What's in your chicken first aid kit?

[HollyWoozle]

I just thought it would be interesting to hear what you keep to hand for chicken illness/injuries/emergencies. What medications and/or equipment do you keep in stock and what do you think are the essentials?

 

[Mvan42]

Good question I w am interested to find out to. Also if you post can you state what it’s used for. Fairly new to raising chickens myself.

 

[The Dapper Duck]

Here is my ideal kit:
Triple antibiotic ointment
Small forceps (quality tweezers from the beauty supply store are best)
Blu-Kote antiseptic (I like the brush-on over the spray)
3% Betadine solution (for flushing)
A 2" roll of elastic vet wrap (like this, for holding splints or wrapping wounds)
"Ouchless" non-adherent pads (like this, use like gauze but it doesn't stick)

3mL syringes (for sub-cutaneous injections)
10mL syringes (for flushing)
28ga x 1" needles (for sub-cu)
18ga x 1" needles (for drawing fluids or flushing)
Lactated ringer (electrolyte solution, given sub-cu, if you can get your hands on some)
Surgical staple gun (like this, great for torn skin but not for the faint of heart)
Disposable scalpels in #10 and #11
Hemostat

This may be a bit advanced for most people. At least the first part of the list should be in your kit though. I do not recommend attempting any procedures you are not trained to perform or if you are at all uncomfortable with. If you know what you are doing, all of this stuff can bring birds back from the brink. I got a lot of these supplies by going down to my local clinic and asking for their expired supplies. I don't recommend sutures, they're just kind of a pain and tend not to hold without a whole bunch of them. There is probably a good list of supplements and vitamins to go along with treating physical ailments, but I am not quite as versed in those.

I hope this helps!

 

[Mrs. K]

A sharp knife. I keep my flock healthy by removing anything that is severely injured or sick (I have only had one sick bird in all my years of chickens).

 

[The Dapper Duck]

A sharp knife. I keep my flock healthy by removing anything that is severely injured or sick (I have only had one sick bird in all my years of chickens).

That's cold, haha. But I agree. I tend to cull the sickly ones rather than help them along. Tough love makes healthy flocks. Physical injuries are different, especially if you have a small flock and certain hens that are particularly good producers and you want to keep them alive after a predator attack or some harsh loving from the rooster.

 

[Blooie]

Margarita mix. After years of raising these annoying, time consuming, lovable critters, a margarita comes in handy more often than not and has amazing medicinal qualities - for me!

 

[HollyWoozle]

Interesting answers, thanks!

I have to say that I have found chickens to be amazing resilient in terms of physical injuries thus far, but don't have much luck with helping once they actually become sick or have internal problems. We had three hens badly wounded by our rooster last year (problem seems to have been solved now hopefully) and I essentially flushed the wounds, used some good old purple spray and separated them. Ensured they were well fed and watered and they all healed perfectly... amazes me how such big wounds can heal so well without infection, especially when they live outside in the dirt and whatnot!

 

[aart]

Margarita mix. After years of raising these annoying, time consuming, lovable critters, a margarita comes in handy more often than not and has amazing medicinal qualities - for me!

Here's a bunch of first aid info:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/57991090/?q=First+aid&t=post&o=date&c[title_only]=1

 

[nerfworthy]

Blu-kote and veterycin are at the ready for any minor injuries. I'm ill-prepared for anything major so it would be cull or vet time depending on severity if that ever happened.