Whether you have one backyard chicken or many, accidents and injuries can happen to them at any time. Since most of us don’t have a veterinarian to turn to for help caring for the health of our flocks, being prepared for the unexpected can make a medical crisis less stressful. It’s important to keep first aid supplies on hand and have a plan for a recovery space before you need them. Here's what I recommend:
Emergency Wound Care Supplies
Every chicken keeper should stock a few basic first aid supplies and store them in a cool, dry, easily accessible location. Don’t be tempted to keep first aid supplies inside the chicken coop where temperature fluctuations can cause degradation and reduce their effectiveness. The essential supplies in my first aid kit include:
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| Safe Recovery Space In addition to having a handle on wound care supplies and urgent care, plan where you’ll bring an injured chicken to recover after being assessed and treated. A chicken recovery space should be located in a warm, quiet, predator-proof area away from the flock where you can check on the bird often. The enclosure should be large enough for the chicken to stand up and turn around in, and have an area where the chicken can relieve itself away from its food and water. A small rabbit hutch or collapsible wire dog crate work great, but even a towel-lined bathtub can serve this purpose for a short time. Line the recovery space with litter such as pine shavings or soft towels. No Colored Cover-up Products I do not recommend alcohol-based antiseptics or those with blue, purple or red dyes for chicken wound care. Chickens have superior color vision and colored dyes draw unwanted attention from other flock members to wounds on injured birds. Color-staining ingredients conceal redness, which is one of the first signs of infection, which is not helpful in monitoring the progress of healing. Try gentler, more effective wound-care products approved for use on food-producing animals such as Vetericyn. |
| Affectionately known internationally as The Chicken Chick®, Kathy Shea Mormino shares a fun-loving, informative style to raising backyard chickens. Kathy is the founder and one-woman creative force behind her blog, The Chicken Chick®, and her wildly popular Facebook page and social media network. You Might Also Like: What are the Downsides of Antibiotics for Pets? |
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Reviewed by Dan Richardson, Veterinarian
