BeckyBoo Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 They treat budgies which must be INFINITELY more tricky on account of the fact that they're about as big as your hand, I've just had to ring FOUR vets to find one that will, and even then they asked what was wrong before checking they could see her to do something about it! Honestly, animal doctors picking and choosing what animals they treat. Just as well I don't pick and choose which burglars to arrest!! Mrs Bertie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I've found that most city or town vets don't really know one end of a chicken from the other, so would be unwilling to treat one, but more rural vets are more likey to have come across chickens in their travels! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Vets have a duty of care to treat ALL animals they are not allowed to refuse to see something If you are having problems report the practice rather than the individual vet to the RVC and they can have their knuckles rapped They can advise you thet they don't consider themselves to be a specialist in a species but they are not allowed to refuse even if they are worried you can't pay for ther advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenlass Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Vets have a duty of care to treat ALL animals they are not allowed to refuse to see something If you are having problems report the practice rather than the individual vet to the RVC and they can have their knuckles rapped They can advise you thet they don't consider themselves to be a specialist in a species but they are not allowed to refuse even if they are worried you can't pay for ther advice I think I would rather be told that there wasn't a knowledgeable person there to treat the chicken instead of making an appointment and paying for a consultation then not getting the correct treatment for the chicken. At least then you can ring round and find a practice who does know about them. Vets can't be specialist in all animals after all. [i know...I'm married to one and he doesn't know a great deal about the chicken either.] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I agree - we use three different practices - one for the dogs, one for the horse and one for the chooks - each chosen for their area of specialism. If a vet treats budgies / parrots then they should be able to treat chooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I think that vets don't treat chicken as a rule because it is only in the last few years that chickens have become pets rather than just livestock. It has never been economically viable for large scale commercial hen keepers to have individual hens treated...they just wring their necks. Now that there is a massive increase in backyard chickens, and a different attitude from their owners....more and more vets will treat hens. In fact the veterinary powers that be have devised a course for vets to go on exactly for this reason....so things will improve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I'm lucky in that the vet 5 mins walk away from my house has a farm practice and the owner is a chicken specialist and loves them too. My furries go to another vet just because they've always gone there from way before I had chooks, and i see no reason to move them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancing Gal Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Can you get pet insurance for chooks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I haven't had to use a vet for my chooks yet but I asked recently when having the cat treated, and two different vets at my local practice said yes, they would treat them if needed. They seemed surprised that I'd asked, but I'd already heard from people on here that some vets aren't keen! One vet admitted that they don't see a lot of chickens; he said that most commercial breeders/producers don't bother with individual illnesses, it's more about vaccination and disease control - and it is logical that if you have 5,000 chickens and one gets sick, you don't spend a lot of time or money on treating it. He also added that when they had a lecture about chickens at university, the chicken vet-specialist turned up and said 'You're probably not interested in this, because you think chickens are boring and you'll never have to treat them'. Apparently he then added 'That's my Ferrari in the car-park'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lerryn Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 My vet is my friends husband...... who really wants an eglu plus chickens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Can you get pet insurance for chooks? We've looked into this before. It was a ridiculous price...around £300 PER BIRD per year. They were classed as exotic birds by the insurance companies. Things may change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I am lucky with my local practise. There is a poultry specialist as well as a couple of others who know their chickens. One chap even gave a hen a free consultation as he said she was gorgoeus & it had made a nice change to see a chicken! Another of the vets lives just down the road from me & chicken sits when we go on holiday - PERFECT!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Vets have a duty of care to treat ALL animals they are not allowed to refuse to see something If you are having problems report the practice rather than the individual vet to the RVC and they can have their knuckles rapped They can advise you thet they don't consider themselves to be a specialist in a species but they are not allowed to refuse even if they are worried you can't pay for ther advice I think I would rather be told that there wasn't a knowledgeable person there to treat the chicken instead of making an appointment and paying for a consultation then not getting the correct treatment for the chicken. At least then you can ring round and find a practice who does know about them. Vets can't be specialist in all animals after all. [i know...I'm married to one and he doesn't know a great deal about the chicken either.] Hi Chicken lass I wasn't trying to offend but we keep hearing time and again that they refuse to see chickens which is not allowed and they can advise over the phone that they may not be able to help which is much nicer than the standard 'we don't do chickens' which is wrong I know a couple of vets who know nothing about chickens either I am lucky as I have a vet training school on the doorstep of work and tend to take my exotics there and the cats go to the local place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenlass Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 : Hi Chicken lass I wasn't trying to offend but we keep hearing time and again that they refuse to see chickens which is not allowed and they can advise over the phone that they may not be able to help which is much nicer than the standard 'we don't do chickens' which is wrong I know a couple of vets who know nothing about chickens either I am lucky as I have a vet training school on the doorstep of work and tend to take my exotics there and the cats go to the local place ........... LOL No offence taken Louise ...I wish my husband knew more about them...... Thats why I am always on here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James H Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 i didnt actually know that most vets didnt treat chickens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
