How to Assemble a Chicken First Aid Kit
If you raise chickens long enough, the day will come when you need to administer first aid.
Whether it be a sprain, hurt foot, broken toenail, puncture wound, insect sting, respiratory infection, cuts, frostbite, bumblefoot, open sores, mites, worms, or an injury from another chicken or a predator, you want to be prepared in advance with your chicken first aid kit so you aren't running around trying to find what you need, or making a trip to the store, an emotional mess, with a hurt chicken on your hands.
How to Assemble a Chicken First Aid Kit
To get started assembling your chicken first aid kit, you will need a sturdy plastic container with a cover.
Small fishing tackle boxes work well as do small plastic craft boxes from Walmart or the Dollar Store. Of course I keep so much on hand now that it all no longer fits into this small container !
Write your vet's telephone number as well as the phone number of our local feed store on the lid in permanent marker. Although your vet might not treat chickens per se, they will still be an important contact in many situations and many feed store owners are familiar with common maladies.
What to Put in your Chicken First Aid Kit
Coconut Oil to prevent frostbite on combs or feet
Epsom salts for soaking feet with splinters or bumblefoot, neutralize and help flush toxins, help with intestinal tract blockage, reduce diarrhea and treat vent gleet
Kochi Free all-natural anti-parasitic and coccidiosis remedy
Liquid Calcium to help an eggbound hen
Poultry VetRx cures respiratory ailments, scaly leg and eye worm
Nutri-Drench liquid vitamins and other nutrients for ailing chickens
Theracyn Wound and Skin Care Spray non-toxic spray that can be used to treat cuts, scratches, sores and minor injuries as well as bumblefoot
Vitamins & Electrolytes or Plain Pedialyte to replenish electrolytes during extremely hot weather
- Gauze pads
- First Aid Tape
- Sharp Scissors
- Blood Stop Powder (available from your vet) or Cornstarch to help stop bleeding
- Cotton Balls
- Wooden Popsicle Sticks
- Q-Tips
- Eye Dropper
- Tweezers
- Small Pliers
- Rubber Gloves
- Dawn Dish Detergent
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In addition, you should keep a small pet carrier and a soft blanket nearby for a possible trip to the vet.
A dog crate or large bird cage should also be kept handy. It will make a perfects 'recovery room' for a hen who needs to be separated while recovering from an injury or illness.
That way any medication that needs to be administered can be easily limited to your patient's diet and you can monitor the hen's eating/drinking/pooping while keeping her safe from pecking by the others.
The crate needs to be sturdy, safe, large enough that the chicken can move around a bit and preferably in a quiet corner. You can also drape a towel over it to allow your patient more privacy.
Keeping the crate outside in the run while your patient is recovering (if weather permits), and what she is suffering from isn't contagious, will avoid the injured chicken from being at the bottom of the pecking order when she is ready to be returned to the run and make re-integration easier.
Keep the crate handy and your first aid kit stocked (and if you use something or it expires, replenish right away with a new supply). Keep the kit where you can access it quickly. With a well-stocked first aid kit you will be set for almost any chicken emergency - but hopefully you will never need to use it.
