When the tube kit comes, mix up some raw egg (set the egg out now so it'll be room temp), a little warm water and Nutri-drench, a little sugar, and a spoon of yogurt. You want it liquid enough to push through the tube.
Cut the bottom of the tubing down to about nine inches. You would find it easier to have a helper to refill the syringe as you'll be holding the hen with one arm while loading the syringe with one hand otherwise. I do it with one hand but it's not exactly a breeze.
Wrap the hen securely in a towel and then insert the tube as shown in the photo in my previous post. When I began, I held the nine inch tube against my hen's crop and measured from the bottom to the beak and make a mark so I'd know when the tube had hit the bottom when inserting it.
If the chicken coughs, you need to back the tube out and start over. The tube should go easily into the esophagus without the hen showing any discomfort. Once the tube is in place, clamp the hens beak closed to hold it there. The hen should be relaxed and calm. If she bucks, stop and wait until she calms. Then begin slowly pushing the food through the tube. Feed one-fourth cup to half a cup. That should be enough for one feeding.
When I decide to tube feed, it's not so much as how much weight the chicken has lost as how weak she is. If a chicken is very weak, she may be too weak to eat and drink. That's the purpose of tube feeding. Most of the time, one feeding is enough to give the chicken energy to eat on her own. If the tube feeding doesn't produce improvement, then the chicken may be dying. But one more tube feeding the next day should either produce improvement or you will know if she's not going to make it.
Cut the bottom of the tubing down to about nine inches. You would find it easier to have a helper to refill the syringe as you'll be holding the hen with one arm while loading the syringe with one hand otherwise. I do it with one hand but it's not exactly a breeze.
Wrap the hen securely in a towel and then insert the tube as shown in the photo in my previous post. When I began, I held the nine inch tube against my hen's crop and measured from the bottom to the beak and make a mark so I'd know when the tube had hit the bottom when inserting it.
If the chicken coughs, you need to back the tube out and start over. The tube should go easily into the esophagus without the hen showing any discomfort. Once the tube is in place, clamp the hens beak closed to hold it there. The hen should be relaxed and calm. If she bucks, stop and wait until she calms. Then begin slowly pushing the food through the tube. Feed one-fourth cup to half a cup. That should be enough for one feeding.
When I decide to tube feed, it's not so much as how much weight the chicken has lost as how weak she is. If a chicken is very weak, she may be too weak to eat and drink. That's the purpose of tube feeding. Most of the time, one feeding is enough to give the chicken energy to eat on her own. If the tube feeding doesn't produce improvement, then the chicken may be dying. But one more tube feeding the next day should either produce improvement or you will know if she's not going to make it.
