Natural Remedies
Create a DIY first-aid kit and use natural methods to keep your flock happy and healthy.
How to create a DIY first-aid kit and natural remedies for your flock.
Having a first-aid kit assembled and tucked somewhere handy in case of emergency is always a great idea, no matter what type of animals you raise, but it’s especially important when you raise chickens. Predator attacks are common, as are respiratory issues and parasite infestations. Avian vets are difficult to find, and a visit can often be cost-prohibitive. Emergencies happen on weekends, holidays and at night when stores and vet offices are closed, but fortunately, most common chicken injuries and illnesses that aren’t lifethreatening can easily be treated at home.
If you raise chickens long enough, the day will come when you need to administer first aid. Whatever it may be — and the list is lengthy: a sprain, broken toenail, puncture wound, insect sting, respiratory infection, cut, frostbite, bumblefoot, mites, worms or an injury caused by another chicken or a predator, just to name a few — you will need to be prepared in advance. This way, you won’t have the added stress of running around trying to find what you need or making a trip to the store while you’re an emotional mess with a hurt chicken on your hands. Even simple things, such as a speck of dirt in an eye or a splinter in a foot, will require basic first-aid treatment, so it’s far better to have everything ready and then hope you never have to use it.
There are various commercial products you might be able to find on the shelves of your local feed-supply store or online, but it’s possible to put together a basic first-aid kit using items you likely already have in your kitchen. Plus, the best part is that it’s all natural, so you don’t have to worry about any chemicals or medications passing through to the eggs while your chicken is being treated.
First, you’ll want to find a sturdy, covered container or tote to keep your first-aid supplies organized. Write your vet’s telephone number on top in permanent marker so you don’t have to go searching for it in an emergency: This is especially helpful if you routinely have caretakers come watch your chickens when you’re not home or on vacation. If you have a neighbor with chickens or someone you regularly turn to for advice or help, go ahead and write their number down, too.
You will also need to keep a pet carrier handy — a cat carrier works fine for chickens! — with a soft towel in it in case you need to transport a chicken to the vet. The towel will also come in handy if you need to hold a chicken during treatment. Wrapping it in the towel keeps the wings contained, so it’s easier to control the bird’s movement.
Basic Supplies
These basic items should be in every chicken keeper’s first-aid kit.
• cotton balls
• cotton swabs
• disposable rubber gloves
• eyedropper
• gauze pads
• nail clippers
• pair of small scissors
• plastic syringe
• a roll of bandages, e.g., Vetrap
• small flashlight with batteries
• tweezers
• wound care solution, e.g., Vetericyn
Natural First Aid Products
There are plenty of natural home remedies to be found in your kitchen, which will work wonders on your poorly poultry. Consider added the following to your first-aid kit.
Activated charcoal helps flush toxins from the body. It can also be fed to chickens in case of suspected poisoning.
Apple cider vinegar possesses some amazing health benefits for humans as well as chickens. Adding 1 tablespoon per gallon to your chickens’ drinking water several times a week helps to boost immune systems, guards against bad bacteria and maintains digestive health in the intestines. Apple cider vinegar also acts as an antiseptic by killing the germs that cause respiratory problems and promotes healthy mucous flow. If you are treating a sick
chicken, increasing the amount of apple cider vinegar fourfold is recommended.
Cinnamon can help keep infection at bay when added to an injured or sick chicken’s diet. As an added bonus, cinnamon helps relieve respiratory distress.
Coconut oil can help prevent frostbite on chickens’ combs or wattles by providing a protective barrier against the cold. Carefully smearing a liberal coating of coconut oil on cold nights can prevent them from getting frostbitten and will also help previously frostbitten areas to heal. Coconut oil can also be slathered on a chicken’s legs and feet to smother and kill scaly leg mites.
Cornstarch is a fast way to effectively stop bleeding. Applied topically, it can quickly staunch the flow of blood from a wound or cut.
Epsom salt added to warm water help to soften the skin if you need to remove a splinter from a chicken’s foot. Also when ingested, Epsom salt will help flush toxins, assist with intestinal tract blockage and reduce diarrhea.
Garlic juice sprayed under your chickens’ wings or around their vents is an effective natural treatment for mites, lice and other external parasites. You can purchase it commercially prepared or make your own by steeping minced garlic in water then straining the solids. Fresh garlic or garlic juice added to your chickens’ water will help boost their immune systems and increase respiratory health. Garlic is also a natural wormer, helping to control internal parasites.
Honey is wonderful to use on wounds and scrapes to aid healing. It’s a natural antiseptic which will help keep wounds clean and free from infection. Obviously, honey is nontoxic if inadvertently eaten by the hen.
Liquid calcium can help an egg-bound hen pass her egg before it’s too late. By soaking in a warm bath and drinking some liquid calcium, she is often able to lay her egg, avoiding this potentially life-threatening condition. Calcium is required to create nice strong eggshells, and it is also responsible for the contractions that help the egg pass through the oviduct.
Molasses, especially the blackstrap variety, contains an abundance of nutrients and minerals which can be beneficial to a hen who is lethargic or recovering from an illness or heat stress. Molasses will also help flush toxins if you suspect accidental poisoning or botulism. Molasses fed in large enough amounts can cause diarrhea, so just a few drops at a time is recommended, drizzled over the hen’s feed or into the water.
Oil of oregano has recently been studied as a natural antibiotic by commercial poultry farms, especially when fed in conjunction with cinnamon.
Saline solution can be used to cleanse eyes or nostrils of dirt or dust, as well as cleansing a wound. Often if you notice a hen blinking repeatedly, she’s merely gotten some debris in her eye and a few squirts of saline can help flush it out.
Assembling your first-aid kit in advance of an emergency is prudent when you raise chickens. Hopefully you’ll never have to use it, but if you do, at least you’ll know it’s ready. Remember to periodically check expiration dates and replace any items that have expired or run out.
Lisa Steele, an author and freelance writer, is a fifth-generation chicken keeper and the creative mind behind Fresh Eggs Daily (www.fresh-eggs-daily.com), the natural poultry-keeping website. With her easy, fun and accessible approach to raising backyard flocks, Steele inspires newcomers and seasoned chicken-keepers alike as she focuses on tried-and-true methods to raise chickens and ducks as naturally as possible on her farm in New England. INGREDIENTS
1 quart water 2 tablespoons sugar 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
PREPARATION
Mix the ingredients as needed; do not make up the mixture in advance.
Any leftover electrolytes should be discarded.
Use full strength on severely ailing chickens, offering it to them free-choice, or in extreme cases carefully administering using an eyedropper or plastic syringe.