4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[ted]

I am looking into health and wellbeing of my bantams and as a new starter I was after some advice on putting together the basics in terms of products for preventitive care and what is needed to treat the most common ailments... Whatever they may be??

 

At the moment the cupboard is bare. The ladies have pellets and some corn mix/carrot/swede/cabbage/rice occasionally.

 

They seem well in general. One comb has some black dots on the edges and there is a bit of runny poo now and then.

 

Cheers

[Hen Watch]

Ted, I've built up a cupboard full of stuff over 2 years, but I've got it as and when I needed it and not all at once.

 

My personal essentials are:

Pot of grit in the run.

Poultry spice - general suppliment

Garlic powder - add to food to reduce poop smells

ACV (Apple cider vinegar) - from horse supply shops - add to water for digestion / condition etc.

Citricidal - grapfruit extract add to water for sniffles/sneezes

Wormer - I personally use Flubenvet every 3 months, others use VermX

 

Additionally I have:

Limestone Flour - calcium suppliment I use when mine lay lots of softie eggs

DE - (aslo known as Diatom or Diatomaceous Earth) - add to food to ward off internal parasites, add to dust bath, put in housing, shake on their feathers etc.

Louse Powder

Bokashi bran - add to feed if chicken has the squits but also it makes poop compost better. However I rarely use my bag (others on here use it all the time).

 

Things I have not got yet but may buy if needed:

Purple spray (from horse shops) general anticeptic for cuts etc.

Johnsons Mite & Lice Spray - from the pet shop but there are also loads of other alternatives.

Red Mite Powder

 

Some of the above are in the Omlet Shop online, most I buy from my local horse supplies shop and a few are from online suppliers.

 

This is not a full list - others will add more. But please don't go mad just buy what you need as and when....

[chelsea]

we're almost the same as Katy above, you do tend to collect bits and bobs over time so please dont think they are essential first of all.

 

We also use Flubenvet as a wormer (verm-x is pants to be honest!). Purple spray/genetian violet is a godsend in my opinion - ideal for minor cuts as it has antiseptic in it and also helps with pecking.

 

We have also used/added -

 

Ukadex anti peck spray (the only solution to our persistent pecker - it stinks though )

Tea tree oil is handy to have in the cupboard (to use sparingly diluted on minor cuts)

Bachs rescue remedy (for shocked hens - eg after a fox attack)

Arnica (for limps, bumps, sprains) I have used the gel form, some people use pillules.

Vaseline comes in handy (scaley leg)

and other bits and bobs you get in a normal 1st aid box - cotton wool balls & buds, etc etc

 

even though this isnt first aid I use -

 

Stalosan F (an agricultural powder) that is sprinkled on the soil/grass the run sits on every few weeks or so - this nutralises the soil, gets rid of nasty organisms & bacteria and helps combat disease/infection.

 

Im a big believer in preventative measures...as you can see!

[Gamebird]

As Hen Watch says you accummulate things as you go along. I have had my girls for nearly a year and have, as yet, not had any problems with them so at the moment my chicken cupboard consists of:-

 

Layers mash

Bokashi bran

Mixed corn for treats in moderation

 

Xeno 200 for external (scaly leg mite and lice) and internal parasites (worms) administered every 3 to 4 months

Purple spray for cuts etc.

Diatom powder sprinkled in their nesting box

 

We have a large vegetable garden so the chickens also have cabbage, spinach, chard, tomatoes, etc.

[Gamebird]

Forgot to mention Poultry Shield which is good for keeping red mite away from the hen house. A good thorough spray every month in the winter and every week in the summer.

[Janty]

We are the same. As others have said, just pick things up as you need it. What I've done is put together a box of first aid and chickeny health stuff in one of the cupboards in the conservatory. That way I know where everything is when I need it.

[Egluntyne]

I agree....get things as you go along otherwise you will bankrupt yourself, and you may waste money on stuff you don't need.

 

You are lucky that 'Horse and Rider' is so close by!

[ted]

Do they stock this stuff or do you need to order it in?

[Egluntyne]

They stock purple spay, garlic powder, grit, aubiose, pellets, tea tree spray, tee tree ointment, veterinary wound powder, cod liver oil, Apple Cider Vinegar and all sorts of other intriguing things.

 

They don't stock Diatom as far as I can recall, nor do they stock Bokashi bran or Xeno200, all of which can be bought online.