Tube Feeding

I just wanted to thank Casportpony (Kathy) for the link on her signature line. Last year I killed a grown turkey trying to tube feed, so I was very leery about trying it again, but I really needed to.

I have a three week old that started standing about drooping and 'sleeping' on its feet. I noticed it was a bit off last night but this morning it was time to do something, so I boned up on the tutorials and gave it a go. I didn't kill this one! But we are not out of the woods yet.

I had already gotten the needed supplies from the vet, the hospital gives her (the vet) supplies that they can no longer use because of expiration dates, I had a #16 catheter, I need to get a #18 like she says in the link. Well anyway we mixed up some egg yolk, vitamins, and Corid water, (longer story) and was able to administer the feeding.

Anyway, THANK YOU KATHY!!

KsKingBee said:

I just wanted to thank Casportpony (Kathy) for the link on her signature line. Last year I killed a grown turkey trying to tube feed, so I was very leery about trying it again, but I really needed to.

I have a three week old that started standing about drooping and 'sleeping' on its feet. I noticed it was a bit off last night but this morning it was time to do something, so I boned up on the tutorials and gave it a go. I didn't kill this one!

But we are not out of the woods yet.

I had already gotten the needed supplies from the vet, the hospital gives her (the vet) supplies that they can no longer use because of expiration dates, I had a #16 catheter, I need to get a #18 like she says in the link. Well anyway we mixed up some egg yolk, vitamins, and Corid water, (longer story) and was able to administer the feeding.

Anyway, THANK YOU KATHY!!

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This is great but you should use the egg as a whole not separate the yoke, there are more good things for them in the white than the yoke.

Wow, finally a use for catheters. My hubby has prostate cancer, ( he is in remission) but we have boxes of catheters that he was having to use before. If anyone needs any I would be happy to send some.

zazouse said:

This is great but you should use the egg as a whole not separate the yoke, there are more good things for them in the white than the yoke.

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My first go around with the white clogged the catheter and syringe so we opted to use just the powdered chick starter, yolk, vitamins, and water. Sleepea, not related to Sweepea, doesn't look any better this afternoon but at least I know it has some nutrition in its gullet. Still standing around sleeping and getting run over by the rest. We are putting it in its own isolation pen now.

Is this standing about being sleepy and not interested in eating indicative of anything in particular?

@KsKingBee , do you have liquid Corid?

-Kathy

Kat does cocci have an funny a nasty smell? i read somewhere a while back that their poo will smell way different not like normal, even scared pea poop smells bad,nasty.

zazouse said:

Kat does cocci have an funny a nasty smell? i read somewhere a while back that their poo will smell way different not like normal, even scared pea poop smells bad,nasty.

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In chickens it sure does, but I've only seen it in peas once, and those were six at the feedstore and I don't actually remember if I did the smell check or not. FWIW, three of those died and I had necropsies done on them, so I know it was coccidiosis. This is what their poop looked like:



Peachick poop from a healthy chick that's not too hot or stressed should look like a regular poop with the white cap or that dark, stinky stuff. Cleaning brooder right now, will try to get some pictures.

-Kathy

Edited to add: Coccidiosis can affect the different areas of the intestine, so the poop might not always look the same. Same for blood... sometimes it's there, sometimes it isn't. It can also cause a secondary enteritis that would require antibiotics.

These are the ones that chickens and turkeys get. I imagine peafowl get similar ones:

From the Penn State Poultry Health Handbook
http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/agrs52.pdf




-Kathy

casportpony said:

Three weeks? I would say coccidiosis. Can you post some poop pictures? Also, how much does she weigh?

-Kathy

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Ah, a Paul Harvey moment, here is the rest of the story. As you know we have been treating for Coccidiosis in all our outdoor flock, that treatment was Corid and ended last Sunday. We talked to our vet Monday about the lab results she got back on Monday to see what our next step should be. Originally we were going to do an antibiotic followed with a worming but the lab said that the bacterial infection should clear itself up on its own, if not use Zactran as needed, where needed. So she said to start with the Safeguard and so we did.

On Thursday DW was concerned that the chickens were crapping out huge runny piles, I thought they were just flushing out the worms, but noooo, so I called the vet for confirmation, I was right. The vet said it was a good sign. So then I thought I had better ask about the babies in the garage that have not had any contact with the outside birds except the ones that will wonder into the garage and crap on the floor, but still not in direct contact with the brooders. Vet said that it did not matter that the babies could still get cocci even from us, our clothes, shoes, feed containers, airborne, etc. and we should start with the Corid on them at three weeks of age. Well I had already started the one week olds and she said to quit them until three weeks and start the older ones right away.

Not having showed any signs of sickness I mixed them up an approximately 10% solution, kind of an in-between the maintenance and moderate outbreak level in your information link. Started them on Friday and noticed Sleepea looking a little tired and not being the normal piranha when it came to evening treat time. Saturday morning, (today) it was really noticeable that it need attention so we mixed up a feeding solution and tube fed.

I used the powdered Corid and mixed 1/2 tsp to a half gallon of water which now I think of it is the moderate dosage, correct?

Sleepea is looking better this evening, if he takes the evening treats it won't get tubed.



Peachick poo pics just for you, and no, they just smelled like pea poo.