Can a chicken drink water if she has a hard time lifting her head?

[Trinisity]

My chickens were attacked by a cat yesterday. We had to put one down right away but the other one is still with us. She is having a hard time lifting her head, but she has done it a couple of times. Thankfully she is interested in drinking water. She fills her beak but a lot of water dribbles out.

My question is can she actually swallow water without lifting her head in the normal way chickens drink?

 

[Eggcessive]

You could learn how to tube feed or crop feed her. You could also just take a small syringe and give a few ml of fluid down the right side back of her throat. Is her neck limber and hanging down, or does she have wry neck? Here is an article about giving fluid or medicine directly and a video of tube feeding:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[swamphiker]

Chickens can get dehydrated easily, especially if they are sick/injured. You could give her water with a dropper just to make sure she's getting enough. Be careful to go slowly if you end up trying it so that she doesn't aspirate the water and potentially choke. Are you giving her antibiotics? Cat wounds often get infected; if you have access to a feed store they should have some that you can inject in the breast muscle.

 

[Trinisity]

Thank you. Yes, I have been holding her up and giving her water every 20 minutes. She is also just trying to drink by herself so I wondered if that was effective for her since she can't lift her head most of the time.

We'll get her on antibiotics soon. Thank you for that suggestion.

 

[Cosmos_]

You could learn how to tube feed or crop feed her. You could also just take a small syringe and give a few ml of fluid down the right side back of her throat. Is her neck limber and hanging down, or does she have wry neck? Here is an article about giving fluid or medicine directly and a video of tube feeding:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

Her neck is limber and hanging down, it does not seem like wry neck. When the lower half of her neck is supported she can raise her head herself.
I don't think tube feeding is something we would be able to do at this time.