First Aid Kit
Having a well stocked first aid kit will enable you to give the best possible immediate care to your hen should she show any signs of illness or injury. The initial expense may seem large so I would suggest starting with a core kit and building it up as and when you need it.
Core First Aid Kit
Calpol (2months +) - for pain relief. Give 1ml per kg of body weight of your hen, after food. Ex-batts, for example, weigh approximately 2kg. It has to be the Calpol 2months though. As with all pain relief it is to be used with caution and only if absolutely necessary.
Purple spray – an essential antiseptic spray to cover red areas and stop them from being pecked. It is important to have this in the early days in case of pecking order or integration issues.
Hibiscrub - a general antiseptic wash for wounds.
Arnica – gel or cream, it treats sore legs and bruising effectively and quickly.
Vaseline – for pecked combs and also to lubricate the vent if necessary.
Flubenvet – the only licensed wormer for hens in the UK. You can also eat the eggs during treatment.
Disposable gloves
Syringes - save the 1ml and 2ml syringes issued with prescriptions.
Old towels and cloths
Old hot water bottle (with cover). The power of warmth in helping a poorlie hen is not to be underestimated.
Somewhere to put your sick girl - a cat carrier, a spare coop or even a spare room!
Homemade remedies
Sometimes, products in your larder or store cupboard can come to the rescue!
Critical Care Formula – dissolve 1 tablespoon of honey in a litre of boiled water and a few grains of both salt and citric acid. For hens who are not eating or drinking.
Honey - for shrinking prolapses. Also use as a general addition to food or water to aid health and to sweeten the taste of medicine.
Salt - for bathing wounds.
Garlic - excellent antifungal and antibiotic. A clove in the water helps boost the immune system and crushed up in live yoghurt can help with sour crop.
Live yoghurt - hens are lactose intolerant but can have a little (spoonful) each day after a course of antibiotics. Or mixed with garlic powder,
it is a great help with sour crop. Garlic is antifungal.
Common Alternative Treatments
(we have a whole page dedicated to holistic health for your hen, this is just a taster...)
Tea Tree Essential Oil - a great antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal treatment. Available in a cream as well which is ideal for wounds.
Lavender Essential Oil - Antiseptic and antibacterial and also very calming if a drop is put in the water when bathing your hen. When bathing Grace Kelly's prolapse, it shrunk much quicker with lavender in the water.
Rescue Remedy - a couple of drops in their drinking water can calm stressed or agitated girls. It is alcohol based so never overuse this.
Additional First Aid Kit
Nutridrops – especially good to promote a dwindling appetite.
Nettex Total Moult solution - perfect for moulting ladies. Put a squirt in a litre of water for 3 weeks, then a week of apple cider vinegar (the moult solution is very sugary, acv counteracts this) and repeat until your girls are well rid of the moult. Be careful the moult takes a lot out of them so they are susceptible to disease for a while afterwards.
Zolcal D - a strong calcium supplement; 2ml will induce an egg bound hen’s contractions to help her pass her egg. Never overdose on calcium
supplements though!
Supplements
Prevention is better than cure! Some of the best supplements I have found are:
Poultry spice -general boost of minerals. Powder form, add a pinch to food.
Garlic powder - for immunity add a pinch to food or a fresh clove to water. Does not taint the egg taste.
Limestone flour - to boost calcium levels. Add a pinch to food.
Apple cider vinegar - is a fabulous product for hens! It helps keeps worms at bay, is a good overall general conditioner, stops candida growth
and helps your girls relax. Hens hate change in their routine and the rehoming will have been very stressful for them. They also love the taste!
Common medicines available from the vets
Baytril: broad spectrum antibiotic. Not the best but in reality the only one most vets will have in.
Frusemide: to reduce fluid. Comes in tablet form. Crush up dose (normally a quarter of a 20mg tablet) and feed on a treat or dissolved in water.
Metacam: anti-inflammatory.
Nystatin: anti-fungal drug to help clear sour crop.
Suprelorin: One long term solution for a prolapse, soft eggs or egg peritonitis is a Suprelorin implant, which is an injection. It will stop her laying for anything up to six months, giving her body a well-earned rest and removing the danger of further egg laying complications. It is not cheap, at about £60-£80, but it is a quick injection, which has proved, quite literally, a life saver for some of my girls. It may make them feel a little off colour for a week or so and may induce a small moult. I have found this very much the lesser of two evils when faced with a prolapse or egg peritonitis. The old problem may also return when the implant wears off so keep a very close eye on your girl when she starts to lay again.
Tylan: antibiotic, ask for this if your hen has respiratory complaints.
Having a well stocked first aid kit will enable you to give the best possible immediate care to your hen should she show any signs of illness or injury. The initial expense may seem large so I would suggest starting with a core kit and building it up as and when you need it.
Core First Aid Kit
Calpol (2months +) - for pain relief. Give 1ml per kg of body weight of your hen, after food. Ex-batts, for example, weigh approximately 2kg. It has to be the Calpol 2months though. As with all pain relief it is to be used with caution and only if absolutely necessary.
Purple spray – an essential antiseptic spray to cover red areas and stop them from being pecked. It is important to have this in the early days in case of pecking order or integration issues.
Hibiscrub - a general antiseptic wash for wounds.
Arnica – gel or cream, it treats sore legs and bruising effectively and quickly.
Vaseline – for pecked combs and also to lubricate the vent if necessary.
Flubenvet – the only licensed wormer for hens in the UK. You can also eat the eggs during treatment.
Disposable gloves
Syringes - save the 1ml and 2ml syringes issued with prescriptions.
Old towels and cloths
Old hot water bottle (with cover). The power of warmth in helping a poorlie hen is not to be underestimated.
Somewhere to put your sick girl - a cat carrier, a spare coop or even a spare room!
Homemade remedies
Sometimes, products in your larder or store cupboard can come to the rescue!
Critical Care Formula – dissolve 1 tablespoon of honey in a litre of boiled water and a few grains of both salt and citric acid. For hens who are not eating or drinking.
Honey - for shrinking prolapses. Also use as a general addition to food or water to aid health and to sweeten the taste of medicine.
Salt - for bathing wounds.
Garlic - excellent antifungal and antibiotic. A clove in the water helps boost the immune system and crushed up in live yoghurt can help with sour crop.
Live yoghurt - hens are lactose intolerant but can have a little (spoonful) each day after a course of antibiotics. Or mixed with garlic powder,
it is a great help with sour crop. Garlic is antifungal.
Common Alternative Treatments
(we have a whole page dedicated to holistic health for your hen, this is just a taster...)
Tea Tree Essential Oil - a great antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal treatment. Available in a cream as well which is ideal for wounds.
Lavender Essential Oil - Antiseptic and antibacterial and also very calming if a drop is put in the water when bathing your hen. When bathing Grace Kelly's prolapse, it shrunk much quicker with lavender in the water.
Rescue Remedy - a couple of drops in their drinking water can calm stressed or agitated girls. It is alcohol based so never overuse this.
Additional First Aid Kit
Nutridrops – especially good to promote a dwindling appetite.
Nettex Total Moult solution - perfect for moulting ladies. Put a squirt in a litre of water for 3 weeks, then a week of apple cider vinegar (the moult solution is very sugary, acv counteracts this) and repeat until your girls are well rid of the moult. Be careful the moult takes a lot out of them so they are susceptible to disease for a while afterwards.
Zolcal D - a strong calcium supplement; 2ml will induce an egg bound hen’s contractions to help her pass her egg. Never overdose on calcium
supplements though!
Supplements
Prevention is better than cure! Some of the best supplements I have found are:
Poultry spice -general boost of minerals. Powder form, add a pinch to food.
Garlic powder - for immunity add a pinch to food or a fresh clove to water. Does not taint the egg taste.
Limestone flour - to boost calcium levels. Add a pinch to food.
Apple cider vinegar - is a fabulous product for hens! It helps keeps worms at bay, is a good overall general conditioner, stops candida growth
and helps your girls relax. Hens hate change in their routine and the rehoming will have been very stressful for them. They also love the taste!
Common medicines available from the vets
Baytril: broad spectrum antibiotic. Not the best but in reality the only one most vets will have in.
Frusemide: to reduce fluid. Comes in tablet form. Crush up dose (normally a quarter of a 20mg tablet) and feed on a treat or dissolved in water.
Metacam: anti-inflammatory.
Nystatin: anti-fungal drug to help clear sour crop.
Suprelorin: One long term solution for a prolapse, soft eggs or egg peritonitis is a Suprelorin implant, which is an injection. It will stop her laying for anything up to six months, giving her body a well-earned rest and removing the danger of further egg laying complications. It is not cheap, at about £60-£80, but it is a quick injection, which has proved, quite literally, a life saver for some of my girls. It may make them feel a little off colour for a week or so and may induce a small moult. I have found this very much the lesser of two evils when faced with a prolapse or egg peritonitis. The old problem may also return when the implant wears off so keep a very close eye on your girl when she starts to lay again.
Tylan: antibiotic, ask for this if your hen has respiratory complaints.
