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.