Welcome to Chick Quicks, a series that chronicles the lessons I've learned as a chicken keeper — all in 5 minutes or less!
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This topic is pretty brief, even for Chick Quicks, so I’ve included a bit of backstory. If you’d prefer to skip ahead to the how-to, click here.
My Weak Chick
I lost my first chick one year ago. This hatchery order had spent over 48 hours in transit, and everyone was clearly in rough shape on arrival, especially “Pip”, a now 3 day-old d’Uccle. I tapped each beak against the drinker for hydration, then tucked them under the heat plate to warm up while I gathered my emergency supplies:
- a secondary waterer with Sav-A-Chick electrolytes
- a bottle of Nutri-Drench, a BYC favorite for reviving sluggish chicks
- a raw egg yolk for easy calories, moisture, and nutrients
- a heating pad to warm any stragglers
When I pulled her out, it finally hit me: I had all these options to try and nurse her back to health, but no means to administer them! The best I could do was place stuff on a teaspoon and dip the tip of her beak into it, hoping she would swallow. I was too frazzled to think of a better solution.
Sometimes, she would take a bit off the spoon. Other times, she could barely open her eyes. We continued doing sessions with Pip on the heating pad every 60-90 minutes, giving her time to come out from the heat plate on her own and join the group. She never did.
I eventually had to sleep for my sanity. In the morning, we found Pip had passed, tucked peacefully under the plate and surrounded by her sisters.
My Ailing Chick
There was little time to mourn, as another chick, Willow, had a neurological issue that was hindering her ability to eat or drink. I needed to find a way to get food, water, and medication administered safely. Dipping her beak into a teaspoon wasn’t going to cut it. Several web searches later (including on BYC), I landed on a brilliant suggestion. I wish I could remember who to credit, because they highlighted the missing piece in my first-aid kit: 1mL oral syringes. I immediately placed an order for overnight delivery.
Willow not only needed help with the basics, but also required a daily vitamin treatment. This meant multiple syringe sessions a day with a squirmy little chick, so it didn't take long to come up with a methodology and routine that worked.
The syringe helped prolong Willow’s life by almost 4 months. She even had times when she was able to function as a normal bird, though in the end, she was euthanized because of her condition.
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My beautiful girls, whom I miss dearly
.This how-to is dedicated to Pip and Willow, and the lessons they imparted.
How to Safely Use a Syringe
Some readers might find this guide to be overly simplistic, but it’s something that would have helped me through those stressful times, so we’re breaking it down. Also, this technique isn't just for chicks! Lethargic adults that are too ill to eat or drink could benefit from the syringe as well.
1. The Product
You want to use 1mL oral (or needle-less) syringes. I had trouble finding them locally and ended up purchasing a 100-pack through Amazon for about $15. I promise it is money well-spent. If you can also find 0.5mL versions, grab those as well (and send me the link, please!)
2. The Technique
Practice your technique without a chick. You would think the syringe would slowly empty as you depress it. The syringe has other plans and will blast its contents into your chick’s face. Sorry, Willow. But you also blasted the contents of your bowels onto my lap that one time, so let's call it even.
I prefer to pinch the plunger between my thumb and pointer finger versus using the thumb rest. This gives more control over how much comes out, and we’re only administering drops at a time.
Pinching the plunger of the syringe
3. Securing Your Chick
Sometimes you’ll get lucky and the chick will readily gobble up whatever’s in the syringe, but don't count on it. Instead, I’ll wedge the chick between my lap. Having a syringe shoved in your face will understandably cause one to back up; the lap wedge creates a dead end and frees up both of your hands, which you'll need for the next step.
If your chick is very young and/or lethargic, like Pip, I like to do this over a heating pad set to low. Administering drops is a slow process, and you want the chick to be warm and comfortable.
Wedged and cozied up over a heating pad
4. Administering the Contents
We are NOT opening the chick’s mouth. We are aiming to place a single drop along the SIDE of their beak, where it naturally splits. The drop will work its way into their mouth 95% of the time, and the chick will swallow without issue. This can get messy if your chick is disagreeable to life-saving treatments and flails about dramatically. I sometimes need to gently pin them against the side of my leg. Again, another reason why it’s good to have two hands available.
Prime your drop, come from below the chicks head (to avoid poking them in the eye), go slow, and do not force anything. You'll know you're successful if the chick performs a beak smack to show they've swallowed.
Applying drop to crack of beak
Additional Syringe Uses
Once your chicks are strong enough to eat on their own, it’s advantageous to move on from the syringe and hide any continued medication in a treat (like a bit of mash, wet cat food, yogurt, etc.) But even so, the syringe’s work is not done!
There will be times when you’ll need to measure out things such as dewormers or parasitic treatments, and the 1mL syringe will be your go-to. For example, we used Ivermectin to treat scaly leg mites in our flock, which requires a very precise dose applied to the back of the neck. The syringe made all of this a breeze!
Related Links
- How to Administer Medication (with videos)
- How to Give Pills to Chickens and Ducks
- Safely Administering Oral Medications to All Poultry and Waterfowl
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Thanks for reading! If you have questions or comments, leave them below. I'm always happy to chat. Up next is Episode 8: Brooder Hen-tertainment.
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