Chicken First Aid Kit – Be Prepared

January 5, 2019April 22, 2020 by vjppoultry, posted in New Silkies

Chickens are like all other animals. They can become injured or sick and require immediate care in order to recover. A fight can occur between birds causing injury or your bird could be attacked by a predator. An unexpected illness can leave you scratching your head on how to care for your patient. I recommend that you prepare for these situations by having a stocked first aid kit handy and ready to use.

If your bird has been attacked and has an open, bleeding wound you will need to first clean the area. Hydrogen Peroxide or chlorhexidine solution is good for this. After the wound is cleaned apply Vetericyn, neosporin or triple antibiotic ointment to help the wound heal. Vetrap bandaging or non stick guaze pads are nice because they don’t stick to feathers when removed. After the wound has healed apply Blu Kote which will dye the area blue making it less attractive to other birds. If pain relief is needed use 5 aspirin (325 mg) to one gallon of water and use in waterer.

If your bird is not feeling well it is important to have on hand a variety medicines to help, once you diagnose the problem. Epsom salts are great for soaking hen’s bottoms who are egg bound. Preparation H can help with prolapsed vents. Vetrx is great for relieving congestion and stress. Place it near nostrils. Eye Wash is great for cleaning out eyes that become gunky. It is a good idea to have a wormeron hand if you discover worms in your bird’s chicken poo.A Mite and Lice treatment is handy to have at a moment’s notice. Having Corid ready to go for coccidiosis can be a life saver. Nutri Drench or Save a chick can help with fast vitamins to the system. Vaseline is handy for frostbite or scaly leg mites. Tylan is used when you need to give a dose of antibiotics to your bird.

Things of a general nature to include in your chicken first aid kit would include: Q-tips, Pet nail trimmer, cornstarch (stop bleeding) , Feeding syringe or dropper. latex gloves should be used so that germs are not transferred between you and the patient. A small scissors and tweezers are also handy to have nearby.

Create a sick bay area area for your bird to rest and recover in, away from the rest of the flock. Animal crates or Kennels are wonderful for this. Use soft comfortable bedding or puppy pads inside. Food and water cups can hang on the wire sides of the kennel. Watch to make sure that your bird is eating and drinking. You may have to hand feed if they are not. Exact Hand Feeding is a product made for birds to use when they can’t eat on their own. When it is time to reintroduce your bird back to the flock, remember that she will be a stranger to them and the pecking order will need to be established again.

Store all of your chicken first aid equipment together in some kind of tool box. That way, you won’t be searching all over the house for items during times of emergency. Have the phone number of a vet who knows something about treating chickens. It is easier to do this ahead of time rather than trying to locate someone later. Having a stocked first aid kit can give you a sense that you will be able to handle any emergency that occurs.

For tips and tricks for raising outstanding silkies check out our Chicken Learning Center at VJPPoultry.com . VJP Poultry is an NPIP and state inspected hatchery located 30 miles north of St. Paul. We hatch out silkies all year long so we always have stock available. Like us on Facebook to get weekly updates on what we currently have for sale.

Victoria J. Peterson

How to Treat a Chicken That Has Been Attacked

December 20, 2018April 22, 2020 by vjppoultry, posted in New Silkies

20181218_152126-1 There is nothing more devastating than finding one of your flock on the ground bleeding from an open wound. How you handle the situation will go far in determining a positive outcome for your bird.

Chickens are attacked in one of two ways. Males fight each other using spurs, feet or beaks and females will peck at another bird repeatedly, ultimately drawing blood. Predators will leave terrible wounds using teeth, claws, beaks and talons.

Wounds can either be on the surface or the worst could be puncture wounds that go into internal organs. Wounds close to the skins surface can be doctored at home but a deep wound will need the attention of a veterinarian.

If you find a bleeding chicken with a cut under the skin, it is important to act quickly. Wrap it up in a towel and remove it from the rest of the flock. Bleeding, red wounds are attractive to other chickens who will want to peck at it. If the puncture wounds are deep, keep the chicken quiet to prevent shock.

For shallow wounds, clean the wound with hydrogen peroxide. You can use styptic powder to help stop the bleeding or apply pressure with your hand. Wounds can also be cleaned with Betadine, Chlorhexadine 2% solution spray or Vetericyn wound care spray. Dakin’s solution is good for deep or dirty wounds. Dankin’s solution is made by adding one tablespoon of bleach plus one teaspoon of baking soda to one gallon of water. This needs to be made fresh daily.

After the wound has been cleaned out, you will want to use a a product like neosporin (don’t use the kind that contains pain relief) or triple antibiotic ointment to prevent infection. If infection does set in, clean the wound 2-3 times daily. Contact a vet for antibiotics. Redness, pus or heat indicates infection. If it is warm out, apply awound dressing to prevent flies from laying eggs in the wound.

Keep your patient separated from the rest of the flock in a dog crate or dog kennel for better observation. Cage cups can be hung from the side for food and water. Always make sure that your bird is eating and drinking. Offer water on a spoon or dropper if they can’t drink on their own. Add electrolytes and vitamins to the drinking water to help with shock and recovery. Hand feed if necessary with spoon or dropper. Add water to food to make a mash or try a bird formula if needed.

Chickens do feel pain but will go to great lengths to not show it. If you feel that pain relief is needed an aspirin drinking solution can be offered. Add 5 aspirin (325 mg X 5) tablets to one gallon of water for up to 3 days. Only use if there are not internal injuries.

When scabs have healed over, you can consider returning her to the flock. Remember that any redness will cause other hens to peck at the wound so make sure that she is fully healed. Because she has been gone for more than a few days, you will need to reintroduce her back to the flock as if she is a stranger to them. How To Integrate New Chickens Into Your Flock is a good refresher.

Victoria J. Peterson

20181218_152413-1

Chicken Jigsaw Puzzles

December 5, 2018April 22, 2020 by vjppoultry, posted in New Silkies

Jigsaw puzzles seem old fashioned in this high tech society, but doing puzzles have many benefits. While working on a jigsaw puzzle, it has been studied that there exists continuous activity throughout the brain involving all the cells. People engaged in jigsaw puzzles stood to gain a longer life span and less chance of falling prey to memory loss. It makes us alert, increases our concentration, and expands our creativity. Looking at the images constantly helps us practice visualization, which is again good aid for any physical activity that succeeds with mental activity. It also affects our physical health by lowering our breath rate, reducing heart rate and blood pressure too. Now, add chickens into the mix and we have an activity that helps our brain and satisfies our love for our favorite bird.

81BeL34nddL._SL1001_ Barnyard Chickens – 500 pieces by SunsOut.

61oJrhG28NL Chicken Quotes– 1000 pieces by Cobble Hill

51pq8insZTL Rule The Roost – 1000 pieces by SunsOut

911CNL75H+L._SL1500_ Bohemian Rooster – 1000 pieces by Lan

71RAVtIjuHL._SL1000_ Hawaiian Rooster – 30 pieces by CafePress

71e-Q+alAgL._SL1088_ Morning Glory Rooster – 300 pieces by MasterPieces

Victoria J. Peterson

Chicken Games For Kids

November 30, 2018April 22, 2020 by vjppoultry, posted in New Silkies

There is something about a chicken that can make any game more hilarious. If you have kids on your list who like chickens or if you want to introduce kids to the world of poultry, one of these games may be just the ticket. These are all family games that can be played with several different age groups. Game Night takes a whole new turn with exploding eggs and trying to outwit Mr. Fox.

91gNhkdONQL._SL1500_ Haywire Group Flicken’ Chicken.

Includes four rubber chickens, a target disc and score pad
Great family game
Players encourage to make up their own rules
Encourages physical activity
For 2-4 players

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Chickapig Board Game – A strategic board game where chicken/pig hybrids attempt to reach their goal while dodging opponents, hay bales and the ever menacing pooping cow.

818fl-Em7GL._SL1500_ Rooster Race.

MAKES LEARNING FUN: These funny roosters and chickens will have you laughing with every card that’s flipped! Players compete with cards to win corn. The better card predictions you make, the more ears of corn you win! It’s the high low game of fowl fun! Rooster Race has received the 2017 Seal of Excellence Award by Creative Child Magazine.

71RBIQcXuOL._SL1500_ Squawk Chicken Game.

Kids will love this light-hearted game with the squawking chicken!
Press the chicken and listen for the funny “SQUAWK!” If the hen house opens, the chicken will lay an egg that you get to “crack open”

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Count Your Chickens is the award winning cooperative counting game with pluck!
Players work together to help Mother Hen collect her chicks and bring them back to the coop; if they are successful everyone wins!

91ms7smTjOL._SL1500_ Catch the Fox Game. Uh oh – the Fox is in the hen house! This greedy Fox is snapping up the chickens and stuffing them into his pockets. When there are too many chickens, his pants will fall down, and the chickens will escape.

71IA30Y-GKL._SL1500_ Peek-A-Doodle Doo memory Game.

The find and hide game of chickens and eggs; a brilliant “My First Game” for your clever little farmer
First, use memory to collect all 12 eggs from under the chickens; then, use memory to put the eggs back under the chickens; make a mistake, your scoring egg cracks a little more each time; least cracked egg at end of game wins

911XvamCqRL._SL1500_ Chicks Go Boom. Roll the die to see which color chickens you can toss into the coop…but move quickly before the coop pops up and they all go boom! It’s a race to see who can round up their chickens first in this rowdy, wild game!

91YriS6GjaL._SL1500_ Looping Louie. In this fun game, defend your chickens from Loopin’ Louie as he swoops and barrel rolls round and round the barns. If he dives too close to your chickens, flip him back into the air before he knocks out a chicken!

71FrWKhGn8L._SL1500_ Chicken Foot Dominoes. This set of Double Nine Tournament Size Dominoes is ideal for playing chickenfoot game as well as many other dominoe variations. Tournament dominoes are the largest commercially available size.

71Xd8Iy5y6L._SL1500_ ChickyBoom. . A game of balance, counting and laughs where the roost goes Chickyboom.

510a+iR+amL._SX372_BO1,204,203,200_ Chicken Games and Puzzles. Peck your way through chicken wire mazes and crack some codes while collecting eggs. Kids 6 to 9 will delight in this romp through a barnyard full of brainteasers, word searches, tongue twisters, picture puzzles, and much more. Rudy and Buttercup, two chickens who know their way around the farm, lead you through this engaging and informative book of chicken-themed fun. Cluck and cackle as you solve one fowl riddle after another.

71gUhXiwhQL._SL1200_ Chicken Shuffle.

A fun, unique twist on puzzle games…cover the eggs with chickens.
48 Challenges, including Starter, Junior, Expert and Master levels

91IpJnWh8UL._SL1500_ Lego Mindcraft The Chicken Coop.

Build a LEGO Minecraft chicken farm with chicken pen, furnace, water and grass areas and an elevated henhouse that delivers Minecraft chicken eggs directly into a chest.

Victoria J. Peterson

Gifts for a Pampered Chicken

November 24, 2018April 23, 2020 by vjppoultry, posted in New Silkies

Pampered Chickens Live Here is a sign anyone would like to hang in their coop. Face it, we love to pamper and spoil our pets and a treasured hen or rooster falls into this category. It is ok to love and pamper your chickens. They provide you eggs and endless entertainment and love.

51jLCPxuc3L If you chickens are unable to free range, yet would like to go out for a walk now and then, you might think about getting them a harness and leash. Once around the block, just so the neighbors can get a good look. 21MVs1JolPL Pet strollers work well for those days when your pampered chicken would rather be pushed around the neighborhood. They get a change of scenery and you get a little exercise.

81wLe1pSERL._SL1500_ Pampered chickens will love a swing to help relieve boredom in the chicken run. 817aKhH6usL._SL1500_ Veggie Treat Balls and Lexit Chicken toys also help to beat the winter blues. 91+5t9ct79L._SL1500_ Herbs to place in the nesting boxes will really let your hen feel pampered. The scent will let your hen relax and think about spring breezes. 8155T+tx1BL._SL1500_ You might want to add a little powder to their dust bath to freshen it up for those pampered birds.

71812TyK4FL._SX355_ If you are interested in having a spa day for your bird, there is toe nail polish for pets. It is non-toxic and can be peeled off. Give your chicken a bath and then blow dry her with a dog blower. 61nPfpK73mL._SL1191_ This works faster than a blow dryer which is nice if you have a lot of chickens to bath. 81nL6ieRQcL._SL1497_ Give her some chicken charm bling and she will be the belle of the coop.

51i2C+ZeSRL._SL1010_ A princess dish of her own that you can fill with gourmet mealwormtreats. 71Loq-HYqgL._SL1293_

If your bird is looking to make a fashion statement how about some new hen saddles. They have some really pretty designs. 71kG2FGa1lL._SL1241_ If you have a pampered indoor chicken you may want to get her some new pampered poultry chicken diapers. 51+AHrR7ADL._SL1000_ Lots of styles to choose from. No one loves their chicken as much as you do, so pamper your poultry and show them you care. 51Meo55AnbL._SL1000_ A tulle tutu is the ultimate pampered gift for your hen. Think of the endless pictures that you will take.

Victoria J. Peterson