by Kathy Shea Mormino, The Chicken Chick.
After having had three mortally ill chickens in urgent need of medical care recently, it has become painfully apparent to me that finding trained medical professionals who treat backyard chickens is difficult, at best. More often than not, we keep our first aid kit well stocked and handle health challenges ourselves, but sometimes, that’s just not possible. If and when we are able to find any veterinarian willing to treat chickens, we consider ourselves lucky. Once past that hurdle, we just hope that they do the right thing from a treatment perspective, knowing that most vets do not have formal training in poultry care. With a recent study from the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Animal Health Monitoring System projecting an increase in backyard flocks of over 400% in the next 5 years, it is time to discuss our expectations of medical care for our chickens among ourselves and with our veterinarians.
65 Comments
My baby chick is always standing alone n became fat/swellon compared with other chicks…Is it sick mam? Iam so much worried
Bloating in a chick can be a sign of several things. Have you made sure that she can poop easily? If there is poop blocking her anus (known as “pasty butt), this can cause bloating. You might try feeding her yogurt as well. And sometimes, this happens and there isn’t anything you can do. Make sure she has clean water. So sorry for your worry.
Hello Ramya. I am the author of this article. I’m sorry to hear your chick is doing poorly.
How old is the chick? The most likely cause of a swollen belly is an unhealed navel, which can result in an infection called oomphalitis; it’s a bacterial infection inside the chick that is usually fatal. If this is the cause and you do not have a vet to see her, I strongly suggest euthanizing the chick as she will die a slow and awful death from this infection.
Please do not feed the chick yogurt. Chickens do not possess the digestive enzymes necessary to digest milk sugars and yogurt will only make any existing digestive upset worse, and create digestive upset where none currently exists.
Kathy Shea Mormino
The Chicken Chick®
Thank you Kathy.
My chicken is really bad almostbud in one of her eyes it’s like ozzing out and really swollen and has scaly mites and can’t walk
I have rescued to Silkies from the same lady who can’t pay for veterinary care. I have a horse vet that that helps me at a very reasonable cost. They both had a swollen eye and it seemed like they were laboring to breathe no discharge from the mouth or nose just a little bit of white stuff in the eye and it looks like the eyeball itself is swollen. The first one was seven months old but tried to remove the eye and we lost her after surgery during recovery. I now have an eight week old we give this one antibiotics after two days of noticeable illness. She seem to be doing good for about four days and I found her this morning twisted upside down. She chirp still and will take little water off my finger with a dropper but it seems as though she’s paralyzed her neck keeps twisting to the right and underneath her body. And she won’t open her good I I but she is talking to me and chirping what could this possibly be going to have her put down this afternoon
Do you view your backyard chickens as livestock, pets or something else?
Mine are absolutely pets
Is it important to you to know that there is a veterinarian available who will treat your chicken(s)?
YES!
Are you willing to bring your chicken to see a vet who does not have chicken-specific training and experience?
It depends on the Vet and their willingness to work through my concerns
If a chicken vet practiced medicine in your community, would you bring your chickens to them for well-patient visits?
Absolutely
Are you willing to pay the same exam and treatment fees for your chickens that you would pay for a cat or dog?
Yes sometimes more
Do you believe that the negligible cost of purchasing a chicken means that vets should discount their fees? If so, is that fair to the practitioner?
No- There are plenty of people that have gotten “free” dogs and cats
Please do not cut it off–> you don’t know if the growth is supplied with nourishment from a major-sized blood vessel and the bird could easily bleed out within seconds. After thoroughly cleaning the wound, a very thin layer of antibiotic salve or an antibiotic spray can be administered. Unfortunately, a professional should really take a look at it to determine if the growth can be removed and whether or not it will come back. If you do not wish to go to a vet, then the animal should be culled so as not to be in any more pain. If the hen lives to breeding age, it should not be bred as this growth may be something genetic and be passed onto its young. She does seem spunky enough to survive with medical attention as she is still moving around, eating and drinking, so she may well be worth the investment of seeing a vet. 🙂
I have a chick that is 8 days old that has a sharp growth behind her right leg that is poking her on her rear causing a small wound . What do I put on wound ? Should I cut this growth off ? Right now I have her separated from the others. She is eating and drinking but limping around. I can send a pic. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Hi, I’m wondering if you have knowledge of vets giving egg bound hens Lutalyse/Dinoprost to pass egg? My vet gave my Sicilian Buttercup an injection yesterday for egg bound. She had horrible pain the egg passed intact and large after a few hours only tiny amount of blood and then a yolk followed. My girl now is a day later doing terrible. In so much pain no balance and dragging her tail and bottom! I’m so upset I am taking her back in this am. Could it be peritonitis?
I have 54 pets! I do take my hens and roos to the vet as needed. I do not believe in letting them suffer from an illness or disease where there is a medical cure/treatment readily available. Lucky for me, there is a vet near my Kentucky home that will treat chickens as she has her own flock and absolutely adores them. Our pets are very well taken care of, we have put time, money, and lots of sweat into raising our flock from babies. Why wouldn’t we provide medical care from a professional as needed? We feel that a healthy chicken is a happy chicken!
I had been part of the veterinary profession for 15 years before I got out. Part of the training I received (and taught) was for production animals. At the time, there was not much on chickens specifically, but we did learn a lot about birds in general. There are almost as many specialties of vets as there are human doctors. A vet gets basic training in most animal systems, and, as the systems of birds are similar to chickens, one should be able to treat chickens with relatively high competence if they have specialized in livestock or exotic vet med. Unfortunately, many of the vets today specialize in canine and feline medicine and those that do specialize in exotics, tend to charge more than a “farm” or rural vet would. The price they charge has to do with the equipment that they use, which is all human grade, and therefore, just as expensive to use and maintain. The only difference of medicine and training between a human doctor and a vet is that the human has to learn on only one species, while a vet has to learn them all. Having worked in research, production and in the family vet practice, I do realize that our production animals are sometimes view differently than the family pet, and there is nothing wrong with either view point. But from the medical side, I hope to educate others that the cost of doing veterinary medicine is the same as it is for doing human medicine when it comes down to equipment, machines and medicine- only the workforce is much smaller and paid much, much less for the same knowledge and procedures. I am not saying that there are not some vets who are in practice only for the money, but, the majority, are in this profession to help all animals as best they can with what they have. While you may be frustrated to pay more for an exotics vet, you do have the alternative to contact a rural vet who may be farther away geographically, but much closer to knowing the solutions to your problems with your flock.
My rhode island red hurt her leg running for food. She ran into a cement stair, and her limp is getting worse. Im afraid she did damage to her leg, what should I do?
I live near Florence, Or, so contacted vets in coos bay.
thank you, Patricia
I’ve had chickens most of my life and consider them livestock. I also currently have sheep/goats and not all vets are very experienced with small ruminants either. My livestock vet is great to work with and is okay with phone/email consultations, but will come out when needed or when we aren’t sure what’s going on. Of course, we have a relationship where we both trust each other’s judgment, which helps. I think I would probably consult him if I had a flock-wide problem or something that seemed contagious, but probably not on a single animal basis. I can treat minor injuries and health issues like parasites in poultry, but am not sure about major diseases. I would still probably cull a chicken if a single animal was too sick/injured for me to help it – mainly for economic reasons.
I am a byc owner. I have 6 chickens, which I keep for eggs, and because I enjoy them. I sell what eggs I cannot use (avg 12 dozen a month). Once, I had a chicken that was egg-bound. I called a local vet and they wanted to charge me for xrays and other fees I felt were completely unnecessary. As it turned out, I ended up breaking the egg and pulling it out myself. The chicken lived. Most folks I talked to before that said she was destined for the stew pot. So, I felt good about the fact I handled the situation and the chicken is still alive to this day. If I had taken her to the vet, I would have spent a lot of money I couldn’t afford, and the chicken may still have died. I have also had bad experiences with a certain vet I won’t go into detail here, but it alerted me to the fact not all vet are honest. I won’t pay someone a ton of money to attempt to take care of things they know nothing about. I’ll figure it out for myself and my birds will live probably longer than they would otherwise. If they want to use my animal to learn on, then there should be no charge on my part. I think it should be a give and take experience with both parties coming away for the better. The vet learns how to care for an animal they didn’t know how to before, and my animal continues to live a long and healthy life. if the animal MUST be put down, of course it should be paid for by the owner. Yet, I have seen some pretty horrific damages be healed with time and love (other chicken owners). So, I’m kind of on the fence here. I can learn, and I can learn from others how to handle most situations. My only setback is in not being able to prescribe or get prescription medications that may be necessary. So I guess at this point in time, there’s a stalemate.
As part of my research for a new DVD programme on small-scale poultry keeping, I attended a ‘Poultry Training Day’ designed for ‘small animal’ vets who are increasingly seeing domestic, or pet chickens being brought into their surgeries. The course was run by two vets who specialise in managing large-scale commercial poultry units (layers and broilers), so was essentially a ‘knowledge cascade’ session. One of the drivers for this session was an increasing uneasiness amongst commercial poultry sector about the bio-security challenge of the growing numbers of domestic poultry-keepers who would be unlikely to recognise the signs of potentially epidemic chicken diseases in their flocks that might spread to commercial units. It was a very worthwhile day, covering essential care, biosecurity, measures to promote positive health, parasites, diseases and treatments. The course culminated in each delegate carrying out a post-mortem examination of several birds and attempting to diagnose the cause of death. A great idea that will benefit both domestic and commercial poultry-keepers!
I have always had chickens since I can remember. For the most part I just saw them as birds that gave me some food. I was wondering if anyone has ever taken a chicken to a veterinary surgeon in Lynchburg, VA to save one. I hear about that happening with a lot of different animals but I’ve never heard of it concerning a chicken. I’m mostly just curios.
I have just started my first flock, my “babies” are only 9 weeks old. I decided to try raising hens for the fresh eggs they will provide, but the entertainment is certainly a bonus! The litter they provide for my compost is great, plus I collect the various pests found in the garden & they just love these live treats! Win-Win!!
I see our chickens as livestock not pets, but I want them to be as happy and healthy as we can make them. Since they are only a few weeks old and have not yet left the house, we haven’t had much need for medical care beyond what I’ve learned here about cleaning their vents. If I needed a vet, I would call my County Extension office and ask which vets in the area treat chickens. Extension offices are a great resource. I think if you are willing to take your animal, regardless of species, to a vet, they should be compensated for their time. I would never think of asking for a discount.
We have lots of baby chicks. This would be great. Get rid of heat lamp.
I started off having chickens and considering them livestock, that’s how it was when I was a kid. I have recently moved and drastically downsized my flock (33 to 5). My view is slowly changing. It doesn’t bother me much to butcher when necessary, such as when we hatch and there are too many roos. If a hen was in severe pain, and I believed there was no hope or very little chance of full recovery without future pain or suffering, then I would cull in a heartbeat. I don’t believe in keeping an animal alive just to satisfy me. So far as vet care, if I thought it was something I couldn’t handle, then I would consider going to the vet, if they had training/experience in chicken care/medicine. I would be comfortable paying reasonable rates, just as I do with my dogs. I do live in a rural area, and our small animal vet is very kind and knowledgeable. He once cared for my son’s hamster, actually tried to perform surgery to repair the problem (she had ruptured intestines which were not repairable, he put her down, and never charged us a thing). I would be comfortable going to him. He’s honest and if he doesn’t know, he’ll research to find out. So all in all, I’m just not sure where I stand yet, as I’ve just become a ‘backyard’ chicken keeper. Best to you all.
We do have an exotic vet in our area who can see and treat chickens and other avian species, but it is so cost prohibitive. I would be willing to pay the same exam fee as my dogs and cats have (about $35 in my area) to have a sick chicken be seen by the vet, but the vet who sees birds in our area charges $80 a visit to see anything that is not a dog or a cat. This means my chickens, my pet rats (yes, I have those, too), my ducks, and any rabbits, guinea pigs, parrots, etc. etc. etc. My husband does not view my chickens as pets, and he doesn’t allow my attachment to them to weigh overly heavy in decision making as to vet bills where they are concerned. Sadly, I did lose a few after some birds I rescued weren’t healthy enough to be released into my flock after quarantine, and I lost two of the rescued birds and a couple of my original flock, too. It was very sad, but I was treating them as the vet would have treated them anyway, but it just wasn’t enough. If the vets in my area had avian training and had reasonable exam fees, I would totally get my flock checked regularly for wellness so that I could avoid preventable illness, but the exotic vet is the only option currently.
I have a wonderful vet at the Animal Care center in Danville Pennsylvania. In the spring I took Sebright rooster to get his middle to amputated and the did a wonderful job! They treat me with respect and always want me to call to give them updates on their health when they need treatment.
We view our chickens as a source of food (eggs) and entertainment, they are just so fun to watch,there are times I spend hours outside just watching and interacting with them.I know some people say not to get attached to your chickens but it is hard not to.
I have yet to find a Vet who will take my request for care for a chicken seriously. And this is farm country! Evidently, they’re all quite willing to just let the chicken die. So, I depend on this website, chief among others, to help me keep my girls healthy. I lost one last year to heat prostration…learned that one the hard way. Not the way I want to do it, but there it is.
My chickens are livestock, but that does not mean that we do not feel responsible for providing them with good care. The truth is I would probably take a laying Hen to a vet but probably not a Rooster. We are fortunate to have a vet that we can call upon if needed. I would not take my birds to a vet without chicken experience, however I do not think that the vet should base their price of care on the price of the animal, the cost of an oil change for our cars/trucks does not vary by sticker price. If the vet invest time and money to be trained to care for chickens that may be pets or livestock to the owner the price should be about the vet feeling like they received a reasonable return on that investment. The cost for vet care for a chicken should be just that, not compared to care for a dog, cat, or any other pet the less common the animal is to be kept as a pet the less likely a vet will seek the specialized training and therefore the likelihood of a higher cost. Ask anyone who owns a reptile as a pet and you realize that veterinarian care has specialties just like people doctors.
Even though my chickens, turks, ducks are livestock they are pets to me. The. 1 of a kinds are named & the groups f hens that are the same breed are refered to as the “the girls ” & the older ones as “ladies”. I live in a small area where there are 2 kinds of vets. Large animal & compaign animals.Since vets don’t poultry either you’d think i’d be out of luck. However my small animal vet is a very plucky vet who doesn’t let the mere fact that she doesn’ t treat chickens stop her from treating them! If i needed to bring a hen in she wouldn’t even blink she’d schedule an appointment. She has numerous vet books on every animal & she isn’t afraid to look up what needs to be done. I’m very lucky!
My chickens are primarily pets, but they are also considered a business expense because I use the eggs in my baked goods. I’d like to know a vet trained in chicken care lived in my area (Indianapolis) and was available for emergencies. However wrangling them into a carrier and getting them to well-patient visits isn’t something I’m likely to do. I’d prefer the exam and treatment fees for my chickens were less than I pay for my cats, but can understand if the fee is similar. The cost of purchasing a chicken should have no bearing on the fees; just as adopting a stray cat or dog doesn’t reduce the cost of the fees. Additionally, the vet has a right to be duly compensated for his/her time and experience. If they have little to no experience with chickens, then charging less is a reasonable expectation.
I love each and every one of my chickens. We began keeping chickens for eggs, but they have become part of our family.
Last summer, I found one of our chickens in the coop unable to walk. There were no local vets with chicken experience so I ended up driving an hour away to get my chicken some help from an avian vet. They ran tests, but could not find a problem. They sent me home with inadequate instructions for her care and antibiotics in case she had ingested metal. They really didn’t seem to care.
A week later, I made the drive again because she was not getting any better. I had to make the decision to have her euthenized at this point because I just couldn’t afford to keep paying the vet to try and figure out what was wrong with her. It broke my heart. Total bill with medication – $500.
I had used this vet in the past for a cockatoo emergency and had not been too keen on them. They weren’t the family vet I was used to with my dog. I just didn’t feel the love, if you know what I mean.
Last fall, another chicken was injured by a wandering dog. This time I found an avian vet a little closer – only 40 minutes away. She was fantastic. Nothing fancy and no expensive tests, just good old fashioned diagnostics by physically & thoroughly examining Laverne. She sent me home with medication and clear, detailed instructions for her care. I felt the love. Total bill with medication – $65.
Laverne lived in the house in the bottom half of a crate (my chicken hospital) convalescing because she was unable to walk in the beginning. Little by little she recovered. Four months later, she was living back in the coop with her sisters.
My husband and I are retired so we are on a fixed income. We don’t have a lot of money. But, I feel a responsibility to all the animals that live here and so, if they need veterinary care, they get it (even if I have to pay with credit card). I honestly feel that their lives are just as valuable as any other life, including mine. And I appreciate a vet that values all life without judgement.
I preferred the $65 bill to the $500 bill to be sure. But I would have been happier paying $500 to the second vet because she really cared about my chicken.
I prefer a down-to-earth vet with knowledge, training, experience, and good common sense. Someone that can diagnose without always having to run expensive tests and take XRays as a standard practice. I’m also happy to pay a reasonable fee – the same fee I would pay for my dog, cat, bird, etc. I appreciate the time, effort, and expense for their training and feel they deserve to be paid fairly and equitably.
I don’t know that I would take my chickens for well-visits. Gathering them up and transporting them would be too stressful for us all. However, I would consider paying a vet to come here for well-visits occasionally or as needed.
My girls and boys are all part of my extended family and will do what I can to keep them safe and well. This does not mean I run to the vet whenever I feel they are a little off, but I have no issues with those who do. My reasons have usually been financial and the lack of an avian vet in my area. You would think in farm country there would be more of them, but not that I have found. But I research and question those with more knowledge than I and have had some successes and some losses.
I feel that anyone who has put in as much time and money into a career as a vet does should be paid for their time and knowledge. I have a hard time understanding the wide differences in fees usually except for the ones who seem much less expensive, but you pay for everything individually vs those whose fees are all inclusive.
I do not know if I would do well patient visits or not, I think it would depend on the chicken, since I have had as many as 45 at one time. Some are like pets and some are like, well, chickens….
But, I do feel that if you or anyone else can afford to and are willing to spend the money on their pets, whether it is a chicken, duck, dog, cat or goldfish, who am I to judge their choice? If I could afford to do it, I would very likely make the same choices.
I would just like to add that I will not let any of my animals suffer in any way if I can possibly help it. I am a firm believer in quality of life over quantity of life and since I am unable to put anything out of it’s suffering, (even a mouse caught by my cat gets a second chance at escape), I would definitely find someone qualified to help me handle the issue, if it became necessary.
As far as I am concerned…my girls are my pets. When you take on any pet you have a responsibility of caring for that pet the best that you can. I live in northern NH and we also have large animal(country) vets. I hope if and when the need arises they will be able to help me. I do a lot of reading and have taken care of minor mishaps. I would like to see in the future a program that included poultry in their continuing education. Pricewise…whatever the cost then that’s the cost. Looking to hatch some eggs in the future….
My chickens are both pets and livestock. At the end of their useful and pampered lives, they will become food for my family, and assist me in educating my children in the realities and joys of life.
I think a vet ought to be paid for their time and knowledge – if you take a sick pet to the vet, you pay the vet. If that pet is a chicken, you should still pay the vet.
hey!! i saw the t-shirt thing….nice photo on the shirt!! & today was moving day for my big flock of 6 to go from the brooder to the coop. thanks for ALL your helpful blog info. it’s been waaay more helpful than my books!!!
Is this where I comment for the brooder giveaway?
My girls are pets as well as egg suppliers. Will I keep my first flock members as long as possible even when egg laying slows down and stops? Yes, as they will always be special to me and my kids, but future birds we know will have to go through culling of some and others will be re-homed. In terms of vet care, around here we have a wonderful vet who works with all types of animals for us. We are all dreading when he retires as the girl who will be taking over his practice doesn’t have nearly the large animal / general farm animal experience or knowledge that he has. In terms of fees, our current vet is always very reasonable and is willing to work with us on making payments if we can’t afford a full blown payment all at once for a large bill.
My girls are pets … with egg benefits. I could not eat them. I took one of my chickens to a livestock vet who had chickens roaming outside the office. He said they were just abandoned there. While he admitted he was no “chicken expert”, he was kind and treated her with antibiotics. He did say that most chickens are not treated, just necropsied. I did not ask for a discount, nor would I. The fee was much less than it would have been for our dog or cats. Online research provided some insight and I treated her for gapeworm as a precaution. Whatever her problem was, she has recovered although no more eggs. But that’s okay because she is still my sweetie and I would take her back there again if necessary.
I love the blog. Great post. It is very true, people must learn how to learn before they can learn. lol i know it sounds funny but its very true. . .
patient transfer lifts
I look at any trip to the vet as an installment in my own education, and I pay the office visit with that in mind. If I learn something from the vet that helps me provide my animal with a better life, then the money is well-spent, and that is true whether it is for a dog, chicken or whatever. However, with that in mind, I try to educate myself first, and exhaust other resources first. So, if it is an emergency, or something beyond my ability to treat, we go to the vet. If I thought a vet visit would not either solve the problem, or teach me to solve it myself, I would have to consider culling if it involved a chicken, simply because the cost can become prohibitive very quickly. But I have taken chickens to the vet on a few occasions, and both I and my vet look at it as an opportunity to learn more about how to care for our birds. From that perspective, I look at it as a great investment, to keep my vet in business so he continues to be a resource for me, as well as to continue my own education as an animal keeper.
I read all of the earlier comments with much interest. I am a small animal veterinarian(ie dogs and cats) and four years ago I became a “backyard chicken owner”. I started with 4 chicks and currently have twelve. They are all pets. When I went to vet school 25 years ago we were taught very little avian medicine and most of the chicken medicine was geared towards large production flocks. In large commercial flocks, if chickens start to get sick, you sacrifice several and send them to the lab for pathology to get a diagnosis. This is not a practical choice for backyard chickens as most of them are pets, not prodution units. Since getting my chickens I have struggled to find educational opportunities to improve my medical knowledge on chickens. They are rare and often involve travel and expense. I currently discount my fees to see chickens, since each opportunity helps me to learn more about chicken health and how to treat them. Our state lab will do a full necropsy(including cultures and viral testing) for $87, and I encourage the owners of chickens that die (especially of unknown causes) to request a necropsy as this educates both you and your veterinarian. Even if you do not seek medical care for your chicks, knowing what they died from may save the rest of your little flock. As backyard flocks become more common, more veterinarians will seek the knowledge and training neccessary to successfully treat them and the educational opportunities will become easier to find. Until then, I encourage you to seek a vet that, like me, has an interest in chickens and work with them so that you both become more knowledgable about the health of chickens.
Some of my chickens are livestock and some are pets. I am on a limited income and always will be so I try to do most of the fixing up myself. I used to be an EMT so I have some medical background to help but if it gets beyond what I could do, it would have to depend on what the problem is. I don’t expect the Vet to drop their prices but I do know that some Vets do give discounts if you bring in 3, 4 or more animals in at the same time. And if I had to take just one chicken in, yes I would pay the price due to it being a pet. Pets are different than livestock (not by much!) and I am willing to do what ever it takes to keep my pets with me as long as humanly possible. What they give us humans in is beyond dollars and cents. And I just found a new vet that just opened in town. Going to check it out tomorrow to see if they will treat chickens! I sure hope so…..
My peeps are family, just like the dogs & cats. I went into chicken keeping thinking..eh, they’re just chickens, I’ll be able to cull them as needed…well, that’s not going to work..each bird has such a different personality & I’ve become so attached to them…eggs are a bonus..my regular vet doesnt take care of chickens, but I would expect to pay what a vet charges regardless…my birds are not replaceable..our family may grow, but as they age they will have a home, eggs or not…I like Spinster Sister’s ideas regarding having “chicken” days & talks about chicken health..I know I’ve learned so much from following various on-line groups..learned about some nasty stuff that’s out there (eye worm..totally gross)…followed the Chicken Chick through her difficulties..I feel honored to be a part of the BYC movement..
I recently lost two hens of unknown causes. So I decided to pay $135 to send the second one the the university for a necropsy. I haven’t heard back yet and it’s been two weeks. I know most people would think I’m crazy for spending that to figure out why my hen died. After all, I could buy a whole new flock for that money. But I love my pet chickens and I want to give them a nice life. My vet admitted he could not do anything with our hen, so that is why we agreed to send her the university. I have no choice but to use the vet we have. I’m fine with vets charging a high price. After all, they have a lot of school to pay back and I am paying them for their expertise. What is unfortunate is the general lack of farm vets. It seems they all do cats and dogs, period. I would like to see my farm animals treated with the same standards as companion animals.
I have four hens, one of which was recently spayed and will soon get a Suprelorin implant. I love my vets and researched them beforehand. I would not feel right asking for a discount because my pets are “livestock” or are cheap to replace. I would go to a non-avian vet if it were a matter of immediate life or death – armed with ideas of medication and what I believe the pressing issues are – but my vets are certified avian vets that also see “standard” pets. When an nasty illness rears it’s head, I go to the vet as I have learned that all the holisitic well-intended advice out there goes only so far and since my girls are pets first…want to give them the best chance of surviving the illness.
I would advise her (if she can’t keep chickens herself) to get in touch with poultry extension offices/universities of her state or UC Davis – even worldwide for education. Join some chicken forums, start online surveys for chicken owners about what issues they are seeing with their chickens – also what the shelters are accepting (ill chickens, age, etc). If there is a way to shadow avian vets that see chickens (such as for spays, blood draws, cloacal/throat swabs, etc) learn about basic crop feeding, pain relief (metacam), types of calcium rich foods to stay away from while on antibiotics, mite/lice control (ivermectin), sensitive euthanasia (no chopping off of heads) etc.
I understand about the clients complaining about having to pay for chicken services, but they are coming to you for service and time is money – especially if you’ve taken the time to learn about chickens professionally! Perhaps if you want to give discounts to encourage business and keep long time clients, offer referral discounts, discount to various chicken groups or if a certain number of people book and keep same day appointments, offer to give talks to groups about chicken health, maybe twice a year have an all day chicken visit day to encourage chicken people to find out about your business or to give immunizations en masse.
So happy to know that other vets are looking into chicken education because it only takes one for others to follow.
Why would anyone spay a chicken?
Mine are backyard pets. I’ve had several die. Several have gone to an avian vet. Since they are avian vets, over the years they’ve committed to learning more about chickens. So have I. Like everyone else, I try to keep everything clean and be proactive in regards to their health. That said, they are not like my dog in regards to decision making for treatment. As with most things I find, “it depends”. My dog has had surgery, but the relationship between us is different than that of my hens. That doesn’t diminish how much I love them. They’re different species and I try to respect that. I don’t think I would have one of my girls undergo surgery. I’ve struggled with the decision each time of whether to put one of my girls down when she can’t be treated. The bottom line for me is, “Is she or will she be able to live a happy, healthy chicken life?” I try to distinguish between my needs and the what’s best for the chicken. It’s not easy and it’s different for everyone.
I have had 3 chickens die this year and didn’t know of any vets in the area who would have treated them. Only one showed any symptoms of an illness. I look for help online and in books when I need to treat my girls.
Our chickens and ducks fall somewhere in between livestock and pets. We intend to eat most of our chickens once they get past prime laying age, but a few special ones will likely stay on as pets. I educated myself one many of the common poultry problems and have a well-stocked first aid kit and feel like I can treat many issues at home. I recently took a duck that had a prolapsed oviduct to the vet because Storey’s Guide indicated that suturing was the best treatment. It cost all of $17 to get it fixed. Yes, that is probably more than what that particular duck was worth on the market. I can (and do) hatch out ducklings to replace her, however, I wouldn’t let any animal suffer when I have the power to prevent that.
I choose to educate myself AND use lots of holistic and natural remedies. I have never lost a hen to any disease nor had to bring one to a vet, except one who was suffering neurological issues that were untreatable. If people would spend more time watching their flocks, learning about how to care for their flocks and keep them healthy, visits to the vet would not be necessary.
I enjoy watching my chickens and love their eggs but the likelihood of ever taking one to a vet is very slim. Maybe I’ll regret it some day if the whole flock (currently ten) gets wiped out but I can buy several replacements for the cost of a vet visit.
We consider our hens pets and enjoy hours being entertained by them. We spent a considerable amount of money building their coop and covered run, aka “Fort Knox” to keep them safe, rebuilt the fences to keep them in while free ranging and started a garden more for them than for us. However, I soon came to realize it simply isn’t realistic to take that many animals to the vet (if one can be found who sees chickens in the first place). Suddenly I understood my farming friends attitudes regarding livestock. There are times when the difficult decision has to be made to put a hen down. It would be so nice to have a vet that would help us euthanize without first insisting on multiple visits trying to save the hen, just to put her down after much suffering and $ spent.
I enjoy my flock as pets but I don’t have the closeness that I do with my dogs. Nothing better then watching chickens from the front porch:) I have never taken my chickens to the vet, I am on FB with a wonderful group and have turned to them about different problems. So many have gone thru the same thing, they always have ideas to try. I am not opposed to going to a vet, I just personally would try home remedies first..
I consider my chickens a source of food and enjoyment. I take care for them like they’re pets but ultimately I eat chicken so I will process them for meat. I’m willing to treat the birds myself, like one of my hens has bumblefoot and I’m treating it instead of culling her. But that’s my personal philosophy and I know it’s not right for everyone. People fall into different places on the spectrum on how they view and care for chickens and I totally respect that.
Well said, Robin. Thank you for sharing.
Kathy Shea Mormino
The Chicken Chick
http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com
I think it is important to have a veterinarian familiar with chickens close by. And I am all for well check ups, along with possible treatment for illness. My opinion boils down to cost. I love my chickens and will do all I can for them, but there are 33 of them. It would definitely break the bank to pay for each chicken what I pay for my dogs to visit the vet.On the other hand, a vet I could consult and to help me made medical decisions regarding my flock would be amazing.
Frankly, if it weren’t for the online chicken-keeping community, I would be lost sometimes. I have learned so much from those people who offer their tried-and-true methods and when the need arises, I seek advice from the folks who have dealt with the issue I’m dealing with at that time. If my own efforts are not enough and I have exhausted all avenues, I will absolutely (and have) take my chicken(s) to the vet. I have a wonderful small-town Vet who truly cares about the animals he sees. My chickens are pets; they are my responsibility and because of that, I feel that it is my job to do whatever I can to keep them safe, happy and healthy. That’s what all pet-owners do, I’d imagine. 🙂
Our chickens are pets, but they are also part of our food supply (eggs). It is very important to me that they are healthy. I do my best to treat their health needs with our income, but a trip to the vet better be a huge need even when it comes to our dogs. I have a background in animal medicine, and can care for most of the basic illnesses, but would be stumped if it was a critical issue.
These are pets and part of our family just as our dogs are. There is no way we could ever recoup our investment of over $700 to build the coop and fence by getting eggs. We have them for pets not profit. Our girls will NEVER be eaten. They can stay here and live forever until the end of their little chicken days…They make us laugh and bless us when the mood fits them with sitting on our laps and letting us pet them. Several of them follow us around like a dog. We get so much joy from them. I’m very upset over the recent article about the backyard chicken movement being a failure. I don’t believe it for a second. I believe the numbers of surrendered birds has been “fudged” by the rescue agencies. Yes, I’m sure some people figure out that raising chickens is not for them…some people also figure out that raising dog and cats is not for them……it happens. All I know is my girls are a part of my family. My Shih Tzu has become their protector. They give us joy. They ask very little of us. I will protect them to the best of my ability until the end of our days…:)
I forgot to add, don’t toss the idea of contacting your local collages for help! They universities have great departments that offer help!
Sarah
I consider the flock to be pets with benefits. While I don’t think of them just as live stock, I also understand that that’s what they are. While it’s always upsetting when one gets sick or limps back to the coop after tangling with something during day of free ranging, we are always considerate of their place in the food chain.