Formula posted by Sandy

[sommerleaz]

Help! Have a sick and weak chicken. I have seen a formula on this site that helps to strengthen weak chickens. I can't find it. Can someone point me to it. Thanks!! Kim

 

[robin416]

Are you talking about Exact Hand Rearing Formula for cage birds? That can be picked up at pet stores that sell birds or off the internet.

 

[sommerleaz]

Hi Robin,

Thanks for your reply. The mixture I saw had yogurt, oats, milk, vitamin/mineral supplement and some other things. It was intended to give nutrition to some chickens that need a little extra nutritional help.

 

[Crusty McPottydoodle]

is it this one?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=208187

Post # 3

Cheryl

 

[threehorses]

Basically, because it's fully fortified, you want your baby to have free-choice access to their completely vitamin fortified age-appropriate crumble or pellet that they should be getting anyway.

You can use that and other things to make a very small amount of a quickly eaten damp mash to work as a carrier for nutritional boosts.

With what type of illness if your chicken sick? That will effect the vitamins and supplements.

Try not to deviate from the complete feed too greatly as it can stress the digestive tract unnecessarily during an illness fight.

***DO NOT USE ALL OF THESE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER*** They are meant to be used one or two together in a base of something like crumbles or oatmeal mixed with water and yogurt.
***Particularly ask before using different vitamin options together.***

First a base:
If you use a crumble base (best option) mix a little water (and possibly wet ingredients) and a similar amount of crumbles and mix well. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes. Make very very small batches, and when it's absorbed feel it. It shouldn't feel goopy but just damp. That's what you aim for. You can always add MORE water so be conservative with that part. Here are some individual ingredients. They shouldn't all be used together, but it helps to know that for which they're useful.

Wet ingredients and their uses:

Yogurt: recommended for all ill birds (UNLESS you're treating with a medicine that contains -mycin or -cycline - in which case you must use another probiotic alternative* see dry ingredients) Provides live bacteria to help with any stress but particularly during digestive upset and during medication; Use daily during illness and every other day for 2 weeks thereafter. 1 teaspoon for 6 new chicks to 1 tablespoon per adult bird - vary by size.
Applesauce: A very tiny bit; use in cases of potential constipation or twice weekly in cases of crop stasis.
PolyViSol vitamins - the one without iron-fortification. 1 drop per small chick, 2 drops per young or small adults, 3 drops per adult. Directly in the beak or in enough mash that you know will be eaten entirely.
Milk: Use sparingly; it doesn't have the good bacteria that yogurt does.
Cooked oatmeal: a good base to hide goodies in. If the bird is young, make a powder out of oatmeal in the food processor before cooking. Can help solidify some loose droppings.


Dry ingredients:
Dry oatmeal: you can add a little powder, made in a food processor, to wet ingredients for poop solidification and to make the treat less goopy.
Yolk of boiled egg: Add a little water and make a dry paste; great to add protein to non-coccidiosis birds. Good to hide a wet ingredient. Easily dissolved; can help with new babies, crop stasis, or any illness other than cocci/protazoa. Use to hide vitamin drops.
Their usual crumbles, or pellets made into a crumble in the blender: best choice for a damp mash if they'll eat it.

Vitamins:
Polyvisol as described above: good for over all immune boosts. Use for a week and taper off.
Vitamin E oil capsules (400-700 IU) Use in the drop amounts of polyvisol for different sized/aged birds. Good for suspected neurological issues.
Cod liver oil: 2 drops per adult bird twice weekly. 1 drop in crumbles of an ill chick twice weekly. Good for vitamin A deficiencies and vitamin A issues. Good if more strength is needed than polyvisol for respiratory illnesses. Good for breeders. Use sparingly - more is not necessarily better with oil vitamins (ADE)
Alternative probiotics: These are really often better probiotic products, but chickens often like yogurt. If you can't use yogurt, these are necessary during antibiotic treatment with -mycins or -cyclines. Acidophilis capsules/tablets (crush the tablet to powder or empty the capsule; use just enough water to make a paste and give directly, or mix in the little damp mash.) Probios brand powder (use 1/4 teaspoon as you would acidophilis, less for babies. Yogurt is preferred for boosting calcium/D for the first weeks of laying or in rickets cases.
Kelp: a tiny sprinkle is great to add to mashes.
Tumeric: a very tiny sprinkle added to the feed has immune-boosting effects.
Brewer's yeast: good to add to a mash in cases of suspected B vitamin deficiency such as paralysis or curled toe issues. Can be substituted with a B-vitamin Complete tablet crushed, some portion of it.

Others: parrot hand-rearing formula. Contains probiotics (living bacteria) and extra nutrition for birds who are reluctant to eat.


A sample mash for respiratory:
Mix yogurt and water. Mix with crumbles, perhaps some boiled egg yolk, 3 drops of polyvisol. Make sure it's a small enough amount that the bird gets it all.

Sample mash for crop issues:
Mix yogurt and water. Mix crumbles, oatmeal powder, perhaps boiled egg yolk. Vitamins are optional. Mix dry and wet ingredients and let soak 10 minutes. Every other day, add a tiny bit of babyfood applesauce to cleanse the digestive tract.

Sample mash for suspected neurological issues:
Mix yogurt, water, polyvisol. Mix crumbles and brewer's yeast pinch. Mix wet and dry ingredients together and allow to absorb. Separately dose with vitamin E capsule.

Hope these ideas help.

also there's Glenda's post that Crusty McPottydoodle (what a name, yay!) kindly provided.

 

[sommerleaz]

Thank you so much for all that great information! I will put it all to good use. Unfortunately we lost our dear chicken. After consulting with the vet that was treating her she recommended that she be put to sleep. We had a necropsy done and it showed that she had kidney failure in both kidneys as well as some other problems. The vet felt her problems were genetic. We brought her home to bury her in our little pet cemetery. We sure miss her.

 

[threehorses]

I'm very sorry to hear that you lost your hen. You were very smart to get a necropsy, and i'm glad you got your answers and hopefully a little peace of mind for it.

 

[sommerleaz]

Thank you. The necropsy did give us peace of mind. The vet said her condition was genetic so we are having blood work done on her sister and if she has weak kidneys we will be able to do some things to support her organs. Thanks again for your support.