What to Put into a First Aid Kit?

[cackleberryandco]

Hey! I was thinking of maybe making a first aid kit of sorts for my girls, just to have some things that would be nice to have around in case of emergencies so I won't have to go searching the whole internet and every store for it when something does happen. Does anyone have anything I can add with what it treats/cures? Thanks so much! Can never be too prepared!

 

[swamphiker]

That is a great idea! Some things off the top of my head:
-Save-a-chick electrolytes
-Vetericyn or other topical wound spray
-Amprolium (Corid), especially if you raise chicks
-Antibiotics
-Deworming meds
-Small droppers and/or syringes (insulin syringes work great) to administer meds and water if chicken is drinking on its own

Also it's great to have a set up handy in case you need to isolate a sick or injured chicken. A large dog crate, plastic tote or similar tend to work well.

 

[All4Eggz]

@swamphiker gave some very good suggestions, but I'd also recommend maybe a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide (clean wounds) with some cloths (antibacterial would be best), for wiping wounds/blood and such. Wound spray is really important.
Maybe some cotton swabs.

That's all I can think of, in addition to what @swamphiker mentioned.

@Eggcessive @MysteryChicken

 

[Weeg]

This is a great article that @casportpony wrote on Chicken firstaid kits. It has everything.
A tube feeding kit is always handy as well.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/suggestions-for-a-first-aid-kit-updated-8-01-2020.1150128/
Nice work planning ahead!

 

[gtaus]

Hey! I was thinking of maybe making a first aid kit of sorts for my girls, just to have some things that would be nice to have around in case of emergencies so I won't have to go searching the whole internet and every store for it when something does happen. Does anyone have anything I can add with what it treats/cures? Thanks so much! Can never be too prepared!

Whatever you decide to put into your First Aid kit for the chickens, I think it even more important to learn about what you can and cannot realistically expect to treat if a chicken falls ill or gets injuried. What you put into your head in terms of education is probably more important than the anything you might put into a First Aid kit. If you don't know how or when to use the supplies in your kit, then they have little value.

Many years ago I was a licensed EMT, and I carried an emergency kit in my car with supplies I had been trained to use. So that had value to me. I doubt if an average person could open up my kit and know what supplies were needed to treat a victim. When I became an RN, I learned many non emergency treatments, but they were almost all centered around care in a hospital.

My approach to my chickens has been to protect them as best I can from predation, and to give then a clean place to live. I make sure they have food and water available 24/7. I had 2 chickens die on me the end of last summer, and I still have no idea why they died. But I don't feel bad about it because I talked to a poultry breeder of 40+ years and with all his experience he told me that sometimes birds just find a way to die on you. My strategy is to replace older sick birds with healthy chicks. But my chickens are not pets, so I just look at the economics of the situation.

I think the best advice I have seen so far is to have a separate cage or carrier to remove a sick bird from the flock. If you treat it and it survives, that is great. If the bird dies, then at least maybe you got it out of the flock before others were infected. I have only once successfully treated a sick bird by removing it from the flock and giving it extra attention inside the house for a short period of time. But after it felt better, it went right back out to the flock. I have a pet carrier ready inside the garage for separating a bird from the flock if necessary.

Planning ahead is a great idea and I hope you build up a kit for most situations. Nobody wants to be running out to the store late at night trying to find supplies you should have, or could have, stocked up before the emergency.

 

[cackleberryandco]

Whatever you decide to put into your First Aid kit for the chickens, I think it even more important to learn about what you can and cannot realistically expect to treat if a chicken falls ill or gets injuried. What you put into your head in terms of education is probably more important than the anything you might put into a First Aid kit. If you don't know how or when to use the supplies in your kit, then they have little value.

Many years ago I was a licensed EMT, and I carried an emergency kit in my car with supplies I had been trained to use. So that had value to me. I doubt if an average person could open up my kit and know what supplies were needed to treat a victim. When I became an RN, I learned many non emergency treatments, but they were almost all centered around care in a hospital.

My approach to my chickens has been to protect them as best I can from predation, and to give then a clean place to live. I make sure they have food and water available 24/7. I had 2 chickens die on me the end of last summer, and I still have no idea why they died. But I don't feel bad about it because I talked to a poultry breeder of 40+ years and with all his experience he told me that sometimes birds just find a way to die on you. My strategy is to replace older sick birds with healthy chicks. But my chickens are not pets, so I just look at the economics of the situation.

I think the best advice I have seen so far is to have a separate cage or carrier to remove a sick bird from the flock. If you treat it and it survives, that is great. If the bird dies, then at least maybe you got it out of the flock before others were infected. I have only once successfully treated a sick bird by removing it from the flock and giving it extra attention inside the house for a short period of time. But after it felt better, it went right back out to the flock. I have a pet carrier ready inside the garage for separating a bird from the flock if necessary.

Planning ahead is a great idea and I hope you build up a kit for most situations. Nobody wants to be running out to the store late at night trying to find supplies you should have, or could have, stocked up before the emergency.

Yeah, I have had that in mind too. I have successfully cured one chicken separated from the flock in my home who had a two month long fight with sour/impacted crop, but I consider that pretty dumb luck and do not think of myself as a master chicken healer by any means.

My chickens are pets to me, my family does not profit off of them and we keep them solely for companionship (eggs are just a bonus) so I understand how my approach to things may be different than yours.. I am sure my viewpoint is a lot more emotional than yours. I'm a college student trying to apply for vet schools while still living at home and so they are of great emotional support to me during stressful times. Although I would like to think I can get all the medicines in the world and keep my girls alive forever, I know this will not be the case and I have to accept that sickness and disease and injury sometimes proving fatal is inevitable, and it won't always be my fault.

The reason I asked for people to tell me what things are meant for is so I can educate myself on how and when to use them, as you said. Hopefully with proper consultation from better educated people, I will be able to learn how to use the things that will hopefully someday save one of my chickens lives. Thank you for your advice!

 

[Myrshine]

Antibiotics - Respiratory infections & other bacterial infections

• Tylan 50 or 200 (Tylosin)
• Duramycin 72-200 (Oxytetracycline)
• LA-200 (Oxytetracycline)
• Penicillin
• Denagard (Tiamulin)
• Terramycin Eye Ointment
• Tetratex

Organic - Respiratory infections & other bacterial infections

• VetRX
• Oregano Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Mineral Oil

Injuries, surgeries, etc

• Vet wrap
• Neosporin Triple Antibiotic (without pain relief)
• Blood stopper powder
• Vetericyn or Bannix spray
• Disposable scalpels

Intestinal & External Parasites

• Ivermectin
• Safe-guard (Fenbendazle)
• Valbazen (Albendazle)
• Pyrantel Paste (Pyrantel Pamoate)
• Elector PSP Premise Spray
• Permectrin II Spray
• Python Dust
• Corid (Amperolieum)
• Albon (Sulfadimethoxine)

Vitamins, supplements & immune health support

• Rooster Booster Poultry Cell Vitamins
• Nutri-drench
• Rooster Booster Liquid B-12
• Rooster Booster Electrolytes with Lacto Bacillus
• Sav-A-Chick Electrolytes & Vitamins
• Sav-A-Chick Probiotics
• Chicken E-Lixir
• Red Cell
• Aloe Vera
• St. John's Wort

Supplies & others

• Scissors
• Facial masks
• Disposable Surgical gloves
• Disposable Scalpels
• 22 Gauge Needles
• Syringes

I hope this can help in some way

 

[gtaus]

I am sure my viewpoint is a lot more emotional than yours. I'm a college student trying to apply for vet schools while still living at home and so they are of great emotional support to me during stressful times.

That's great you are applying to vet schools. I wish you the best of luck.

Where I live, I have to be my own chicken vet. A single vet visit where I live is just too expensive, for me, to justify bringing them a sick chicken. Reality is that I can replace my entire backyard flock about 3X for the cost of a single vet visit. That is what I refer to practical economics of raising a backyard flock, at least where I live.

FWIW, my strategy is to figure out how many chickens I want, add a few more in case of illness or death, and just take care of them the best I can. I plan for those unexpected deaths that I cannot control in the initial number of chicks I order. So far, that strategy has worked well for me. As much as I enjoy raising chickens, I work hard not to think of my backyard flock as pets. But I do understand other people may have different motivations and if someone has pet chickens, I'm OK with that, too.

 

[Weeg]

Antibiotics - Respiratory infections & other bacterial infections

• Tylan 50 or 200 (Tylosin)
• Duramycin 72-200 (Oxytetracycline)
• LA-200 (Oxytetracycline)
• Penicillin
• Denagard (Tiamulin)
• Terramycin Eye Ointment
• Tetratex

Organic - Respiratory infections & other bacterial infections

• VetRX
• Oregano Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Mineral Oil

Injuries, surgeries, etc

• Vet wrap
• Neosporin Triple Antibiotic (without pain relief)
• Blood stopper powder
• Vetericyn or Bannix spray
• Disposable scalpels

Intestinal & External Parasites

• Ivermectin
• Safe-guard (Fenbendazle)
• Valbazen (Albendazle)
• Pyrantel Paste (Pyrantel Pamoate)
• Elector PSP Premise Spray
• Permectrin II Spray
• Python Dust
• Corid (Amperolieum)
• Albon (Sulfadimethoxine)

Vitamins, supplements & immune health support

• Rooster Booster Poultry Cell Vitamins
• Nutri-drench
• Rooster Booster Liquid B-12
• Rooster Booster Electrolytes with Lacto Bacillus
• Sav-A-Chick Electrolytes & Vitamins
• Sav-A-Chick Probiotics
• Chicken E-Lixir
• Red Cell
• Aloe Vera
• St. John's Wort

Supplies & others

• Scissors
• Facial masks
• Disposable Surgical gloves
• Disposable Scalpels
• 22 Gauge Needles
• Syringes

I hope this can help in some way

This is very helpful. You put a lot of work into this list, nice work! I love that you added the Organic section, I'm a believer in the holistic approach. Just curious, do you have any research on Mineral and coconut oil as a natural antibiotic?

 

[Myrshine]

This is very helpful. You put a lot of work into this list, nice work! I love that you added the Organic section, I'm a believer in the holistic approach. Just curious, do you have any research on Mineral and coconut oil as a natural antibiotic?

I do not, but it’s helped a lot of my birds in the past with crop issues. Great for crop impactions and for gut movement.