Barn Esentials

A well-stocked first-aid kit can help you effectively cope in a crisis situation. Whether you opt to buy a professional or assemble one yourself, make sure it includes these necessities:

To Assess an Illness or Injury

• Thermometer *
• Stethoscope *
• Penlight *

To Cleanse a Wound

• Gauze Squares *
• Single-use Sponges
• Tweezers or Forceps *
• Wound Wash (iodine-base such as Betadine®, or non-iodine such as Hebiclens®)*
• Saline Solution *
• Jet-spray bottle for irrigating wounds

To Dress a Wound

• Triple antibiotic ointment * (such as Neosporin®) *
• “Butterfly” bandages (for holding together the sides of simple, fresh and clean wounds)
• Non-stick wound pads *
• Rolled cotton *
• Padding (cotton sheets, quilts, etc.) *
• Rolled gauze *
• Self-adhesive vet wrap *

Miscellaneous

• Cold Wraps
• Blunt bandage scissors *
• Bandage tape *
• Duct Tape *
• Banamine® (if your vet agrees) *
• Foot boot – llama *
• Clean towels *
• Electrolytes (paste or powder) and a delivery system, such as a two-ounce plastic syringe *
• Adhesive strip bandages for you (such as Band- Aid®) *

To complete your kit, stow the items in a large tackle box or a clear sided storage container that is easy to access and carry.

Click here for a portable version of the first aid kit.

Just as important to your farm as a well-stocked first-aid kit, is a selection of essential tools to help you handle minor structural and mechanical emergencies and repairs. The basic items to keep in your toolbox include:

• A full-sized claw hammer
• Spiral-grooved, case-hardened (such as pole-construction) nails, which are less likely to bend when pounded (tip: keep nails in a plastic jar that will fit inside the toolbox)
• Fencing staples to reattach loose wire to fence posts (tip: a separate plastic jar works well for staples too!)
• A fencing tool – an all-in-one pliers for pulling staples, holding, tightening and cutting wire, and hammering in staples
• A medium sized wrecking bar (crowbar) for pulling boards and nails and straightening wire
• An adjustable wrench (such as a Crescent® wrench)
• A 4-way screw driver with both straight and Phillips bits
• A saw – a handsaw will suffice in a pinch, but a chain saw makes short work of removing downed trees, trimming fence boards, and topping new posts
• Locking pliers (such as Vice-Grip®), good for holding things together while you work and for removing headless nails
• Duct tape

Use a separate toolbox for your barn maintenance kit and mark it for “Barn Use Only”. This way it will be ready for use when you run across that item needing a quick repair.

Traveling with animals can be fraught with surprises, and whether your destination is a faraway showring or a nearby trail, being well prepared will help you handle most unexpected events calmly, safely and purposefully.

Before loading your animals into the trailer and setting out, consider your previous experiences and situations you encountered where one tool or another would have been handy to have. Gather the items you think will be of greatest use to you and place them in a five-gallon bucket with a lid. Secure the bucket in your trailer or towing vehicle where it is readily accessible.

The following list of tools and supplies can serve as a guideline to help you choose the items you’ll want to take along with your journey.

Must Haves

Basic tool kit
Tire-changing necessities (jack, tire-iron, spare tire)
Lubricant (such as WD-40)
Fire Extinguisher
Sharp knife or scissors
Double-end snaps
Duct tape
50-foot coil of half-inch synthetic rope
Battery-powered lantern or flashlight and fresh batteries
Lead rope
Your travel first-aid kit
Multi-tool knife
Highway warning flares (or reflective triangles)
Notepad and pens
Cell phone and charger
Gallon of water

Handy to Have

• Bug repellant and fly spray
• Leather punch
• Spare halter, adjustable to your largest llama
• Extra lead line
• “Starter” llama pellets