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Best Survival Gear and Supplies

Survival Soup with Rice and Beans [Recipe]

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Survival Soup

Soups have long been the mainstay of any cook who is trying to stretch the larder to feed more people, or the budget to save money. Soup is the basic survival food. And for that reason (among many others), it should always have a place on your survival food list.

This is the first in a series of Survival Soup recipes that you can make from commonly stored foods, your garden in season, foraging wild edibles, or what is seasonally plentiful on the homestead.

This recipe comes from a post written by MsKYprepper “Feed a Family of Four for 1 Year for Less Than $300” and can be seen here: https://seasonedcitizenprepper.com/feed-a-family-of-4-for-1-year-for-less-than-300/

Don’t have time to prepare and cook soup? There are some really great dry soup mixes available. Oregon Lakes has 15 different recipes, and is all natural. See all their flavors here.

Recipe #1 Rice & Beans Soup

Measure out:

  • 8 oz (1 cup) of rice
  • 2 oz (1/4 cup) of red kidney beans
  • 2 oz (1/4 cup) of pearl barley
  • 2 oz (1/4 cup of lentils
  • 1 oz (1/8 cup) of split green beans
  • 1 oz (1/8 cup) of chick peas/garbanzo’s

(The chicken bouillon and salt are optional, but highly recommended!)

Put the ingredients into 6 quarts of water, bring to a boil and then simmer for 2 hours. When I cooked this it didn’t thicken up for me in two hours, but once I turned the burner off and let it sit for a while it did thicken up into a very hearty soup!https://survivalusb.com/products/survival-recipe-vault

If you decide to make this soup, I would suggest going to 1/4 to 1/2 of the recipe and adding liberal amounts of salt and chicken bouillon. Think of it as a very hearty chicken and rice soup with beans, etc. adding protein. This is a very basic recipe that you can add nearly any meat, including jerky, too. It will fill your belly and stick to your ribs. MsKYprepper said it is especially good with cornbread.

I bought all of the ingredients (3 lb. bag of rice and 1 lb. bags of the rest) for less than $10 at Walmart. If I purchased it in larger quantities, it would cost far less for the same amount, but I wanted to try it before I committed myself to larger quantities, and I’m glad I did! If necessary, I’m pretty sure it would feed us (2 adults) for at least a week, maybe two! No, it may not have all the calories you need, but it is meant to be a base for your foraging other foodstuffs from your garden or wherever.

I decided to vacuum seal this, with the recipe, as a gift for one of the kids, to start them on emergency food storage.

packaged food

Then, to keep it all together in a package they could stash almost anywhere, I put it in a clear baggy that I got with some sheets I just bought – I love to repurpose things!

packed done

How To Feed a family of 4 for 1 year, for less than $300

This plan is the fastest, cheapest and easiest way to start a food storage program. It has become semi “internet famous”, and is appropriately referred to as “survival soup.”

Think about this:

  • You are done in a weekend.
  • There are no hassles with rotating.  Pack it and forget.
  • It’s space efficient – everything is consolidated into a few 5-gallon buckets.
  • You’ll sleep content, knowing that you have a one-year food supply on hand for your family should you ever need it.

With the exception of dairy and Vitamin B12, this bean soup recipe will fulfill your basic nutritional needs.  It won’t fill all of your wants, but using this as your starting point, you can add the stuff that you want.

All of the food and storing supplies listed below plus 2 55-gallon recycled barrels to be used for rain catchment cost me $296, including taxes.  I purchased rice, bouillon and salt from Sam’s Club.  You can buy small bags of barley at the grocery store, but if you don’t mind waiting a few days, special ordering a bulk bag from Whole Foods was cheaper.

All of the beans I purchased from Kroger’s in 1-lb bags.  Supplies can be purchased online, although it is usually possible to find more opportunistic deals “on the ground.”

Survival Soup

Supplies you need for Survival Soup:

How To Store It

Install the gamma lids on the bucket and insert mylar bags.  Place 2 or 3 bay leaves in the bottom and fill the buckets, adding more bay leaves after each 1/3 to full.  Place an oxygen absorber in the top.  Label buckets with the contents and date. Fill:

  • 3 buckets with rice (shake it down good. Get it all in there!)
  • 1 bucket of kidney beans
  • 1 bucket of barley
  • 1 yellow lentils
  • In 1 bucket, store the split green peas, garbanzo beans, salt, measuring cup and bouillon (I removed the bouillon from the box and vacuum sealed it as bouillon contains a small amount of oil.).
  • Yep, that’s a total of 7 buckets, so far.

I place a broom handle across the bucket and wrap the ends of the mylar bag over the broom handle to give me some support. Then, slowly and smoothly, run a hot iron over the mylar bag to seal all except the last 2 inches. I press out as much air as possible before sealing the remaining 2 inches.

Make sure your mylar is completely sealed from end to end. Now, stuff the bag into the bucket and rotate the gamma lid into place. This will protect your food for roughly 25 years. You’ll have excess mylar bag at the top. Don’t cut it off, that way if you have to cut it open to get into it, you have enough bag remaining to reseal.

Where To Store Your Soup Supplies

It’s pretty easy to find a place for 7 to 8 5-gallon buckets, even in the smallest of apartments. You could:

  • Discard a set of box springs and lay a kid’s mattress on top of the buckets
  • Line the back of a large closet with the buckets
  • Make a couch table by stacking buckets two high between the couch and the wall.  The buckets are about 6” taller than the back of the couch.  Add a shelf and drape and it looks fine; a convenient place for a lamp and books.

Get creative!

Cooking Your Survival Bean Soup

Measure out

  • 8 oz of rice
  • 2 oz of red kidney beans
  • 2 oz of pearl barley
  • 2 oz of lintels
  • 1 oz of split green peas
  • 1 oz of chick peas/garbanzo’s

Add 6-7 quarts of water.  Add bouillon or salt to taste.  Then add any other meats, vegetables, potatoes or seasonings you have on hand. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for two hours.  You should have enough to feed 4 people for two days.  This is thick and hearty.  You will be warm on the inside and full with one large bowl.  Kids usually eat half a bowl.

After The Emergency Is Over

This system allows you to open the Mylar bags, retrieve as much of the ingredients as is needed and then reseal everything after the emergency has passed.  Just be sure to replace the ingredients used so that you always have a one-year supply.

Other Survival Food Items I Would Want (Keep These in The 8th bucket)

This list isn’t included in the $300.  This falls into the “what I want” category.  As money and resources became available, I’d just go crazy adding all of my indulgences, starting with coffee!  You can add what you want, but I’d fill it with:

  • Dry onion.  Let’s face it, what’s bean soup without onion! Sprinkle on the onions just before serving.
  • “Just add water” cornbread mix packets.  I just can’t eat bean soup without cornbread.
  • Beef jerky and Vienna sausages.  Add protein and zest to the bean soup
  • Instant oatmeal.  Do you really want bean soup for breakfast?  Freeze the oatmeal for 3 days before packing to kill any bugs.
  • 10 lbs of jellybeans.  Now, don’t laugh – it’s a bean.  Jellybeans don’t melt like chocolate might.  The high sugar content is quick energy, and a morale booster – with just enough of a high to help you over the really bad days. Easter is about here – stock up!

Before Filling Your Final Bucket

Buy small bags of the ingredients and fix a big pot of bean soup for dinner.  Eat the leftovers the second night, and 3rd night, until it’s all gone.  Find out now – rather than later – what your family might like to add to it.  Anything tastes great the first meal, but quickly becomes boring after the 3rd or 4th repeat.

Don’t wait until the emergency happens to discover what you SHOULD have stored in your 8th bucket. … Maybe some Beano!

How to Make Your Own Saline Solution [Recipe]

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How to make your own sterile saline solution at home for wound care and eye wash

Sterile saline solution costs next to nothing to make at home — the recipe is one teaspoon of non-iodized salt per pint of water — but the method you use determines how long it stays sterile and what you can safely use it for. A quick stovetop batch works fine for today. A pressure-canned batch sits on your shelf for years. Get the method wrong and you’re introducing bacteria into a wound or an eye, which is worse than not cleaning it at all.

We keep both versions on hand: quick-made in the kitchen for everyday use, and a dozen pressure-canned pints in the prep pantry for emergencies. Here’s how to make each one correctly, and when to use which.

Download 906 survival guides including emergency medical guides

The Basic Saline Solution Ratio

Normal saline — what hospitals use — is 0.9% sodium chloride. In practical kitchen terms that works out to:

  • 1 teaspoon non-iodized salt per 1 pint (2 cups) of water
  • 2 teaspoons non-iodized salt per 1 quart (4 cups) of water

If you prefer sodium chloride tablets over granulated salt, use 4 tablets (1 gram each) per pint, or 8 tablets per quart. Tablets are more precise and dissolve cleanly — worth keeping a bottle in the first aid kit.

Do not use table salt. It almost always contains iodine and anti-caking agents — neither belongs in a wound or an eye. Use pure non-iodized salt: plain sea salt, canning salt, or pickling salt all work. Check the label; the ingredients should read “salt” and nothing else.

Method 1: Quick Stovetop (use within 24 hours)

This is your everyday version — fast, no special equipment, done in 20 minutes. The catch is shelf life: bacteria begin growing in homemade saline within 24 hours at room temperature, so make what you’ll use and discard the rest.

  1. Wash your hands thoroughly.
  2. Sterilize a clean jar and lid — run them through the dishwasher or boil for 10 minutes.
  3. Bring 1 pint of water to a rolling boil, covered, for 5 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
  5. Add 1 teaspoon of non-iodized salt and stir until fully dissolved.
  6. Pour into the sterilized jar and seal.
  7. Refrigerate immediately. Use within 24 hours; discard after that.

One important note on your water source: tap water contains fluoride, chlorine, and in some areas other contaminants you can’t control. We prefer high-quality bottled spring water or commercially distilled water for anything going into a wound or an eye. If tap water is all you have, the 5-minute boil reduces the risk significantly.

Distilled water is the most reliably sterile starting point for wound care — it has had all minerals removed. It’s not something you’d want to drink long-term (no minerals), but it’s perfectly safe for occasional use, and ideal for a wound wash.

Method 2: Pressure-Canned (shelf-stable for years)

This is the prepper version, and it’s the one we rely on. Pressure-canning your saline solution sterilizes it at high temperature, seals it against contamination, and gives you a shelf-stable supply that doesn’t depend on refrigeration or same-day use. A dozen pints takes about two hours on a weekend and gives you a solid emergency supply.

You need a pressure canner — not a pressure cooker, not a water-bath canner. The temperatures a pressure canner reaches are what kill the organisms that survive boiling. If you’re serious about home food and medical prep, a pressure canner is one of the most useful investments you’ll make. More on what a pressure canner can do beyond saline.

  1. Wash and sterilize your canning jars — dishwasher works well.
  2. Add your salt to the bottom of each jar: 1 teaspoon per pint jar, 2 teaspoons per quart jar. Use a canning funnel to keep the rims clean.
  3. Fill jars with your best-quality water — spring water or distilled, not tap if you can avoid it.
  4. Wipe each jar rim with a fresh damp paper towel — one swipe per towel — to remove any stray salt grains that could prevent a proper seal.
  5. Boil your lids and rings for 30 seconds, then place them on the jars.
  6. Process in the pressure canner at 10 lbs pressure: pints for 75 minutes, quarts for 90 minutes.
  7. Allow to cool completely. Check seals — the center of each lid should be firm and concave. Any that didn’t seal go in the fridge and get used first.

The pressure-canning process dissolves the salt and fully sterilizes the water simultaneously. Store the sealed jars out of direct sunlight, away from heat, in a non-humid environment. Done that way, pressure-canned saline keeps for years. We label ours with the date and work through older jars first, but we’ve used jars canned three years prior without any issues.

Method 3: No-Cook (short-term only, for sinus rinse)

For nasal irrigation and sinus rinsing specifically, you can skip the boil — but only if you start with distilled or sterile water straight from a sealed container, not tap water. Using unboiled tap water in a nasal rinse carries a real risk; there have been documented cases of serious infection from exactly this. Don’t cut that corner.

  1. Start with commercially distilled water — do not use tap.
  2. Add 1 teaspoon non-iodized salt per pint.
  3. Optional: add a pinch of baking soda to reduce any stinging sensation.
  4. Stir until fully dissolved.
  5. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

What You Can Use Homemade Saline For

Done correctly, homemade saline is a genuinely useful medical prep item. Here’s where it earns its place:

  • Wound irrigation — flushing debris and bacteria from cuts, scrapes, and minor lacerations. Saline is isotonic (same salt concentration as your body), so it cleans without damaging tissue the way hydrogen peroxide or alcohol can.
  • Eye wash — rinsing irritants, dust, or minor contaminants from the eye. Use the pressure-canned or freshly boiled version only; never use quick no-cook saline near eyes.
  • Sinus rinse — the no-cook method with distilled water works well for nasal irrigation and congestion relief.
  • Contact lens rinse — in a pinch, fresh stovetop saline works; it won’t sterilize lenses, but it removes surface debris safely.
  • Neti pot solution — same ratio as sinus rinse above; add a pinch of baking soda if desired.

One thing saline will not do: it is not a sports drink and does not replace electrolytes after exertion. If you want a homemade electrolyte solution, you’d need to add a carbohydrate (sugar), potassium, and magnesium — that’s a different recipe for another day.

How Long Does Homemade Saline Last?

MethodShelf lifeStorage
Stovetop (boiled)24 hoursRefrigerated, sealed jar
No-cook (distilled water)24 hoursRefrigerated, sealed jar
Pressure-canned2–5 yearsCool, dark, dry — no refrigeration needed until opened

Once any jar is opened, use it within 24 hours regardless of method. The seal is what keeps it sterile; once that’s broken, the clock starts.

Where This Fits in Your Medical Prep

Saline is one of the most versatile and overlooked items in a home first-aid setup. A dozen pressure-canned pints costs less than $5 in salt and jars, takes an afternoon, and gives you a years-long supply of sterile wound wash that doesn’t depend on a pharmacy being open or a power grid being up. If you haven’t built out your emergency medical supplies yet, this is one of the easiest starting points — low cost, no special skill once you know the canning process, and immediately useful in everyday life as well as emergencies.

For broader medical preparedness — what to stockpile, what to know, and how to handle situations when professional care isn’t available — see our guide on stockpiling medications. And if you’re building out a full emergency supply, the preparedness downloads page has printable checklists that cover medical, food, water, and more.

Check Out The Mini Sentry .22 Caliber Tripwire Alarm

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Mini Sentry Trip Wire Alarm (1)

It’s 3:00 AM and you are sound asleep. The loud crack of a firearm fills the air, awakening you, instantly letting you know that someone is trying to steal your property. You grab a light and some protection and head out to find the culprit, but there’s no one around.

When the Mini Sentry Trip Wire Alarm discharged, the thief took off running, no confrontation, no loss and a warning for future attempts.

The trip wire alarm uses a readily available, inexpensive .22 blank, and is constructed of machined brass, steel and stainless. It can be used to alarm large areas with a trip wire, gates, pastures, meadows, doors, vehicles, equipment, products and more.

The Mini-Sentry can be installed with a zip tie, wire or screws. A distinct advantage to a trip wire with a gun shot repeat is the trespasser knows that you are aware of his presence – a huge deterrent.

How much is your stuff worth?

Can You Use Fish Antibiotics for Humans? [Doctor’s Opinion]

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Best Fish Mox For Humans

Accumulating medications for a possible collapse may be simple when it comes to getting Ibuprofen and other “over the counter” medicines, but it can be a major issue for those who need to stockpile prescription medications.

Antibiotics are one example of medications that will be very useful in a collapse situation. However, obtaining these drugs in any kind of quantity will be difficult, to say the least.

For these and other reasons, many people have explored using fish antibiotics for human use in an emergency. * (see disclaimer below). 

What is Fish Mox? (and Other Fish Antibiotics)

Fish mox is one of the many fish antibiotics that are used to treat bacterial infections in ornamental and pet fish. The antibiotics that are used to treat them are the same or similar to the antibiotics that are provided for human use, as well.  Fish antibiotics currently on the market don’t require a prescription and mainly come in lots of approximately 30-100. Labs make several forms of them, including capsules, tablets, single- use powder packets and pure bulk powder jars.

Now it may be a little reckless to rely on fish antibiotics when civilization ihttps://survivalusb.com/products/survival-usbs our safety net. Still, in the absence of such amenities, you’ll want to be thinking ahead to provide enough antibiotics to protect your family or group in a collapse situation. 

Many survivalists often stockpile these fish meds in anticipation of emergencies where they might not have access to prescription antibiotics. This type of creative thinking can help you get much-needed medicine, thereby increasing your odds of long-term survival and putting you exactly where you want to be once disaster strikes.  

11 Best and Most Common Fish Antibiotics

Fish antibiotics are commonly sold over the counter. Labs make several forms of them, including capsules, tablets, single-use powder packets and pure bulk powder jars. Keep in mind that dosages listed on the containers vary for different brands, and they only represent what is added to fish tanks during treatment.

The list below discusses how these antibiotics treat ornamental fish and pet fish, their common brand names and price ranges, followed by a discussion about their human equivalents. Any prices listed are subject to change, and they don’t include taxes or shipping costs. 

1. Fish Mox

Fish Mox, as it is generically known, is Amoxicillin for fish. It treats common bacterial diseases such as red pest, dropsy, fin rot and infection of the gills and cottonmouth. You can buy a 250 mg, 100-count bottle for $18.99 online. As a refresher, Amoxicillin prescribed to humans is used to treat bacterial infections such as bronchitis, tonsillitis, pneumonia, and those of the ear, nose and throat.

2. Fish Penicillin

Fish Penicillin is used to control common bacterial diseases, such as fin and tail rot and Flexibacter infections. Fish Aid Antibiotics carries bottles of Fish Penicillin for $14.99, while Fish Pen that’s made by Thomas Labs retails for around $18.99. Penicillin is the oldest true antibiotic invented, and bacterial infections in humans treated with it include syphilis, gonorrhea, strep throat, meningitis, pneumonia.

3. Fish Cillin

Fish Cillin, as it is generically known, is Ampicillin for fish. In humans, Ampicillin is prescribed for treating the infection of tissues and organs caused by bacteria that is ampicillin-sensitive. 

More importantly, Thomas Labs, the manufacturer of Fish Cillin and all Ampicillin products, announced they were discontinuing the line. They recommend you talk to a qualified veterinarian about which of the following alternative products to Fish Cillin is the right for treating your fish.

  • Fish Flox and Fish Flox Forte (Ciprofloxacin)
  • Fish Flex and Fish Flex Forte (Cephanlexin)
  • Fish Cin (Clindamycin)
  • Fish Sulfa Forte (Sulfameth / Trimethoprim) 
  • Fish Mox and Fish Mox Forte (Amoxicillin)

You may find some places online that still carry Fish Cillin, but ones such as A to Z Pet Supply show a 100-count bottle for $48.99 as being back ordered. 

4. Fish Zithro

Fish Zithro, as it is generically known, is Azithromycin for fish. It’s used in the aquarium for treating fish infections such as tail and fin rot, popeye and more. You can get 500mg tablets in packs of 3-6, and prices for those range from about $14.99 to $24.99, respectively. Azithromycin treats infections related to ears, eyes, skin and respiratory system, while also treating sexually transmitted diseases.

5. Fish Doxy

Fish Doxy is the generic name for Fish Doxycycline. Fish Doxy is a tetracycline antibiotic that is used to treat Mouth Rot, Septicemia and Fin and Tail Rot in fish. Fish Aid Antibiotics lists a 100 mg, 30-count bottle of Fish Doxycline for $43.99. Doxycycline works in the human body to treat an array of bacterial infections that include periodontitis, eye infections, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. 

6. Fish Zole

Metronidazole for fish is generically known as Fish Zole. Metronidazole for fish is used in the aquarium to treat bacterial infections known as Cottonmouth and Gill Disease, along with some common parasites. Fish Zole sells for around $39.99. The human equivalent of it treats bacterial infections of the brain, heart, stomach, intestines, liver, joints, skin and respiratory tract.

7. Fish Sulfa Forte

Fish Sulfa Forte, as it is generically known, is Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim for fish. Fish Sulfa Forte is used in the aquarium to treat Gill Disease and Cottonmouth. Its human equivalent is Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. You can get a 30-count bottle of it online for about $20. Doctors use this combination antibiotic to treat ailments such as middle ear infections, UTIs, and infections of the intestines. Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim treats pneumocystis-type of pneumonia, too.  

8. Fish Flex

The generic name of Fish Cephalexin is Fish Flex, and it is a broad-spectrum antibiotic used to treat the most active and multiplying stages of infection of certain pathogenic bacteria in fish. It is priced very reasonably online, and $10.99 will get you a 30-count, 250 mg bottle of it. The human equivalent of FishFlex is Cephalexin, and it treats a host of bacterial infections, including those of the upper respiratory, skin, urinary tract and bones.

9. Fish Cin 

Fish Cin is the generic name for fish clindamycin. Fish Cin treats Gill Disease and Cottonmouth. At one website  you can get 150 mg, 30-count bottle for $26.95 and 150 mg, 100-count bottles for $74.95. Clindamycin belongs to a class of known as lincomycin antibiotics. They work by slowing or halting bacterial growth. Certain types of bacterial infections it treats in humans include those in the blood, skin, lungs and female reproductive organs.

10. Fish Flucon

Fish Flucon is generically known as Fluconazole for pet and ornamental fish. However, Fluconazole is not an antibiotic and is an antifungal instead. Fluconazole is used in the aquarium for treating protist and fungal infections such as Ichthyophonus hoferi (Ick) and Saprolegnia. You can purchase a 30-count, 100 mg bottle of Fish Flucon for roughly $60.00. In humans, Fluconazole is used to prevent and treat certain fungal and yeast infections.

11. Fish Flox Forte Ciprofloxacin

Fish Flox Forte (Ciproflaxin) is generically known as Ciprofloxacin for fish. Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) for fish is a powerful, broad-spectrum antibiotic that treats fin rot, skin ulcers and Black Patch Necrosis Syndromes. Fish Aid Antibiotics offers an equivalent to Fish Flox Forte (Ciprofloxacin), and you can buy a bottle of 30-count, 500 mg tablets for $32.99. 

In humans, Cipro should only be taken for infections that don’t respond to safer antibiotics. Cipro, also known Fluoroquinolone (flor-o-KWIN-o-lone), can cause a laundry list of serious and irreversible side effects in some people. We’re betting that the fishy version does, too.

Keeping that in mind, if it’s a case of survival after a collapse situation, consider that Cipro is known to treat serious bacterial infections in the body. People who have been exposed to anthrax and certain plagues are treated with it, too.  So, weigh the option of stocking this one for a SHTF scenario wisely. More importantly, if it’s not doomsday, Ciproflaxin for fish shouldn’t be considered a part of your prepper’s arsenal. 

Are Fish Antibiotics Safe For Humans?

As most of us already know, healthcare in the United States is really costly. Sick people and preppers alike have been known to stock up on fish antibiotics because they are a fraction of the cost that they would spend on getting a conventional prescription.

It’s important to remember that if you have a Penicillin allergy, you should not take Fish Penicillin, Mox, or Fish Ampicillin. Cephalexin is in a different drug family than Penicillin, but is quoted as having a 10% cross-reactivity rate with Penicillin. 

What Is The Fish Mox Dosage for Humans? (or Fish Mox Forte)

Most penicillin and cephalosporin meds are taken at 500mg dosages 3-4 times a day for adults, (250mg dosages for children) and will treat many skin and respiratory infections. 

Metronidazole (250mg) and Doxycycline (100mg) are taken twice a day and will treat many types of diarrheal disease.

Fish Mox comes in a pill dosage of 250mg and Fish Mox Forte comes in 500mg. According to Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy, an Amoxicillin dose is usually administered 3 times a day. Usually, 20-50 mg per kilogram of weight (20-30 mg per kilogram for children less than 4 months old). 

A common child’s dosage would be 250 mg and a common max dosage for adults would be 500 mg. Works out conveniently that these are the exact amounts that they come in the bottles. The drug is taken orally 3 times a day (2 for children) for 10-14 days.  

If it is a child or somebody that can’t swallow a pill, it is possible to crush the capsules up and mix into a liquid (flavored even if you want), but don’t do this with any medication that has a “time-released” marking on them. These are intended to be absorbed over time, and too much at once may not be good. 

One of the most important things to do when using an antibiotic is to not stop taking the medicine, even if your condition starts improving. Many times, patients will improve after 3 days, because most of the bacteria are killed, but if you stop taking it, the remaining bacteria can multiply (sometimes even with resistance). 

Case Studies of People Using Fish Antibiotics

Read some of these case studies from people who have successfully used fish antibiotics:

Broke College Student Cures UTI

Carrera Howie described the experience  when she used fish antibiotics for a urinary tract infection. Howie, who was a cash-strapped college kid at the time she used the fish meds, said she got the idea to turn to fish antibiotics from her mom.

Howie explained that her mom gave her a bottle of fish meds she’d purchased from a pet store to take for the UTI after finding out that Carrera couldn’t afford to go to the doctor. 

Howie added that “urgent care and doctors’ copays are so expensive and it sometimes feels like I have to make a choice between having a provider and having groceries. They worked incredibly. The UTI was completely gone within a week, and I didn’t get another one for at least 4 more years.”

WBUR Boston Interview

One man, Andy Shecktor, said he turned to fish antibiotics 15 years ago when doctors started tightening up. The 63-year-old told WBUR Boston how it all started. Shecktor said doctors at that time were cutting down on prescribing antibiotics to patients in response to the growing prevalence of strains that no longer responded to the first round of antibiotics.  

He told WBUR that he understood the importance of antibiotic resistance. When he met some resistance to getting antibiotics from his doctor for the phlegm in his chest and sinuses, he took matters into his own hands. 

He discussed the main reasons why he turned to the aquarium for answers instead of his doctor saying, “It’s not so much the cost as the availability. It’s just the way the medical industry is these days. It’s just tough to get the care you need. It’s tough to get the medications you need. It’s tough to even see a doctor.”

He and his wife have an aging cat, a rabbit and some guinea pigs. They even had bottles of penicillin lying around that they’d gotten for the cat, he explained. The Shecktors no longer had fish but still had some of the fish antibiotics stowed away that had been bought for them. Knowing he had a little stash, Shecktor performed a little research online to see how to use them.  

He decided to try them in an attempt to cure his infection. After all, he used them on the guinea pigs once when they got sick with success.  Shecktor told WBUR, “The penicillin used for fish and that sort of thing are actually the exact same pills [as antibiotics for humans].” He also said the meds made him well, and that “he’s had great success with it actually”

Is Fish Mox Effective on Other Animals? 

Aquarium fish are dosed with many of the same antibiotics as we are, including clindamycin, ciprofloxacin, amoxicillin, penicillin and more. Is Fish Mox effective in treating other animals though? Yes; bacterial skin wounds and pneumonia in birds, dogs, cats, horses, ferrets, rabbits, and other small animals can all be successfully treated with fish antibiotics. 

Fish Mox works so well because it contains Amoxicillin which is an effective, all-purpose antibiotic. However, it doesn’t clear up Staph infections.  Cold Spot for Healthy Pets recommends dosing the animals with 9-18 mg of antibiotic per one pound of animal every 8-12 hours. 

Be sure that the particular fish antibiotic that you use on your animals only has antibiotics in it, though. When inspecting the label, it should indicate that the only ingredient contained is antibiotics, just the same as those you pick up with a prescription at your nearby pharmacy. For instance, an antibiotic with fish scale brightener added to your aquarium helps the ornamental fish within get shiny. On the other hand, it might make your animal or someone in your household very sick if ingested.

Where to Buy Fish Antibiotics

You can buy fish antibiotics at just about any place that carry pet supplies such as Thomas Labs, WalMart, and Gotta go retailers. Don’t look for Fish Mox on Amazon, though. Amazon tends to shy away from carrying anything controversial and has since discontinued carrying them. 

A search for it yields results for Ampitrexyl, which sounds like an antibiotic, but it’s probably disappointingly not for people looking for fish antibiotics. Amazon appoarently dropped products such as Moxifish right after careless tweets debuted from certain verified buyers.

The one below for instance, extolled the virtues of how perfectly the Moxifish cleared their fish’s infection after their wisdom teeth were removed probably raised a few eyebrows. 

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With increased attention shining a light on this certain self-diagnosis and medication movement over the past few years has led pet stores to review their sales tactics, too.

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One social media user tweeted that a pet store employee told them that “they caught onto us and took them out” when he into a store to buy some. 

How Expensive Are Fish Antibiotics?

Prices are pretty reasonable for fish antibiotics, but they can sometimes vary depending on brand and quantity. One thing that becomes glaringly obvious after a little online legwork session is that, for the most part, infection-fighting fish meds are cheaper than ones you’d have to get with a scrip, especially if you don’t have healthcare insurance. 

Some of them are cheaper than the copay you pay to your primary caregiver with insurance. That, and the fact that fish are given the same antibiotics as their human equivalents are what leads people to check out fish antibiotics as a viable alternative to human ones.  

So, Can Humans Really Take Fish Antibiotics? [A Doctor’s Opinion]

from  Dr. Bones of The Doom and Bloom Hour with Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy

The following advice is contrary to standard medical practice, and is a strategy that is appropriate only in the event of societal collapse.  If there are modern medical resources available to you, seek them out.

However, thinking long and hard for a solution has led me to what I believe is a viable option: fish antibiotics.

For many years, I was a tropical fish enthusiast.  Currently, we are growing Tilapia as a food fish in an aquaculture pond.  After years of using these medicines on fish, I decided to evaluate these drugs for their potential use in collapse situations.

A close inspection of the bottles revealed that the only ingredient was the drug itself, identical to those obtained by prescription at the local pharmacy. 

That’s right, there are NO added ingredients in fish antibiotics–Amoxicillin, Doxycycline, Penicillin, and more. 

If the bottle says FISH-MOX, for example, the sole ingredient is Amoxicillin, which is an antibiotic commonly used in humans.  There are no additional chemicals to makes your scales shiny or your fins longer. 

I understand that you might be skeptical about considering the use of aquarium antibiotics for humans in a collapse.  Those things are for fish, aren’t they?

Yet, if this is the case, then why are all of the above antibiotics also commonly used on humans?  More importantly:  Why are these antibiotics in the exact same DOSAGES that are used in humans?  Why would a guppy require a dosage of FISH-MOX FORTE that would suffice for a 180 pound human adult?  It is my opinion that they are manufactured in the same way that “human” antibiotics are made; I don’t have proof that this is true, but I suspect that they might even come from similar batches.

These medications are available without a prescription from veterinary supply stores and online sites everywhere. They come in lots of 30 to 100 tablets for less than the same prescription medication at the local pharmacy. If you so desired, it appears that you could get as much as you need to stockpile for a collapse. These quantities would be close to impossible to obtain from your physician.

Of course, anyone could be allergic to one or another of these antibiotics, but it would be a very rare individual who would be allergic to all of them. There is a 10% chance for cross-reactivity between Penicillin drugs and Keflex (if you are allergic to penicillin, you could also be allergic to Keflex).

This one additional fact:  I have personally used some (not all) of these antibiotics on my own person without any ill effects.  It’s important to note that I am speaking primarily about aquarium antibiotics, as some dog and cat medications also include other chemicals and are not just the antibiotic.

These antibiotics are used at specific doses for specific illnesses; the exact dosage of each and every medication is beyond the scope of this handbook. It’s important, however, to have as much information as possible on medications that you plan to store, so consider purchasing a hard copy of the latest Physician’s Desk Reference.

This book comes out yearly and has just about every bit of information that exists on a particular drug.  The book lists medications that require prescriptions as well as those that do not. Under each medicine, you will find the indications, which are the medical conditions that the drug is used for. Also listed will be the dosages, risks and side effects. I don’t have to tell you that this is a large book!

Strategies for Getting Other Prescription Medications

For medications that treat non-infectious illness, such as cholesterol or blood pressure drugs, you will also need a prescription.  These medications are not available in aquarium supply houses, so how can you work to stockpile them?

You may consider asking your physician to prescribe a higher dose than the amount you usually take. Many drugs come in different dosages. If your medicine is a 20 milligram dosage, for example, you might ask your doctor to prescribe the 40 mg dosage.  You would then cut the medication in half; take your normal dosage and store the other half of the pill.  It’s very important to assure your physician that you will continue to follow their medical advice and not take more medicine than is appropriate for your condition. Your success in having your request granted will depend on the doctor.

Others have managed to obtain needed prescriptions by indicating that they are traveling for long periods of time out of the country or telling their physician some other falsehood.  I can’t recommend this method, because I believe that dishonesty breaks the bond of trust between doctor and patient. Consider having a serious discussion with your healthcare provider. Describe your concerns about not having needed medications in a disaster situation. You don’t have to describe the disaster as a complete societal collapse; any catastrophe could leave you without access to your doctor for an extended period.

If we ever find ourselves without modern medical care, we will have to improvise medical strategies that we perhaps might be reluctant to consider today. Without hospitals, it will be up to the medic to nip infections in the bud. That responsibility will be difficult to carry out without the weapons to fight disease. Accumulate equipment and medications and never ignore avenues that may help you gain access to them.

Alternative therapies such as herbal supplements and essential oils should be stockpiled as well.  Honey, onion, Silver, and garlic have known antibacterial actions; be sure to integrate all medical options, traditional and alternative, and use every tool at your disposal to keep your community healthy.  If you don’t, you’re fighting with one hand tied behind your back. Remember that traditional medicines and even essential oils will eventually run out in a long term collapse. Begin your medicinal garden now and get experience with the use of these beneficial plants.

by  Dr. Bones of The Doom and Bloom Hour with Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy

Final Thoughts

When summing up reasons for stockpiling fish meds when the SHTF, one benefit of the practice is that it allows you to have an alternate supply of antibiotics when needed. That being said, there are ways you can easily stockpile antibiotics that would otherwise be difficult to get your hands on in large quantities. 

However, before you go on to play survival doctor and ‘heal thyself’ during a collapse situation, consider that there are downsides to consider before taking meds intended for your aquarium creatures. For instance, Cipro is an antibiotic that’s not to be trifled with in any circumstance unless you really have the training and background that goes with administering it.

Additionally, preppers that know what they are doing may want to stockpile human antibiotics and antivirals, along with fish antibiotics in the event of a doomsday scenario. 

The following plan is a good short-term fix and will give you one to two courses of antibiotic or antiviral therapy. Simply, tell your doctor that you are going out of the country and would like something prescribed to combat “Travelers’ Diarrhea.” 

You can also ask for Flagyl and human-grade Doxycycline and Amoxicillin for protozoal and bacterial infections during your doctor’s visit. Likewise, you can ask for the antiviral Tamiflu during peak flu seasons by telling the physician you are experiencing flu-like symptoms.

You may also want to team your stockpiled medicines with alternative medicines, too, in order to have a longer-term solution. Survivalists know that it is always a good idea to be prepared and to not put all your eggs in one basket.

*Disclaimer

While many people have used fish antibiotics to successfully treat their infections, they have not been reviewed or approved by the FDC, and are specifically labeled “not for human consumption.” This article is for reference purposes only, and should not be construed as medical advice. Misdiagnosing, self-treatment and misuse of any antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance. We assume no responsibility for using any substances in a way contrary to their indicated use. 

How to Build a Walipini Greenhouse

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To prepare for a natural or man-made disaster, many survivalists are busy stocking up on shelf-stable food and water. While this is definitely a good idea, one can only eat so much beef jerky and canned peaches before getting a hankering for some fresh produce.

Part of what should be on your survival food list is produce, and a great way to provide your family with fresh, homegrown fruits and vegetables is to construct a safe and secure underground greenhouse. As a bonus, a survival garden is usable year-round and is fairly easy on the budget.

Here is some advice as well as tips on how to construct your own underground Walipini greenhouse:

Walipinis Came From the South Americans

The word “Walipini” is the Aymara Indian word meaning “place of warmth,” according to Tree Hugger. The structure debuted two decades ago and enables residents of South America’s mountainous regions to grow fresh food all year, regardless of weather conditions.

Also known as a pit, the Walipini uses passive solar heating for warmth as well as the earth itself for shelter and protection. Most Walipinis are simple in construction. They are usually around 20-by-74 feet (dug 6-8 feet in the ground) and then covered by plastic sheeting. When digging the hole, make the longest side of the rectangle face the south, which will expose it to the greatest amount of winter sun and warmth.

How a Walipini Greenhouse Works

The sun’s energy and light get into the underground greenhouse by passing through the plastic covering on top of the hole, where they are then absorbed throughout the Walipini, according to Natural News. By using plastic sheeting instead of glass as the roof, specific light rays that actually prevent plants from growing well cannot get through.

The sun not only provides needed light for plants to perform photosynthesis, it also gives off heat that is stored inside the structure, giving plants ideal growing conditions.

Easy and Economical to Build

The average cost of building a 20-by-74 foot walipini is around $250 to $300. The structure is built using fairly inexpensive but sturdy building materials like PVC pipes and UV plastic sheeting. Of course, digging a hole of this size will take more than just a shovel or two and asking a few neighbors to help.

To make the process as easy and fast as possible, consider renting some digging equipment. Most rental companies have compaction equipment rentals like electric hammers that are great for breaking through brick, concrete or hard earth, as well as saws that can help remove trees and brush.

Enjoy the Bounty

Once the Walipini is built, survivalists can begin to use it immediately to grow crops all year long. Growing seasons will no longer be an issue, and warm weather fruits and vegetables can be harvested in the middle of winter. Some common greenhouse crops, according to MPR News, include green vegetables like kale and lettuce, as well as a host of other delicious and healthy selections.

DIY Chicken Doctor Wound Care Tips

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DIY Chicken Doctor Wound Care

Trust me, a chicken and any other poultry are not worth a vet bill. But whether you are raising chicks or have a a sick hen, there are some basic things you can do that may save their lives. Although I’m writing this for chickens, most of this is also applicable to turkeys, ducks and geese.

Chicken Breeds And Different Types of Birds

So, what kind of chickens do you have (or will you be getting)? Maybe we should have a word here about breeds of chickens and personalities. The breed of birds that you keep has a lot to do with their requirements, as well as the care and potential health issues involved.

Chicken Fryers and Meat Birds

From hatch to the table in 6 weeks as a fryer. Personally, I take them to 8 to 12 weeks and go for roasting as I have made the investment of almost $4 a chick and the more meat I can get, the better.

These birds go under a variety of names, the last ones I purchased were something like Hy5s. White, ugly and all they do is eat, drink and poop (a little animal husbandry tip here, put the food on one side of the pen and the water on the other side, so they at least have to get up and move to do one or the other). It also helps if you order in a few other breed chicks at the same time to keep these creatures moving.

The problem with these birds is their legs. They are absolutely notorious for their legs going on them and now you have just lost not only your investment in the chick, but also everything they have eaten to date – did I say they EAT! These are the birds you are eating at KFC and from almost all grocery stores.

Not suited to organic raising as they need those antibiotics and medicated feed. However, you can raise a winter’s worth of chicken over just two months in the summer. They are suited to warm weather.

Leghorn Egg Laying Chicken

The Egg Layers

Leghorns are the factory farm white egg laying chicken – they can have them! They start laying early at 4 to 6 months and usually killed at their first molt when they stop laying. Very aggressive hens and roosters – as a breed; individuals can be just fine. This is the reason that every hen is kept in her own cage and the roosters are just butchered.

The brown egg layers, like say the Red Stars, are usually a bit more docile personality wise, but still quite aggressive. Aggressive – what does that mean? They are prone to attacking their flock mates and even you!

Usually minimum chick orders are 25 birds. Many people, me included, don’t want 25 birds of just one breed, so we order a mix. The egg layers will be the dominants in that mix. They will kill more docile (almost everyone else) chickens by pecking them to death.

Egg layer breeds are suited to different climates as they are meant to live 1 to 3 years. FYI, the average chicken can live up to 30 years.

The Heavies and More Versatile Breeds

I see these as the homestead breeds as you will find one or more that you will fall in love with. These birds are bred by caring breeders for the most part who cull the mean ones. This is not to say that you won’t still have problems – they are small dinosaurs after all – but far fewer problems.

Breeds of Chickens

Lots and lots of breeds from the heritage breeds like the Dominikers that traveled with the settlers across the plains in Conestoga wagons (Barred Rocks are descendants of these hardy chickens.) to the heavies that are suited to cold climates and laying eggs for several years and being an excellent roasting or stewing hen after that like the Austolorp and Cochin *feathered legs, anything, to the half-naked hot weather breeds (read about them but I’m in Minnesota) to the Easter Eggers that lay blue and green eggs sometimes termed Americunas.

The Fancies

Oh, are there fancy breeds of chickens! Any color or look you can imagine including the Polish Top Hats! These birds are usually gentle but flighty. DON’T expect meat or eggs from them.

Banties

Banties are basically miniature chickens of every breed. What banties are really noted for are being very good mothers. Put your fertile eggs under your banties! FYI, of all the chickens banties are noted for doing very well on their own and often roost in the trees. Excellent to have under horses to keep them (the horses) from being flighty when a grouse or turkey flies up in front of them. Super for picking out worms from the manure. A few banties running wild around the farm is what every homestead needs – IMHO.  :)

So, the bottom line is that the breed of chicken you choose will often determine how many problems you will have with your flock.

Care for Baby Chicks

So, you order in or buy some baby chicks and one or more start looking sickly.

Here is your basic checklist:

  • sick baby chick Are they warm enough? Huddled together and they are too cold. When the light is on and they are at the outside of their box or pen, it is too hot. Baby chicks should be kept draft free as much as possible. A cardboard box in the house, a child’s pool in the basement or even a spot in the greenhouse could be good places to put chicks. DEFINITELY go for a child’s pool or plastic liner for ducks and geese.
  • These need plenty of water and will literally spurt water out of the back of their beaks as they drink. DO NOT however, put a little pool in with them when young as they need mother’s wing oil for babies to be waterproof and will drown if in “deep” water without it.
  • Have an isolation cage/container handy. That could be a single cardboard box off to the side, perhaps a cat carrier, etc. Preferably it should be able to be safely rigged with a clip on light (incandescent so that it throws off heat) or some source of heat. A simple heating pad can often do wonders. Why an isolation cage? Because chickens are notorious for being cannibalistic and just plain running over the weaker one(s) until it does die.
  • Sugar water or corn syrup added to warm water can be the instant boost of energy that will save a chick’s life. You may have to gently hold the chick and dip its beak into the water a few times and very gently stroke its throat to get it to swallow – BE GENTLE. I always give sugar water to chicks I have just ordered in for the first day or so because of the stress of the trip.
  • A hard boiled egg chopped finely is the most compatible high protein food you can give an ailing chick. I just make a practice of boiling up some eggs and feeding them to the chicks for the first day or so when ordered in.

Chickens That Have Poopy Butts

Yes, between day 3 and 10 you will likely have some chicks with a poopy butt – manure stuck to its anus blocking any more excretions. This is certain death for a chick.

Grab a shallow pan and fill it with warm slightly soapy water – think of water suitable for bathing a baby. Gently hold the afflicted chick in the pan for several minutes, sometimes that is all that is needed to GENTLY pry off the manure.

Sometimes you need to add a little drop of liquid soap to your finger and massage it into the manure and attempt to pick pieces of it off. Sometimes you need a long soak and baby oil.

Wet a wash cloth in warm water, rub baby oil over the afflicted area and either sit with the chick for 20 minutes or so or figure out a way to keep it from moving out of the wash cloth, perhaps wrap another cloth around it with the head exposed or even prop it between stuffed animals or give it to a child to hold. I have never seen this NOT work.

Sore butt? Gently massage it with baby oil. You can also use your favorite diaper rash lotion if you have some around. Preparation H on a raw butt can really help. ISOLATE any chick that doesn’t seem perky after this treatment (or group of chicks). Be sure not to allow them to catch a chill after being wet.

Chickens With Mom

Remember, Keep Baby Chicks With Their Mom

If your chicks, ducklings or goslings are running with their mother outside, remember that she can’t count. A chick that isn’t keeping up is left behind and will die before morning without her protection. Usually you will be walking along and hear the “distress call” and go over and investigate.

Sometimes the baby is trapped, sometimes cold or sick, or sometimes it is wet. If it looks healthy and fine put it back with mama and hope for the best. However, I have saved many a wet duckling or cold chick just by putting it in my bra – head sticking out forward – and carried it around while I am doing chores until it dried off and/or warmed up and then put it back with mom. Or carried it home to an isolation cage and kept it warm and dry overnight.

Note: Never feed medicated chick feed to baby ducks or goslings, it will often kill them.

Tips on Raising Adolescent Chickens and Pullets

Chicks are sooo fun! I just love watching them. And once you’ve kept them alive and well for the first 5 days you generally have a break for two weeks to just enjoy them.

The chicks strike me as adolescents once the true feathers start appearing. Depending upon the breed you have purchased they will “mature” in anywhere from 6 weeks to a year – meaning that they are ready to eat or the hens will start laying as pullets defined by the breed you have chosen and then there are the versatile breeds raised for eggs and meat, and the fancy’s are a whole ‘nother game.

Pullet and Adolescent Chickens

Within a few days however, give or take depending on the breed, of two weeks they start feathering out. That simply means they start to get their “real” feathers and go into adolescent behavior.

Three things I should give you a heads up on at this point:

  1. Provide a place for them to roost – get up off the ground.
  2. Chickens can’t swim! Okay, you may think, “Duh, why is this important?” Because I have lost a lot of chicks (and chickens) to drowning.  There is a reason chicken/chick waterers are made the way they are. If you just put down a bowl or a pan, for sure the chicks will fall in and get wet and drown. FYI, a water trough for horses, cows, sheep or goats is also a death trap for adult chickens. Trying to provide a family group with a fresh water pond is a mistake – the babies will fall in and drown. Raising them with ducklings and geese who need a lot of water is also a mistake. Just let them get a little larger or provide a beach that they can climb out on.
  3. Provide them with a way to start dusting themselves. Sand works, but if you heat with wood, try wood ashes as they prevent lice.

Pecking Order Is a Serious Thing – Manage It Carefully

What defines adolescence? Personalities begin to emerge and bullying. Just what you expect from teenagers – they are bullying and picking/pecking (literally) on one another. In chickens, this is called “pecking order”.

Here is a hen they are pecking at, but just a glob of grease on the head should keep off the insects and stop them from continuing to peck her – note that I said glob and not dab. You want enough on there so that when the first 2 or 3 hens go after her they get a good beak full of the grease. Just watch then, they didn’t expect that and will work at trying to get that nasty grease out of their beaks. A couple of days of grease on her head (or whatever you have chosen to put on it) and she should be doing okay.

Pecking is an exercise in dominance. One or more chicks will begin pecking each other and especially the weaker/less dominant chicks. They will literally peck them to death. They are even cannibalistic and will eat the dead ones – and yes they can have plenty of food and water and a balanced diet and do this.

Pecking often comes on suddenly. Morning chores and everything is fine; evening chores and you have a bloody chick. Put it in the isolation cage now!

What if you experience an all-out pecking epidemic? It happens! Six out of 25 are being pecked in various areas of the body. Can’t isolate them all. They will just start pecking each other!

I strongly recommend any kind of mechanical grease – some even have antibiotic properties if you read the labels. Petroleum jelly will work. It kind of depends on how bad it has gotten and how much time you have. Yes, you can lose 6 chicks in 24 hours to pecking if you are not watching closely.

Husbandry is critical here. You can stop most problems quickly just by observation and intervention. But hey, if you are doing chores once a day, working full time and have a family too boot, It can get away from you in 24 hours and then you are playing catchup – much less if you actually go camping for a weekend.

All through adolescence into the pullets (young hens ready to lay) your biggest problem with confined chickens will be pecking.

What can you do to help/mitigate the pecking?

  • How To Help a Chicken with a Pecked Vent
    A pecked vent is the worst, because it is so hard to keep clean. You may want to soak this hen in the sink in warm water with just a dab of soap in it. Antibiotic ointment. ISOLATON! Don’t use pine tar on this wound, just grease on top of the antibiotic ointment.

    Raise your chicks with their moms: Pecking is normal behavior for confined chickens, but chicks raised with their mothers (hens) normally do not go through this (and they don’t have poopy butts either!).

  • Keep your flock to birds of the same breed: Mixed breed flocks have more problems with pecking than single breed flocks. Single breed chicks all raised together will peck less. That said, I dislike single breed flocks and I like to drag home hens of different breeds that I run into at poultry swaps and rummage sales. Hence, I have had a lot of pecking problems.
  • Free range or tractor your chickens: Free ranging them will help decrease the pecking, and a chicken tractor will too.
  • Make sure they don’t have worms: Wormy chickens are more likely to peck and be agitated and mean. Chicken worming medication is usually put into the water. If you have a flock of mixed ducks, geese, turkeys and chickens you will need to isolate the chickens as the wormer will often kill the other poultry.
  • Provide a brushy “getaway” area: Providing some open brush area in the corner of the pen is a good idea in that it allows a place for the pecks hens to go get away from the flock. Depending upon how you have your pen set up, roosts both inside and outside of the house are a good idea too.
  • Limit the number of new birds you introduce to the flock: Introducing new birds into the flock almost always means more pecking, especially of the new birds. Again, have an area where they can get away from the rest of the flock if needed – that is not to say that an especially aggressive hen or rooster will not chase them even with brush provided, but it is a slight deterrent.
  • You can try nipping the beaks: You can nip the end of the top beak on an aggressive hen with a wire nippers back about an eighth to a quarter of an inch (depends on age and breed) to help with the pecking. Does it work? Sometimes, sometimes not.
  • Isolation: For chickens with bad enough wounds, separate them from the rest of the flock and let them recover
  • Peroxide/antibiotic ointment: You can use almost anything that you would use on a human, for wounds that are bad enough. This will help with infection and insects.
  • Apply pine tar or a blob of mechanical grease to pecked areas: The traditional solution is PINE TAR. Dab a bit of pine tar on any pecked spots. Antibiotic properties and the other chickens don’t like the taste. As mentioned above, mechanical grease and lubricant works awesome too.

While there are certainly better and worse ways to handle pecking, nothing seems to stop it until the flock grows up and settles into their “pecking order”.

Roosters Chickens Doctoring

Cautions With Roosters

I will relate a little of what I have seen. A good rooster will protect the hens and stop a lot of the pecking. The hens will be happier. A happy hen “sings” a beautiful little cooing tune.

Bad roosters (and these are the majority) will rape and kill young chicks – I had one that would rape day old chicks, snap their necks and throw them to the side and go onto another, there was nothing the hen could do to stop him. His head got chopped off real quick! They will focus on one hen and do her to death. They will join in with the other hens and peck another chicken to death and then proceed to eat it. Too many roosters and you will have “cock fights” and they will kill one another, and you will have gang rapes.

How To Manage Chickens Pecking Each Other
You will see this both from other hens pecking but also from a rooster/roosters riding a hen. Roosters seem to pick out their favorite hens and too much attention can actually kill a hen. Glob the grease or pine tar or whatever on her and if it is roosters, butcher a couple of them.

An older rooster usually has more “sense” than a younger one and is not as “sexed up”. Chickens can live to be 30 years old and the best rooster I ever had was over the age of 10 and lived to 18 when he died due to an ‘possum raid on the hen house where the ‘possum just wantonly killed all the chickens – so much for wild things only killing what they need! Ask around, someone will probably give you an older rooster they respect who needs a good home – no one wants inbreeding.

Adult Chickens

Now let’s talk about the adult bird, one plus years old, and some of the issues and ailments to watch out for.

Here is a picture of a sick hen with all of the things that you should look for:

  • Tail droopy
  • Messy bottom
  • Droopy wings
  • Lethargic
  • “Sleepy” sick, in pain, eyes
  • Sometimes their combs and/or wattle will pale.
  • First, are you practicing good chicken husbandry?
  • Clean, fresh water
  • Clean, dry feed (not moldy)
  • Free choice oyster shells and grit
  • Clean housing facilities
  • Wormed (garlic and diatemacious earth will do that organically)
  • De-loused (ashes will do that organically)

What To Do If a Chicken is “Egg Bound”

Most of the time with a hen that is sick out of the blue, it is caused by being egg bound. This is especially common in prolific egg layers like Red Stars and/or the fancy breeds.

Try to get some liquid calcium down her. No liquid calcium? Ladies, do you have a calcium tablet in the medicine cabinet? Pulverize it, make it into a liquid, take a syringe without the needle and gently get it into her mouth and stroke her neck so that she swallows.

Next, give her a relaxing bath in your sink. Water should be akin to bathing a baby. Add soap and if you have them, Epsom Salts. Gently hold her, massage her belly and rear. Perhaps you can feel the egg and by relaxing her in this bath it will work its way out. We are talking a relaxing spa for the hen, 20 to 30 minutes of warmth, water and massage. FYI, to show a chicken in 4-H you must bathe it. Show chickens get baths.

Now dry her in a towel. Yes, you can blow dry her, but an nice warm air dry is better. Soothing music and dim lights are all good. Lavender scented candles may help – you want her to relax. And you might as well too. :-) If you care about your hen, this is stressful for both of you.

Do not attempt to break the egg. Some people will tell you that if you can see the egg (it is crowning) you can take a needle and syringe and try to extract the yolk to make it more manageable to pass. I’ve never had an egg bound hen crown an egg without passing it, so I don’t know. Massaging the vent with baby oil may help.

She will die within 24 to 72 hours if she does not pass the egg and it is usually a 50% death rate. Some things just happen, but you will have no guilt if you do everything you can to help her.

Chickens Can Still Die of Old Age

Sometimes a hen just gets sick and slowly dies – my Red Star hen just did that, which is what got this whole Chicken Doctorin’ series going. She stopped laying two weeks before but looked okay. One day she didn’t come when called and looked very poorly. I did everything I could. After 3 days of isolation she seemed to be getting better and was fine in the flock. Then, one morning, she was just dead. Who knows…

To heal most cuts on animals, and people, and stop pecking – Gun (as in lube grease often comes for a gun – not a shooting type gun) Grease. Keeps the insects off and has antibiotic properties and tastes bad to other chickens. This one tip can save you hundreds even thousands of dollars on vet and medical bills – it works.

Isolate Chickens in Cage If They're Wounded

Separation/Isolation

Roosts are sufficiently above the ground. FYI a rat can eat a chicken’s feet right off while it is on a roost in the dark and the chicken will not move. There is no way to totally prevent rats and mice around chickens, but a high roost sure helps.

Is she the only one in the flock that is sick? Isolate her immediately. The isolation is for her benefit, so that she doesn’t have to fend off the rest of the flock and can rest and recover in peace.

I have an old fox cage for isolation. Fresh water, fresh food and a nest box or pail.

Other Issues

Broken legs you can set with popsicle sticks and vet wrap and isolate the bird and/or put it in a sling. They actually heal very fast.

Any attack that the bird lives through (Dog, cat, hawk, ‘possum, ‘coon, whatever – she got away alive.) can usually be dealt with by cleaning the wound, some antibiotic salve and isolation. If it is really bad, don’t let her suffer – just butcher her and eat her, preferably without announcing to the family that they are eating “Goldie” tonight. :-) DO NOT eat a bird that is obviously sick from an unknown source!

So, You Want To Be a Chicken Farmer?

There are obviously thousands of other issues and ailments out there, but these are the more common ones that I have dealt with in my 50 years of experience.

Please keep this in mind, what you are raising are small descendants of the dinosaurs. It ain’t always pretty, but it is real, animal behavior. If you only keep a few chickens, there is a good chance that you won’t deal with a lot of this, but if you do, it’s nice to have a reference point to come back to for ideas.

Remember, that whether on a large scale or small, part of raising chickens is about getting your hands dirty. There aren’t always perfect solutions to every situation, but you will begin to at least get familiar with birds that seem healthy, birds that don’t, and a handful of things that you can try. If you grew up in the city, a lot of this will seem foreign at first, but soon enough, you will be wrangling your birds without a second thought.

And remember, if you are dependent on your own resources for survival, chicken eggs provide so much protein that losing a bird can be threatening to your family’s survival.