[Bodger]

Very often, if someone on here and indeed on other poultry forums asks for advice on a sick chicken, then quite often the advice given is to take your bird or birds to a vet.

I have my own views on vets in general when it comes to them treating poultry ( I'm sure there are exceptions ) and to the extent of their knowledge, but putting that aside, I would be interested to know what sort of bills members have been recieving from their various practices for the examination and then hopefully succesful treatment of their sick chicken.

[Ruth Cross]

Sorry not a chicken keeper.
But would say generally vet prices vary hugely.

Sadly had my cat put down a few months ago after 3 days of intensive care and numerous treatments, scans Xrays, cremation etc at rural vet practice to total cost of £300 not unreasonable for the amount of treatment he got.
My sister in-law took her cat to city centre vet for routine vaccinations and got charged £75 for one injection!! :shock:  :shock:

[Foxy]

Hi Bodger,
In the summer I bought 2 chickens, who becane quickly unwell-took them to the vet -who diagnosed mycoplasma. He treated with x2inj. plus a 10day course of Baytril for the both of them. The total cost was £24.
Incidently, I took a stray cat to him recently (we've adopted and called him Mr.Chips!) and the puss was treated for free.  
If any one lives in Bristol and wants his details happy to PM them.

[babe]

one of mine fell ill the day i was having my horse gelded. i took her along with me and my vet gave her a good going over and an antibiotic injection.
she was up and about again the next day and he wouldnt take any payment. the castration wasnt expensive either, though i did have to help - eww.

(horse nuggets, that would have been a nice treat for you munty - deep fried perhaps   )


we are rural, wouldnt like to guess what a town or city vet would have charged though.

[Aunt Sally]

My vet's charges are reasonable I think.  My chickens are my pets so I would spend as much on them as any pet owner would spend on a cat or dog.

Gerty was a poorley chook, although she laid over 430 egg during her less than 2 year live.  She had baytil 3 time during her life at a cost of about £20 a time.  An emergency vet on a sunday put her to sleep for me, which as it was a Sunday cost me £57.

PS Pet chooks are 'put to sleep', not culled  

[Des C]

A two minute visit last week with the dog cost £42 (1 antibiotic jab and a 15 amoxycilin). Judging by what others were handing over as I waited, this was as the light end of the vet's charging spectrum. I would find it very hard to justify bringing a hen to a vet if these prices were to apply. Some vets obviously know that people who regard their birds as pets rather than livestock will cough up the cash.

[Bodger]

Although I look after my chickens extremely well, I do not consider them to be pets.
I give my birds the best that I can but tend to take a practical approach to the way that I keep and look after them. Its each to their own but I certainly wouldn't take a chicken to the vets to be euthanased.

Up until recently at least, our vets charged less than a tenner to put a farmers sheep down, so even allowing for a Sunday turn out, £57.00 for a chicken, whether it be a pet or not would seem to be somewhat excessive.

I'd like to point out here that what I'm definately NOT saying is that you shouldn't keep chickens unless you are prepared to kill them yourself. I fully realise that its not everyone who can do this but rather that one should take into account practical considerations when you take a sick chicken worth just a few pounds or less to a vet who probably knows little more about chickens than yourself.

[Aunt Sally]

even allowing for a Sunday turn out, £57.00 for a chicken, whether it be a pet or not would seem to be somewhat excessive.

Totally irrelevant to me Bodger  :!:

I know people who would take their dog to the vets on a Sunday and pay that much,  so just the same to me  

We just veiw chickens from a different angle,  there's room here for all view points  

[Bodger]

There certainly is room for all points of view on here. I'm not seeking to belittle anyones attitudes towards keeping chickens.
The way that I keep and value my chickens works for many people, just as keeping them totally as pets works for others. At the end of the day, both systems should work for the chickens and ensure the birds wellbeing comes first and that no unneccessary suffering is caused to them.

[Aunt Sally]

the birds wellbeing comes first and that no unneccessary suffering is caused to them.

Absolutly Bodger  :!:

For less experienced keepers it can be very hard to know if an animal (including a chicken) is suffering (chickens hide it well), and the advice of a vet (if they can find one who knows about birds)  reassures them that they are doing the right thing by their animal.

On the Omlet site we have a list of vets who the members have recommended for chicken ailments:

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4447

[jammy]

Both my chickens were poorly a few months ago - sneezing and respiratory stuff though eating and drinking well.  I rang my vet who asked me for the syptoms and their weights.  I popped down and picked up 10 pre filled injections for both of them and injected them twice a day for 5 days.  Everything cleared up and they've been happy and health since.
It cost me £12 (£6 per bird) which I felt was very reasonable.  However, I think I sit in the middle of bodger and aunty's opinions.  Whilst I would not spend £57 on them neither could I dispose of them myself either,  though I do know someone who could.  I'm not really sure whether I see them as pets or not to be honest.  They are definately there to provide me with eggs but if they stopped for some reason I would still continue to look after them the same as they are now.  I would pay to keep them healthy as long as I feel it is a reasonable amount to pay although I firmly believe it is an individual thing. Each to their own  

[hermon]

i payed £90 a couple of years back for an out of hours "panic" she didin't know what she was doing and i think she put my hen to sleep when it wasn't needed  

[Bodger]

:shock:  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:

[Mrs.Tweedy]

My heart is with Aunt Sally and my head is with Bodger. My Janet a cross silkie has cost £45 in anti biotics for an absess as a result of the 'cold' plus consultation fees. She is a pet and special. I call her the 'golden' chicken. She has golden feathers and has cost me 'gold'. I would just want the best for 'my girls'. But I understnd Bodgers pragmatic approach :?

[ness]

Paid £26 for antib's and anti inflamatorys for my daughters favorite chook (we'd only owned chooks for 3 weeks), then £5 to put her to sleep when the treatment didn't work.
My beef is there is a local poultry vet who I heard was good but they don't see less than 30 birds and advised me to take my chicken to my local small animal vet.  :shock:  Which is what all forums advise against.  Both vets which saw my chicken admitted it was unusual for them to treat poultry.  
I don't know whether this is expensive but I know the oh is expecting the other chooks to start laying (and well!) to help offset the initial outlay  :roll:
I couldnt think of dispatching her myself as I have never done it before and would probably make a horrid mess of it  :oops:
Cheers
Ness x