside the ear next to the beak. It's a tiny space.

A Biotin deficiency can cause lesions in the beak area.

Thank you for your reply, we thought of that too and started giving her Biotin but it is a pill we dissolved in water, is there another liquid Biotin that I can use? Her skin dryness is more in her head neck area and under her wings, she loss her feathers there we started putting some coconut oil to help with the dryness.

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Thank you for your reply, we thought of that too and started giving her Biotin but it is a pill we dissolved in water, is there another liquid Biotin that I can use? Her skin dryness is more in her head neck area and under her wings, she loss her feathers there we started putting some coconut oil to help with the dryness.

She may be molting. All birds don't molt the same. I have one who gets really dry skin when she molting. I give her vitamin A supplements. The only other thing I can think of is give her a bath with a Spinosad product. Elector PSP or Captain Jack's Garden Brew. Some mites aren't visible to the naked eye.

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Thank you for your reply, we thought of that too and started giving her Biotin but it is a pill we dissolved in water, is there another liquid Biotin that I can use? Her skin dryness is more in her head neck area and under her wings, she loss her feathers there we started putting some coconut oil to help with the dryness.

She may be molting. All birds don't molt the same. I have one who gets really dry skin when she molting. I give her vitamin A supplements. The only other thing I can think of is give her a bath with a Spinosad product. Elector PSP or Captain Jack's Garden Brew. Some mites aren't visible to the naked eye.

 

[Maty]

She may be molting. All birds don't molt the same. I have one who gets really dry skin when she molting. I give her vitamin A supplements. The only other thing I can think of is give her a bath with a Spinosad product. Elector PSP or Captain Jack's Garden Brew. Some mites aren't visible to the naked eye.

Great, thank you I'll try the bath, I thought she is too young to be molting?

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

She may be molting. All birds don't molt the same. I have one who gets really dry skin when she molting. I give her vitamin A supplements. The only other thing I can think of is give her a bath with a Spinosad product. Elector PSP or Captain Jack's Garden Brew. Some mites aren't visible to the naked eye.

Serama's mature between 16 & 18 weeks and live in a continuous molt.

Knowing that, up her protein with a bit of fish. Between the protein and the oil, it should help clear that up.

 

[FeatherWeather]

I had a very sick girl 9 months after I got my chickens. I'd never had chickens before and I was pretty freaked out. I tried many diff treatments because I didn't have any idea what was wrong with her, so I have a ton of meds on hand. Thank God for this site and the very helpful and knowledgeable people on here. I think I would've lost her without them. Anyway, here's what I have:

-1ml syringes
-miconazole 7
-hen healer
-safe-guard paste
-durastat with oregano
-dulcolax stool softener
-sav-a-chick
-calcium citrate
-unrefined coconut oil
-raw apple cider vinegar
-chicken probiotics
-corrid
-banixx for chixx
-vetericyn
-rooster booster poultry cell
-nutri-drench
-baby aspirin
-fishmox
-poultry dust (with duster)
-I have a very extensive human first aid kit that I can use for any wounds.

My hospital is a large dog crate lined with with puppy pads. I also have a heat lamp and plenty of old towels and blankets.

When my girl was very sick, I kept her in the crate in the garage. She was there for 2 weeks. When I introduced her back into the flock (4 total) she got pecked a little but was fine. My girls are not aggressive so I can't say this would work for everyone.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

What do you have on hand for injuries (in your first aid box)?

Most of the things in my first aid box are more for illnesses than injuries, but I'll list them anyway.

- Electrolyte/vitamin powder
- Antibiotic ointment (and some blue food dye, as I occasionally color the ointment instead of buying Blu-Kote spray)
- Respiratory infection medicine (leftover Doxy-Tyl)
- Calcium tablets
- VetRX
- Acidified copper sulfate
- Oregano oil
- Echinacea extract
- Coconut oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Honey/sugar
- Molasses (for a molasses flush)
- Cotton balls and swabs
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Salve (homemade by a friend for pasty butt, vent "greasing", irritated skin, etc.)
- Epsom salt
- Disposable gloves
- Dog crates (for housing sick/injured birds indoors)
- Heat Lamp (hung above dog crates)
- Towels/Blankets
- Plastic storage bin (that I use for bathing them if needed)
- Extra feeders/waterers

- How do you handle injuries and treat them?

The first thing I do is grab some disposable gloves, a phone, and a family member to help grab the chicken and assess the situation and take photos. Then I decide what immediate step needs to be taken.
I have several articles, threads, and individual posts bookmarked here on BYC, which is helpful if quick action is needed and I have only read about that illness/injury briefly before. I try to only post a thread if no other helpful threads have been made about the injury/illness I have on my hands.

- What do you do with the injured bird during its recovery?

I bring seriously injured/sick birds indoors to an already prepared dog crate. I occasionally bring the crate outdoors to the run for non-contagious cases that need companionship from the flock. I've never had to bring a bird to the vet, thank goodness.