What do you wish you had known before you got your chickens

[aggiemae]

Would you share what is in your emergency first aid kit?

This is what I have on hand: the items in bold are the ones that can be useful even if you are not up to minor surgery!

liquid infant vitamins with iron- for anemia post mites lice or other blood sucking parasite infestation (I add to the water once a week in winter)

powdered electrolytes (like "sav-a-chick" but cheaper)- for diarrhea and in extremely hot weather

antibiotics (to add to water and injectable)

Thiabendazole- for gapeworm (I don't worm my hens for other gut paristies unless I can see them in the poop)

vitamin e oil- for oiling combs and feet minor vent irritations and minor injuries

bluekote (antiseptic and dye in one ) use to paint on injuries to clean and so chicks don't peck wounds)

Preparation H (for prolapses or swollen/inflamed vents)

vaginal yeast cream (for gleet)

Polysporin-for wounds and stitches

pediatric Benadryl liquid- for swelling due to stings/bites- 1 ml (use insulin syringe) for bee wasp, hornet stings

Aspirin- for pain due to sprains, strains and breaks- free feed 1 tablet dissolved in a quart of water to seperated injured ADULT bird NOT to be used for chicks or BLEEDING injuries!!!!

gauze- the small rolls used to bandage fingers and prewrapped 4x4's

coban (self sticking bandage) and flat toothpicks (for splints, it comes in colors buy the yellow or black)

gloves, eye covers and mask- for lancing infections or minor surgery

Q tips, cotton balls, alcohol

pen light (a head lamp is even better)

sharp scissors

disposable scalpes

small sharp blunt ended shears (for clipping feathers)

large high grit emery board- for cracked or for snagging nails

suture kits (prepacked finest needle size already threaded (I got this from our family doctor)

syringes:and catheter tips- 60cc- and 10cc (for water or food) and insulin (for oral meds) these can be cleaned and reused.

one time use insulin syringes and small needles for injectiable meds

 

[birdsrfun]

Thanks aggiemae. I'm coming to learn that chicks die often, but it doesn't make it easy.

 

[aggiemae]

Thanks aggiemae. I'm coming to learn that chicks die often, but it doesn't make it easy.

Losing one makes me sad too.

 

[newbie32]

This is what I have on hand: the items in bold are the ones that can be useful even if you are not up to minor surgery!

liquid infant vitamins with iron- for anemia post mites lice or other blood sucking parasite infestation (I add to the water once a week in winter)

powdered electrolytes (like "sav-a-chick" but cheaper)- for diarrhea and in extremely hot weather

antibiotics (to add to water and injectable)

Thiabendazole- for gapeworm (I don't worm my hens for other gut paristies unless I can see them in the poop)

vitamin e oil- for oiling combs and feet minor vent irritations and minor injuries

bluekote (antiseptic and dye in one ) use to paint on injuries to clean and so chicks don't peck wounds)

Preparation H (for prolapses or swollen/inflamed vents)

vaginal yeast cream (for gleet)

Polysporin-for wounds and stitches

pediatric Benadryl liquid- for swelling due to stings/bites- 1 ml (use insulin syringe) for bee wasp, hornet stings

Aspirin- for pain due to sprains, strains and breaks- free feed 1 tablet dissolved in a quart of water to seperated injured ADULT bird NOT to be used for chicks or BLEEDING injuries!!!!

gauze- the small rolls used to bandage fingers and prewrapped 4x4's

coban (self sticking bandage) and flat toothpicks (for splints, it comes in colors buy the yellow or black)

gloves, eye covers and mask- for lancing infections or minor surgery

Q tips, cotton balls, alcohol

pen light (a head lamp is even better)

sharp scissors

disposable scalpes

small sharp blunt ended shears (for clipping feathers)

large high grit emery board- for cracked or for snagging nails

suture kits (prepacked finest needle size already threaded (I got this from our family doctor)

syringes:and catheter tips- 60cc- and 10cc (for water or food) and insulin (for oral meds) these can be cleaned and reused.

one time use insulin syringes and small needles for injectiable meds

Thank you!!!!!!

I keep wondering why people are using these things!

 

[chichek]

.

 

[Highcotton]

Quote:
Just knock a wall out, add a section and keep on clucking.

 

[newbie32]

Quote:
Easier said than done-wouldn't be possible with mine! The run also has to be expanded!

 

[LBejaran]

Haha they ought to sell a chicken coop that you can add on to. The add ons would increase coop size but cost less than a coop. Everyone I know out grows their coops. L

You know, my Dad went crazy when he started building the coops. He actually started building goat pens for when my brother and sister were in FFA, but then my little sister got rabbits, so he built up a rabbit hutch inside one of the goat pens. After that, the goats and rabbits were gone and my sister got chickens for FFA. My Dad continued building until he built his shed (which is pretty big). After he built the shed, he put up the frameword and a ceiling for the chicken coop, thinking that we'd end up keeping all the extra chickens that weren't for showing. He expanded that thing like crazy, so now we have 1 giant coop with 6 segments that will be wired and given doors so we can separate any chickens we feel necessary. Broody hens will have one section, ornamentals another, roosters another, laying hens another, and so on.

It's actually going pretty good right now! My Dad actually overcompensated, haha! I'm just waiting for the go ahead so I can start putting up wire and then he can start building the doors for the segments. I can't wait for that to happen. I really get tired of feeding the hens and roosters the same feed. Time for the hens to start paying their dues and for the roosters to start getting fat enough to eat. Mhm.

 

[newbie32]

You know, my Dad went crazy when he started building the coops. He actually started building goat pens for when my brother and sister were in FFA, but then my little sister got rabbits, so he built up a rabbit hutch inside one of the goat pens. After that, the goats and rabbits were gone and my sister got chickens for FFA. My Dad continued building until he built his shed (which is pretty big). After he built the shed, he put up the frameword and a ceiling for the chicken coop, thinking that we'd end up keeping all the extra chickens that weren't for showing. He expanded that thing like crazy, so now we have 1 giant coop with 6 segments that will be wired and given doors so we can separate any chickens we feel necessary. Broody hens will have one section, ornamentals another, roosters another, laying hens another, and so on.

It's actually going pretty good right now! My Dad actually overcompensated, haha! I'm just waiting for the go ahead so I can start putting up wire and then he can start building the doors for the segments. I can't wait for that to happen. I really get tired of feeding the hens and roosters the same feed. Time for the hens to start paying their dues and for the roosters to start getting fat enough to eat. Mhm.

Ask your dad if he can come build for me too. I would love to have one for quarantine/brooder, one for regular flock, and one for show birds!!!

 

[LBejaran]

Ask your dad if he can come build for me too. I would love to have one for quarantine/brooder, one for regular flock, and one for show birds!!!

Haha! He wouldn't even jump on a plane, let alone go to California! But I think it's pretty easy to get secondary coops set up like that. But then again, ours aren't elevated. We have open-air coops we can walk into. The only thing I know my dad did for extra security was dig about a foot down around the edges and he laid out iron rods and concrete. That way, any little digging critters would stay out. Now, we just walk in, get our eggs, and walk out. The feed is also kept in there (in a big aluminum canister) so the rats don't get to it during the day. Our rat dogs also take care of any critters they see roaming around. It's their entertainment, haha!

Then again, we also let our birds free range all day on the 1/2 acre. I'm not sure our set up would work for everyone, but it can definitely be sized down. I'll see if I can get a picture tomorrow, when it's light out.