Farm first aid and "vet" bag? (Medical and natural/herbal)

[gabbyraja]

I'll start by saying I plan a few sheep, possibly a few small pigs, and fowl. I plan to grass-feed, and give medication only when absolutely necessary. I'd prefer when in a non-emergency situation to use natural and/or herbal approaches.

In the past I've had on hand:
DE (add to water to reduce flies, algae in water, and preventative light worming)
Nutri-drench (only ever used on goats, not sure if it's appropriate for the animals I plan)
Small syringes
Penicillin
Salt/mineral supp
BOSS (we're in a poor selenium area)
Ivomectin (for emergencies)
Red Cell
Bottle nipples for orphans

I know I need more than this. I'd like to grow things that are nutritional that I can keep them on year-round that will help prevent disease. I'd also like to have certain things on hand for occasional and/or emergency use. What else should I/do you have in my first-aid kit/herbal medicine bag for every day and emergency farm use?

[MO_cows]

Gloves, antiseptic, wound treatment.

If your committed to "all grass", get the sheep but skip the pigs and the fowl. Grass is not an adequate diet for either of those.

[Plowpoint]

Did you mean BOSS or BOSE? All my lambs get a shot of BOSE when born. I would also put down CDand T. All my lambs get a shot of that too, and it works well if the sheep get into something they should not. Sometimes that will save them.

I would also get some LA-200, it is a long lasting antibiotic that has a lot of uses, Tetracycline powder is another standard to always have on hand. Bloat medicine is another great thing to have on hand, especially grass fed animals which mine primarily are, but I have used bloat treatment a lot.

I would recommend you rethink the Ivermectin for emergencies only. Unless you have plenty of acreage and can keep your sheep off the same pasture for 21 days even in the fall when grass grows the slowest, you are going to need to deworm your sheep. DE might work, but it quires time to kill the parasite larvae cycle which means vast amounts of acreage. For instance, I only deworm twice a year, but I have almost 2 acres per sheep. That is a lot! If I had like 1 sheep per acre or less, I would deworm 6 times a year and switch deworming products to cut down on parasite resistance.

[TxHorseMom]

When I had horses (and pigs, chickens, cows, dogs and cats) I kept a pretty full first aid kit. In it was a thermometer, stethoscope,(you never know when you will be on the phone with the vet and he/she may need that info) penicillin, gloves, pepto-bismol, bute, syringes and needles, Tetracycline powder, betadine, dish soap, mineral oil, vet wrap, tape, feminine pads, diapers (for large wounds to keep them clean and/or to keep medicine on/in a wound) I also kept tetnus on hand for newborns ivomection wormer etc, but I don't consider them emergency supplies. Can you tell I'm a nurse? lol

[Plowpoint]

One thing to keep in mind in terms of emergencies is your local dairy farm. Dairy farms are great because they have plenty of animals and as such have plenty of medical supplies on hand. The farmers tend to be very knowledgeable about animal health and cows and sheep are very similar.

I know our dairy farm is always in operation...someone is milking cows 24/7/365 so if I need an emergency med at 2 AM, that is where I head, and I am not alone. People stop in all the time, and at odd hours and on weekends looking for this or that and we accommodate them. Tetracycline Powder, Copper Sulfate, Pen G...are all meds I have borrowed from the dairy farm for use on my sheep because I did not have it.

As long as you are sincere about caring for their animals and at least offer your gratitude and maybe even a few bucks...because meds are expensive, you will be well received. No one likes to see an animal suffer needlessly. That does not matter if you have a few sheep, or a few thousand cows.

[gabbyraja]

Yes, I meant BOSS. Black Oil Sunflower Seeds. Good for selenium, but also Omega 3s and other good stuff.

Thanks guys, keep it coming. Never would have thought of a lot in TxHorseMom's post!

[Maura]

I didn't know sunflower seeds had selenium. I only ever fed them to the chickens. Have to get some more.