# Chicken First Aid



## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

Hey guys! Wigwam here.

I was wondering about this for a while. 

I need help figuring out a first aid kit. I've done my research but there is just so many different supplies and sprays and solutions...I'm just so confused.

Most of the stuff is also expensive. I'm looking for a way to save money but also not cut corners on necessary first aid supplies.

And one more question - what ailments/illnesses are the most common in chickens? I will be a beginner flock owner in June and I am looking to see what things I might encounter my first year and beyond and things I need to watch for.

Also, not just ailments/illnesses for grown chickens, but also chicks, since that's what I am starting out with.

Thanks!


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

http://www.chickenforum.com/f12/items-my-first-aid-kit-9633/
http://www.chickenforum.com/f12/common-poultry-diseases-9750/


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Dont go buying everything under the sun for "just in case." Most if not all "just in case" stuff never happens. Besides, alot of products have expiration dates.
Injuries happen, but arnt every day occurrences and I treat on a case by case basis. For wounds, I flush with betadine and then apply neosporin. Wounds heal quickly in chickens. Infected wounds can be treated with oral antibiotics or by injections.
Unfortunately with respiratory diseases, which are common; it's best to cull infected birds simply because most diseases spread rather quickly throughout a flock. In this regard, I suggest that you read about poultry biosecurity.
I recommend routine worming, just like you'd do with a dog or cat. Chickens are more susceptible to worms because they constantly peck the soil and eat grass where worm eggs are located.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

You can improvise a lot of different ways with some things. And it depends how far you want to go. I firmly believe that having -Corid or Sulfadimethoxine on hand no matter what. I like the sulfa..... because of it's antibiotic qualities as well. 
-a syring and feeding tube (sick birds won't drink the water with the meds in it)
-antibiotic ointment, gauze, and tape, and betadine.
-something to use as a splint. I use hard cardboard, gauze inside and tape on the outside
-a hospital area to separate the sick or injured bird.
-rubber or surgical gloves.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

You can put together a small first aid kit.It should include antibiotic ointment,normal saline solution such as contact lens solution for cleaning wounds or flushing eyes( or you can make your own,I have the recipe if anyone is interested but you need to make a new batch every week),cornstarch to stop bleeding,baby aspirin for pain and swelling and roll gauze/tape but dressing a wound is very hard on a chicken because of the feathers.When my hen's back was ripped off by a dog,I packed the wound with antibiotic ointment but left it open to air because dressing it would've caused more pain.I kept it clean and applied ointment until it was closed.You'd never know her back was torn off.Until this year you could buy over the counter antibiotics for common ailments but they changed the laws and now you need a prescription from a vet or get creative with fish/pigeon antibiotics online.Leg injuries are very common.Rodents cause injuries,parasites and diseases so practice good rodent killing skills such as placing poison around the coop but out of reach of the chickens.If you can,hang their feed to keep it out of reach for the rats.Worm your chickens regularly,an overload of worms will kill your chickens.Your chickens can get lice and mites and will need to be treated or an infestation takes place and can kill your chickens.Most of it is preventing something from starting.As long as they have a dry,draft-free place to roost,fresh food and water and a few little extras from you,you will have a nice flock of chickens.And remember,we are always here to help.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Cornstarch is great. Once I used hub's denture powder which turns into a thick get when wet. Or flour I've used.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

chickenqueen said:


> You can put together a small first aid kit.It should include antibiotic ointment,normal saline solution such as contact lens solution for cleaning wounds or flushing eyes( or you can make your own,I have the recipe if anyone is interested but you need to make a new batch every week),cornstarch to stop bleeding,baby aspirin for pain and swelling and roll gauze/tape but dressing a wound is very hard on a chicken because of the feathers.When my hen's back was ripped off by a dog,I packed the wound with antibiotic ointment but left it open to air because dressing it would've caused more pain.I kept it clean and applied ointment until it was closed.You'd never know her back was torn off.Until this year you could buy over the counter antibiotics for common ailments but they changed the laws and now you need a prescription from a vet or get creative with fish/pigeon antibiotics online.Leg injuries are very common.Rodents cause injuries,parasites and diseases so practice good rodent killing skills such as placing poison around the coop but out of reach of the chickens.If you can,hang their feed to keep it out of reach for the rats.Worm your chickens regularly,an overload of worms will kill your chickens.Your chickens can get lice and mites and will need to be treated or an infestation takes place and can kill your chickens.Most of it is preventing something from starting.As long as they have a dry,draft-free place to roost,fresh food and water and a few little extras from you,you will have a nice flock of chickens.And remember,we are always here to help.


Thank you very much. A short and simple but effective first aid kit like you said will be great. I greatly appreciate the advice. I have one question, though - how do you worm your chickens? I know you use diatomaceous earth to prevent mites and lice, but how do you prevent worms?


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Wigwam7 said:


> Thank you very much. A short and simple but effective first aid kit like you said will be great. I greatly appreciate the advice. I have one question, though - how do you worm your chickens? I know you use diatomaceous earth to prevent mites and lice, but how do you prevent worms?


Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a waste of money and not very effective in ridding birds of lice/mites in a quick acting manner. Mites are killers by the way, and there's one type of mite that can infect birds with spirochetes requiring an antibiotic to kill the spirochetes. 
There are plenty of effective dusts and liquids on the market that will kill parasites quickly, including the mite that can pass spirochetes into the chickens blood. 
Not only do birds require effective treatment for external parasites, so does the inside of the hen house including nests and roosts. Infected bedding should be removed and burned depending on how severe the infestation.

For first time worming, I recommend Valbazen liquid cattle/sheep wormer. It slowly kills worms over several days preventing toxic dead worm overload in the chickens digestive tract. 
If birds have been on soil at 6 weeks, they should be wormed at 6 weeks old.
Your soil determines how often you should worm your birds. Warm moist or wet soil will require frequent wormings. Dry, sandy, mountainous, cool or cold soil may require less frequent wormings.
I worm my birds monthly and rotate with different wormers...valbazen, safeguard liquid goat wormer, pyrantel pamoate, sometimes wazine.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

I use PermectrinII spray for lice,mites and,really,any and all bugs.You can spray it on your chickens,other livestock,dogs but not cats,around the coop and in.I have exotic birds and it's the only thing I use for the ants in the house when I see them.The fumes don't bother my birds like Raid does.It also stays on the chickens longer,the dust they mostly shake off.The powders go everywhere like in their eyes and mouth and you breathe it in the air.The sprays are much better and a bottle goes a long way.I never had problems with bugs until a rat community moved in under the coop.I had to actually move the coop to get to Rat City and spent half a summer getting rid of them.Now the coop is a foot above ground and I keep poison under there.No more rats,no more bugs.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

Ok, guys. I think I've established a good first aid kit but I'm not for sure.
Tell me if any of this is not the greatest.

*- Vet bandages/guaze*
*- Vetericyn Wound and Skin hydrogel* - https://www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=VTG8 
*- Vet RX *- https://www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=VRX
*- Epsom salt*
*- Baby asprin*
*- Latex gloves*

I'm only missing one thing: a wormer. I can't find an inexpensive but effective wormer! Valbazen was pretty costly.
What about this wormer: https://www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=W17
Or this one: https://www.jefferspet.com/products...84af9fa2600f00000499/533884b09fa2600f000004b1

Please let me know if my first aid kit needs a touch up. Thanks!


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Valbazen seems costly but the bottle lasts a long time. I use a 1 ml syringe and put it down their throat past the tracheal opening. 1/2 ml is good for most. Rats leave worms as well. For mites and lice you can use Sevin or Poultry dust and dust them.


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## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

seminolewind said:


> Valbazen seems costly but the bottle lasts a long time. I use a 1 ml syringe and put it down their throat past the tracheal opening. 1/2 ml is good for most. Rats leave worms as well. For mites and lice you can use Sevin or Poultry dust and dust them.


True. I understand about Valbazen. Do you think you could leave me a link to Poultry Dust and Sevin?


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

You can get the poultry dust and sevin at farm stores, garden centers, Wal-Mart, etc.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Wigwam,don't waste your money on powders.Buy yourself some Permethrin II spray.It's concentrated and a bottle lasts a long time.Sprays are much easier to control placement of product verses the powders that go everywhere.You can use it on your chickens,coop,pen,even your dog but not cats.It's the only bug spray I use inside and out.When you powder a bird,the first thing they do is try to shake it off but they can't do that with the spray.It also leaves a residue that lasts up to 30 days,powders don't do that.I've tried both,I'll leave the powders for the garden.As long as you don't bring in infected birds,have a rodent problem or a lot of wild birds,you probably won't have to worry about lice/mites.


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