- Jun 23, 2013
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I *strongly* recommend you try tube feeding at least once. It's not very difficult! If you can file her beak, you can tube feed.
You just need to get a big syringe, like this:
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61JZZwycnJL._AC_SX679_.jpg
A length of flexible aquarium tube , like this:
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT0pY-3qT8aIPZ2ccik6xHob_V5QmrNggMUWg&usqp=CAU
And some plumber's tape, like this:
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cQcAAOSwqZFeCBIu/s-l640.jpg
Clean the tube and syringe with hot water.
Fill the syringe with soft food, such as prepared, cooled cream of wheat, thick baby cereal, applesauce, or very runny scrambled eggs. Don't put anything thin or watery in there so she wont inhale it. It has to be just soft enough that you could suck it through a straw.
Slip the tube onto the end of the syringe as far on as you can get it, and tightly wrap the spot where they join together using the plumber's tape. If it's not sturdy enough, you can add some other sticky tape on top of that.
Open the chicken's beak and slide the tube down the back of her throat. The hole where she breathes, the syrinx, is behind her tongue. Just make sure you don't get it down here and you're good. It's easier imo if you aim for the left of the back of their mouth. You should feel the tube in her crop. Now, squeeze the food into her crop, and then slide out the tube.
Here's a video!
You just need to get a big syringe, like this:
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61JZZwycnJL._AC_SX679_.jpg
A length of flexible aquarium tube , like this:
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT0pY-3qT8aIPZ2ccik6xHob_V5QmrNggMUWg&usqp=CAU
And some plumber's tape, like this:
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cQcAAOSwqZFeCBIu/s-l640.jpg
Clean the tube and syringe with hot water.
Fill the syringe with soft food, such as prepared, cooled cream of wheat, thick baby cereal, applesauce, or very runny scrambled eggs. Don't put anything thin or watery in there so she wont inhale it. It has to be just soft enough that you could suck it through a straw.
Slip the tube onto the end of the syringe as far on as you can get it, and tightly wrap the spot where they join together using the plumber's tape. If it's not sturdy enough, you can add some other sticky tape on top of that.
Open the chicken's beak and slide the tube down the back of her throat. The hole where she breathes, the syrinx, is behind her tongue. Just make sure you don't get it down here and you're good. It's easier imo if you aim for the left of the back of their mouth. You should feel the tube in her crop. Now, squeeze the food into her crop, and then slide out the tube.
Here's a video!