What Should You Have in Your Poultry First Aid Kit?

It’s inevitable. If you own poultry, eventually there will come a time when you need to treat an injury or illness with one of your birds. You can save yourself some stress and help your sick or injured patient quickly if you are well-prepared with a poultry first aid kit. Let’s discuss some of the common items you may want to have on hand in your kit.
If you brood chicks, ducklings or any other types of fowl, there are a few things to keep on hand:

• Nutri-Drench gives a quick energy boost to new chicks or stressed birds that aren’t eating well
• Vital-Pack (layers) or Vital-Pack Plus (broilers) ensures that chicks get the vitamins they need

First aid tape is helpful for splinting splayed legs and crooked toes

In addition to the above items for chicks or ducklings, I like to have these items in my poultry first aid kit for treating adult birds:

• Vetericyn wound spray to clean and help heal any skin wounds or pecking injuries
• Vet Wrap is useful for holding injured wings to the body without feather damage
• Blood Stop Powder for quickly and safely controlling bleeding wounds
• Old towels for wrapping birds safely during treatment
• Blu Kote is a purple-blue colored antiseptic that helps disguise a wound to prevent further picking by other chicks (because it is dark in color, Blu Kote is less effective for disguising wounds on lighter colored birds)
• Gauze sponges to make bandages along with Vet Wrap or first aid tape
• Triple antibiotic ointment for wound care
• Petroleum jelly or coconut oil for use on a vent prolapse and for frostbite prevention on combs and wattles
• VetRx for upper respiratory symptoms. This product is like Vicks VapoRub for chickens.
• The Chicken Health Handbook is the best poultry health and treatment book I’ve come across. I reference it many times in dealing with issues in my flock.

I hope my list of basic poultry first aid kit supplies is helpful to you in dealing with your own flock’s issues as they arise. Do you have an item you find particularly useful in your poultry first aid kit? Leave us a comment and tell us!