What is in your chicken emergency kit? (printable checklist!)

Do you have a chicken first aid kit? Chances are if you've had chickens more than a few months you've accumulated a few things to help take care of them. I've ended up with a whole cupboard full of medical supplies that I use regularly. 

Many things I bought in an emergency, but some I purchased just so I would have them when the time arrives. After all...who wants to be running all the way to the feed store when a chicken is wounded?  

Most of the things in my chicken emergency kit can be purchased at a feed store, drugstore or even Walmart. A few things need ordered online from animal supply websites. I like Revival Animal Health and Lamberts Vet Supply for medical supplies but some feed stores do carry them. 

Don't feel like you need to rush right out and buy all the medical supplies in my chicken first aid kit, but rather use this as a guideline for what you might need in a chicken health emergency. 

Oh, and don't forget to check the dollar store for the common supplies like Epsom salts, generic Pedialyte and peroxide.

Chicken first aid kit: 

Apple Cider Vinegar with the 'mother': bolsters immunity and digestive health 
Baby Aspirin: For pain/injury.
Band aids: spraddle leg in chicks, cover wounds on feet or legs
Blood stop powder: stops bleeding. Cornstarch also works
Blue kote: spray antiseptic, germicidal, colors wounds purple to discourage picking
Blue Lotion: same as blue kote but in a bottle with dauber
Brewers Yeast: high in B vitamins
Corid: Amprolium, for treating coccidiosis.
Cuticle scissors
Dawn dish soap: for bathing chickens and washing hands
Disposable gloves
Doggy pee pads: for use in quarantine cage instead of regular bedding
Duramycin powder: for use in water when treating whole flock
Duramycin liquid: injectable antibiotic
Epsom salts: soaking bumblefoot, vent prolapse, fly strike etc
Gauze pads: (non stick) to dress wounds
Guillotine nail clippers: for trimming chicken nails
Hand sanitizer spray: for cleaning hands as you go
Hydrogen Peroxide: cleaning dirt out of wounds
Iodine: cleaning wounds
Ivomec pour on for cattle: treats infestations of lice and mites
Needle nosed pliers
Neosporin without pain relief. Or make your own herbal wound salve.
Oxine: cleaning and treating water in large drinkers
Pedialyte: add to water for replenishing electrolytes. I buy a box of the popsicle's since they are in individual tubes.
Pliers: for removing rooster spurs.
Preparation H: vent prolapse
Poly-Vi-Sol without iron: vitamins
Poultry drench: vitamins
Popsicle sticks: splints
Q-Tips: various sizes for cleaning wounds and applying ointment or Vetrx
Rubbing alcohol: cleaning tweezers, scissors etc
Saline: rinse wounds. Or make your own as needed.
Save-A-chick: vitamins & electrolytes
Scalpel
Scarlex Scarlet oil: natural oil based wound dressing
Scissors
Super glue: glue small wounds closed, fix broken beak or toenail
Suture sets: when you absolutely have to stitch a wound
Suture clamps: make stitching easier
Syringes in various sizes: for medicine and wound wash (no needles)
Syringes with needles in various sizes: injecting antibiotics and draining abscesses
Tylan 50: injectable antibiotic
Tweezers
Vaseline: prevents frostbite on combs and wattles
Vet-Rx: treats eye worm, scaly leg mites & respiratory issues
Vet wrap: I prefer this over tape to keep wounds dressed or hold splints in place
Vetrycin spray: wound care
Vitamin E with selenium: used to treat wry neck
Wazine: treat worm infestation

Not everyone uses antibiotics and that's great! Unfortunately I had a few instances when more natural techniques didn't work and turned to antibiotics out of desperation. 

The decision to use antibiotics (and chemical wormers or pest control) is highly personal and while I always reach for natural products first, I do keep the stronger stuff on hand in case I need it.  

While I'm sure this is not a complete list of chicken medical supplies that are available, these are the ones that I have used for the last few years and have come to rely on. 

I'm not done though, it seems like my chicken care kit is a constantly growing and changing being! I can already think of a few more things I want! 

I made a checklist of what I think is absolutely necessary to keep in a poultry first aid kit. You can find that link: right here in google drive. Feel free to download and print the list out to help you assemble your own first aid kit!

~L

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