Best suggestions to help recovering chickens to gain weight & strength

[posey]

Hi Everyone:
I'm looking for the best suggestions ya'll have to help chickens regain lost weight and build up their strength due to illness or injury.

Many times we can get past the 'emergency' and can tell that they are out of the woods so to speak.
Sometimes it takes weeks or months to recover and often times they loose a lot of weight and strength in the process.

What are the best suggestions for feeding and or supplimentation to help with this?

I have wondered this myself and know of several people right now who are asking the same question.

Also, any guesses as to how much time it takes from the time the emergency is over (wound healing nicely or illness over) for them to get built back up and be able to easily run around as usual? Barring any permanent physical damage.

Looking forward to your helpful suggestions
Warmly,
Posey

 

[chickenzoo]

Hi, I give lots of warm mushy canned dog food, scrambled eggs and also wet their food into a mush and top dress with baby Parrot hand feeding formula. I also use the Parrot formula to tube feed very weak birds, but you can mix it and using a syringe try to get them to eat it.

 

[chickbird]

Quote:
where did you get the tube to do the tube feeding..are you inserting and removing it each time you feed? thanks

 

[posey]

Quote:
Thanks for your suggestions, Chickenzoo.
I've been doing the same as you suggested only I use canned cat food instead of the dog food. The cat food has a higher protein quantity, really good for molting birds etc.

I recently purchased the baby bird hand feeding formula but my chickens don't like it as a mush.

When you say top dress are you just sprinkling the dry powder over the top of the mush? If not what else are you doing with it?

Thanks
Posey

 

[chickenzoo]

I do both, sprinkle some on top and also mix it thick with water and give them some with a syringe... it might take awhile before they decide they like it, but normally once they do they start to LOVE it.....
I also sprinkle it over the baby chicks food. Now as adults when they see the can they come running... hehe