[bubs]

i don't mean to upset anybody because we all like our chickens but when a chicken or chickens are poorly isn't it more efficent and cost effective to cull the birds .
i have read some of the stories on these pages and i am astounded by the lengths and cost some poultry keepers will go to save a bird , vets love such people because they don't care about the animal they just see big money walking through the door.
i started with my 8 hens about 14 months ago then i added 8 more and disaster struck with severe colds diarhea etc , i started buying medications and vitamins disenfectants etc and i spent about £60 the chickens only cost me £80 , i phoned local vets but they didn't know about chickens then they gave me a number for a vet 30 miles away who could give me some medication i had 2 options the licenced version £90 or the unlicenced £20 which was the same stuff i had bought from the pet shop for pigeons {forgot the name} that cost me about £7 the problem eventually cleared but not many eggs for about 5 months.
i also kept budgies for 12 years and i had amazing coloured birds , i would buy the odd bird from the bird sales and i had about 70 birds in the flight when they started to get sick fluffed up dirty vent , being a sentimentalist i went for the medicine from pet shops and chemists and over 40 of the birds died in 4 months , if i had killed the dirty vented ones at the first sight {they always die but infect others} i would have saved about 30 of my flock , on top of that again i spent over £50 on nonesense that did no good its far easier and less painful for all concerned to cull , disenfect and replace with a young bird .
and particularily with flocks of birds if your unwilling to cull one to save the rest you should not keep them , in my opinion and beliefs vets are not the answer they will chargeyou hundreds for something worth less than £20

[Caralou]

To me it's a bit like trying to put a price on my cats or rabbits head, I just couldn't do it. When I got them they were for eggs, I planned to cull if one got sick as opposed to vets. Now I'm very attached to them and would pay the vets bills necessary if one got sick. If it was a case that one had to be culled for the health of the others I could do that though. Basically, it depends on whether you view them as pets or livestock the amount you are willing to spend. I wouldn't cull my Thorsy puss because he had a respiratory infection and nor would I cull my girls for the same. 

[poultrygeist]

It's a choice for every individual. Some people see their poultry as livestock for production, some as pets.
A farmer may take your view toward an ill sheepdog but we take our pet dogs to the vet without so much thought.

You can't say it's a waste of money if it's what someone's happy to spend.

Rob

[Tazzy]

Sounds like someone has had a bad experience with vets.

I've taken some of my brood to my vet on a number of occasions and wish I could find a doctor who was so focused on patient care. On the last occasion he didn't charge for the consult, only for the medication for the girls for a week which came out to just over £3 per bird. He spent about 20 mins giving her a thorough examination and has made a point of contacting us to see how they were.

Only once was it absolutely necessary to have one put down, despite me asking if she could be saved, explaining that it would be throwing good money after bad, but that ultimately it was the kindest thing for her. There are many vets like that out there, they aren't all motivated by £ signs but by the desire to look after animals

[Briony]

I am afraid we just cull ours not worth it when you have so many and these are not named either on purpose 

I used to be a vet nurse so treat most myself and know what is what, and I am afraid you look on it that when you make an appointment over the phone you might as well say good bye to £20.00 quid straight off.

[too many girls]

I am afraid we just cull ours not worth it when you have so many and these are not named either on purpose 

I used to be a vet nurse so treat most myself and know what is what, and I am afraid you look on it that when you make an appointment over the phone you might as well say good bye to £20.00 quid straight off.

not necessarily, my last vet bill was £11 for Mycoplasma.

[Riala]

vets love such people because they don't care about the animal they just see big money walking through the door

I am shocked and appalled by this sentence.  I am also offended that you would pigeon hole all vets in the same category as your own vet (if this is where you took your experience from).

Be careful with your words, not everyone in the veterinary profession is the same, nor should they all be tarred with the same brush.

[woodside farm]

I am afraid we just cull ours not worth it when you have so many and these are not named either on purpose 

I used to be a vet nurse so treat most myself and know what is what, and I am afraid you look on it that when you make an appointment over the phone you might as well say good bye to £20.00 quid straight off.

I am the same, I have a lot of chickens so I would not take to the vets, can't say what it would be like if I only had a few with names though.
Luckily I have never had any serious problem that can't be treated easily, by over the counter products.

Michelle

[LittleRedHen]

We bought ours as pets, named them all, and work dilligently to give them the very best care we can.  I would absolutely take my hens to the vet.  But that is just me.  That doesn't mean that it is the right attitude or thing to do for anyone else.  I think it is an individual thing.  I think it is honourable that you are concerned about the bird's welfare.  There are people that just let the bird suffer until it passes.   

[Aunt Sally]

Pet's like dogs, cats, chickens, parrots, rabbits, gerbils, horses etc. go to the vets.

Valuable stock animals go to vets, cheap ones don't.

It's a matter of personal choice how you categorise your animals.  I would not criticise anyone for culling a sick hen and I don't expect anyone to criticise me for taking mine to the vets !

BUT - all animals should be treated humanely and NONE should be allowed to suffer !

[bubs]

i am an animal lover myself but poultry or any type of bird that are kept in  flocks are difficult to treat if illness does occur especially diarea type symptoms because it will effect every single bird . i had to get rid of 4 black leghorns before my problems ceased.
2 weeks ago my elderly uncles , old dog was run over the back legs had been badly broken he loved that dog so they rushed it over to some vet , they didn't think the dog could be saved , the vet however gave the dog a painkilling injection and kept the dog in a cage overnight in the morning he x-rayed the dog gave it another injection then told my uncle and aunt the dog should be destroyed TOTAL COST £360 .
thats why i don't rate most vets , if they had taken that dog there with no money the vet would not have even looked at the animal , this vet saw how desperate they were and took £360 off 2 pensioners and by the way you poultry folk on these forums know more about chickens than the average vet its just that the medicines are not readily available in this country like they are in others and i found that out on the internet when i was looking for cures.

[too many girls]

how do you know that the vets didn't try their best for you uncle's dog? your not a vet so can't know what that vet was thinking, i think if i were a vet and put my heart and soul in  trying to save a much loved pet and was then accused of fleecing them i'd be most upset, most vets aren't out to rob people of their money, a friend of mine (who didn't have much money) took his cat to our vets after he had been run over, the vets warned him it would be costly to pin it's leg ect, he didn't have the ready cash, they set up a way for him to pay weekly which he did, there is always a way, and if a pet can be saved, they'll try and save it.

[Hensington]

Depends if they are pets or not. Commercial birds don't get to see vets as it's not cost effective.

I just spent £20 odd at the vets on a cockerel. Mine are pets, I love them all. I have been around poultry to recognise many of the common illness's and treat them myself.

[too many girls]

To me it's a bit like trying to put a price on my cats or rabbits head, I just couldn't do it. When I got them they were for eggs,

Cara, your rabbits lay eggs?

[woodside farm]

I think it depends on the vets, as I said I have beeen very lucky with my chickens the most I have lost have been to a fox 
I have Jack Russells, who are pets and last year was the first time I had to take either of them to the vets, except for their puppy injections (they are now 6 and 4) we thought Tigger was dying the way she was acting and expected her to cost us a fortune, the vet examined her and gave her an injection, within hours she was better, cost us £36, I would recommend that vet to anyone, as they could have said to us she needs to stay in overnight and I would have accepted that and paid.
I think it also depends on what experience you have had with vets.

Michelle