Chicken First Aid Kit Supplies Guide
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Mar. 4, 2025
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Having a basic chicken first aid kit on hand can help you address issues in your homestead flock quickly and effectively. A well-stocked first aid kit will allow you to administer care as soon as a health problem occurs and can help you prevent small issues from becoming serious. You don’t have to put together your flock’s first aid kit all at once if you don’t want to, you can easily add to the kit as you have the resources to do so. This Chicken First Aid Kit Supplies Guide covers all the items you should strive to have in a well-stocked chicken first aid kit.

First Aid Kit Basic Supplies

Bandages– Bandages act like ‘band-aids’ for chickens. They can be used to address cuts, sprains, and other open-wound injuries. Vetwrap bandages or medical flexwrap are both suitable to use on poultry. They are usually self-adhesive, flexible, and easy to replace when they get dirty.

Gauze Pads– Gauze pads should be paired with bandages in your poultry first aid kit. They can cover a wound that is then wrapped with a bandage. Gauze pads provide a sterile surface to protect the wound. You can use standard gauze pads that you would normally stock in your own first aid kit. While some suggest having various sizes of gauze pads on hand, I find that having standard large gauze pads that can then be cut to the desired sizes work just fine.

Medical Tape– Medical tape is a non-essential first aid kit supply item, but it can be helpful for securing bandages that don’t want to self-adhere very well.

Eye Dropper-An eye dropper can be used for administering eye drops or even oral medications. It is helpful when addressing eye injuries and can be used to apply saline wash to an infected or swollen eye.

Tweezers– Tweezers are helpful for removing slivers or performing bumblefoot surgery. They can also be used to remove large pieces of debris from a wound.

Scissors– Scissors are essential to have in the fist aid kit. They are needed for cutting bandages and gauze pads to the correct sizes.

Nail Clippers– Nail clippers can be used to trim overgrown toenails or overgrown beaks. Have a container of cornstarch or tapioca starch stashed with the nail clippers to stop any bleeding if you over-trim a toenail or beak.

Disposable Gloves– Disposable gloves keep both you and the chicken safe. Gloves can prevent bacteria from your hands from entering a wound and can keep you safe when treating an injured chicken.

Oral Syringes– You can use oral syringes to administer oral medication to chickens. Have a variety of different size syringes available for administering different amounts of medication. A simple pipette can even work for administering medications!

Cottonballs & Q-Tips– Cottonballs and Q-tips are useful when you need to apply salves or ointments.

Old Towels– I always have a stash of old towels and blankets with my chicken first aid kit. Old rags are helpful for cleaning up bloody chicken feathers and soft towels can be used to safely secure an injured chicken while you tend to its injuries.

First Aid Kit Solutions & Salves

Wound Cleaning Spray– A basic wound cleaning spray is essential for preventing infections from becoming a problem when treating wounds. Cuts, scrapes, and open wounds should be flushed with a wound cleaning spray such as a 1:10 water/saline solution or Vetericyn spray.

Saline Solution– A basic saline solution is a multi-purpose solution that you can use for flushing wounds or addressing eye infection or eye injuries.

Antibiotic Ointment– Antibiotic ointment should be applied to a wound after it has been flushed and cleaned and only if you suspect a possible infection. A simple triple-antibiotic ointment can be packed into an open wound to prevent infection from setting in. Avoid antibiotic ointments that contain lidocaine. Neosporin (without pain killers) is safe for chickens.

Healing Salves & Ointments– A basic healing save or ointment can be used to promote the healing of a wound or injury. I suggest you use a beeswax-based salve that contains wound healing herbs or extracts. The beeswax salve can also be used to help prevent frostbite in the winter. BagBalm is another ointment that is helpful to have in a chicken first aid kit. It can be used to smother scaly leg mites.

Rubbing Alcohol– Rubbing alcohol is necessary for sterilizing any tools you use when performing basic injury care or bumblefoot surgery.

First Aid Kit Supplements & Remedies

Electrolytes– Eletrolytes help chickens who become dehydrated if they stop drinking for a prolonged period of time. They can also help restore the electrolyte balance in a chicken’s body after it has been sick or injured.

Vitamin Blend– A vitamin blend is helpful for addressing vitamin deficiencies. They can also be offered to a sick chicken who is not eating properly and needs to get additional nutrition. A basic vitamin blend should at ideally contain vitamin B12, vitamin E, selenium, and D3.

Probiotics– Probiotics (and prebiotics) help restore gut health. They can be helpful for giving chickens who are recovering from an injury or illness. Probiotics should also be administered after a chicken has been treated with antiobiotics.

Blackstrap Molasses– Blackstrap molasses is a natural flushing agent that can be used when you suspect poisoning or if a chicken consumes something toxic.

Aspirin– Aspirin is safe for full-grown chickens (not chicks) when given in the proper dosages. Only give your chicken aspirin if you can tell the bird is in severe pain. You can give a low dose aspirin to large chicken breeds twice a day. Bantams should only get a quarter of an aspirin twice day. Both dosages should be given with food.

Dewormer– I suggest you have a natural dewormer stocked in your poultry first aid kit. A natural, herbal wormer tonic can be added to your flock’s drinking water when you suspect internal parasites.

VetRx– VetRx is a natural solution that is helpful when addressing respiratory distress such as coughing, sneezing, congestion, or chronic respiratory disease flareups.

External Parasite Treatment– If I were to suggest one external parasite treatment that you should have in your poultry first aid kit it would be Elector PSP (or Frazel PSP). Elector PSP works against both common types of poultry mites as well as lice.

Epsom Salts– Mix Epsom salts with warm water to create a soothing soak for treating sprains, leg injuries, or bumblefoot. There have been countless times when a simple Epsom salts soak has resolved a mystery-limp that a chicken was experiencing.

Raw Honey– Raw honey can be mixed into warm water and used a natural supplement or wound treatment. It is naturally anti-septic, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and rich in antioxidants. When administered orally, it can provide an instant source of energy and a calorie boost to a sick chicken or chick.

Calcium Supplement– Having a calcium supplement in your poultry first aid kit can be helpful when treating egg-bound hens.

If your looking to stock your poultry first aid kit with natural supplements and holistic remedies, then make sure you check out Natural Chicken First Aid Kit Supplies.

First Aid Kit Additional Supplies

Infirmary Pen– An infirmary pen should be an essential tool you have with your chicken first aid kit. You can leave the pen set up at all times if it’s convenient, or you can have a pen that is easy to assemble when needed. An infirmary pen should be in a temperate location that does not experience drastic temperature fluctuations. It should be predator proof and supply:

• soft litter that is absorbant and easy to clean
• space to move around but not too much space that bird can injure itself
• food and water that is easy for the sick chicken to access

Flashlight/Headlamp– A flashlight or headlamp can helpful when performing basic surgeries. It can also illuminate a wound that needs to be cleaned and flushed.

Utility Blade– A utility blade can be used when making precision cuts. One example would be when you are trying to remove a bumblefoot kernel.

Needle Syringes– Needle syringes can be used for administering medication directly into a chicken’s body or blood stream. They can also be used to drain abscesses or sour crop in extreme circumstances.

Scale– A scale is helpful if you need to weigh a chicken in order to give it a proper dosage of medication.

Hen Saddles– Hen saddles are handy to have in the first aid kit for providing relief to hens who have been getting too much attention from a rooster. If a rooster mates with a hen too much it can cause her to loose feathers on her back. A hen saddle can protect the hen’s back feathers.

Plastic Tote w/ Lid– Get a plastic tote that is large enough to hold your chicken first aid kit supplies. You can then also use the tote for bathing or soaking chickens in.

Keep track of what chicken first aid you administer to your flock using the Homestead Flock Records Journal! That way you can make note of what treatments work and how you addressed repeat episodes of certain ailments.

Where to Find Chicken First Aid Kit Supplies

Getting the supplies to stock your chicken first aid kit shouldn’t be too hard. Like I mentioned earlier, you will more than likely gradually gather all these supplies. However, some of them can be sourced from the same place, making them convenient to get all at one time.

Here are some of the places where you can purchase chicken first ait kit supplies:

• Dollar Stores– Dollar stores sell basic first aid kit supplies like gauze pads, medical tape, tweezers, disposable gloves, scissors, nail clippers, Q-tips and cottonballs
• Farm Stores– Farm supply stores often have a farm animal section that sells first aid kit supplies like Vetericyn, vetwrap, antibiotics, ointments, and vitamin blends.
• Amazon– You could probably purchase everything on this list from Amazon.com!
• Grubbly Farms– Grubbly Farms sells quality supplements like probiotics & prebiotics and vitamins & electrolytes.
• MoonLight Mile Herbs– MoonLight Mile Herb Farm is the place where I get all my herbal poultry tonics and tinctures, including a natural dewormer tonic.
• Valley Vet– Valley Vet is where I order Elector PSP from, however, they also sell other veterinary supplies that could be helpful in a chicken first aid kit.

This guide to chicken first aid kit supplies should give you a complete list of items to include in your poultry first aid kit. Having a well-stocked chicken first aid kit on the homestead can help you easily address health issues in the homestead flock. Even if you start off with just a few basic supplies, you will probably keep adding to the kit as you gain more experience with resolving health issues in the flock. Keep in mind that you should periodically check the supplies in your first aid kit. Check on expiration dates and see if any supplies need to be re-stocked or replaced. With a well supplied first aid kit, you will feel confident no matter what your homestead flock throws at you!

Being prepared with a chicken first aid kit is great! But there are also ways you can prevent health issues in the homestead flock by raising them naturally and sustainably. Join our modern pioneer newsletter to get all our tips for raising a healthy, productive homestead flock!