Giving liquid meds to a cranky chicken?

[CityGirlintheCountry]

So Pooh is resting comfortably in a large kennel on the dining room table. By all appearances she is loving the indoor chicken life and the steady stream of treats that come her way. She might not ever completely transition back outside at this rate. But I digress...

Part of her daily life is liquid antibiotics and a pain medicine. The first day of so these were not a problem. Now that she is feeling better, it is almost impossible to get them in her. She has decided that she doesn't want to take either and simply clamps her beak shut and turns her head away. Due to the injury on her side, I am hesitant to put her in a football hold to hold her still. Any thoughts? How the heck do you get medicine into a reluctant chicken?

 

[Lunachick]

Maybe you could mix it into something tasty that she likes. At this point if she is feeling better and the meds are working, mix some up into a yogurt or other treat and make sure she eats it.

Not sure what kind of meds you are using, make sure it OK to mix into a food. Good luck, I wait til nighttime when they're docile and squirt the med down her throat.

 

[Jenski]

Mixing it into a pureed treat is exactly what I ended up doing. Being sick is stressful enough without being force-fed, and I was worried about injuring mine in the process. I tried a couple of different purees, being sure not to use too much each time since I wanted her to eat all of it. Doing it first thing in the morning when she's hungry, and not letting her have access to anything else until she's finished, helps for the early dose. Late evening, do the same thing when she's filling up before bedtime.

1) puree of layer feed and distilled water (in blender)
2) puree of mashed bananas (liquid meds will dilute enough, no water needed)
2) puree of oatmeal

For very small amounts of liquid (like wormer) I have been successful dropping it onto tiny bread cubes.

The struggling is a good sign - means she's getting all healthy and feisty. Good luck!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Great ideas! I've been trying to dribble it along her beak and then give her a piece of something yummy. No deal. She figured that one out pretty quick. Obstinant little cuss.

I made up a mash of crumble and such, but she's pretty much ignored it. As she did the scrambled eggs. She'll eat the regular dry crumble and the little bit of scratch I mixed in with it to entice her. Nope on the mushy stuff though. I'll try making her some oatmeal tonight. She's never had it, so who knows if she'll think it's swell. She went to town eating some cucumber slices this morning so maybe a cucumber puree is in order.

The bread idea is a good one too. She loves bread.

She's getting antibiotics morning and night and pain meds in the morning. I'm wondering if I should continue the pain meds as she seems to feel okay and it's pretty traumatic getting them in her. Maybe the oatmeal will work.

Pooh is never docile.

I'm not sure if that is good or bad at this point. She's always been nosy, inquisitive, adventurous and active. That's why we're in this mess. She decided to go join the dogs in the backyard. But that's also why I enjoy her. She's always wanting to see what's up, is strong minded and strong willed. She's a fabulous chicken!

Thanks for the help, ya'll. The process this morning took forever and I ended up wearing more of the antibiotic than she actually took. Hopefully tonight will go better.

 

[hoosier]

You could also try mixing it in with a little oatmeal that is runny enough to go through a syringe (w/o needle). Pick her up and place her on the table, pulling her legs out behind her. I have found this method to be very effective.