Help! How can I get my turkeys to swallow a Metronidazole pill?

[Fly 2006]

I would say crush it up as well, if you put it on a small piece of food that they love then they should get it all, oh and if your turkeys start acting a bit odd, it will be the Metronidazole, I had this when I had a tooth abcess and it made me feel very wierd!

 

[Chambertin]

Birds like everything until you want them to eat it. Oh well...

What we do with the non capsules is to crush it. One whack with a hammer to break then roll a beer bottle over it to make it powdery. We learned this is much easier if you put the paper under the pill first rather than try to brush it off the table into something.

Next we pour it into some kind of liquid to make a squirter and open the beak then squirt it in. If that doesnt work I can dribble it little by little into the beak and they'll suck it up if they arent too healthy.
Note: Birds only accept treatment if wrapped in a towel or if they are really sick and need it.
For healthy birds I wrap them up and then just grab the bottom beak with my thumb and index finger. Nature seems to tell them to try to open their beak. Sure you gotta be fast, but its SO SO SO much easier than trying to pry it open.

If you arent worried about exact dosage then you can take the powder and mix it into the food they normally eat, or the water. For the water you have to see how it mixes. Some pills dont dissolve in water so it might not get into the bird properly.

So that's my advice.
Cram it in whole, squirt it in, or mix the powder into something they will eat. I dont bother with treats as my birds are completely unpredictable about what they want to eat. I just put it in the feed, chick crumbles do the trick if your already on the large pellets. Plus it seems every chicken or turkey loves to eat what they had growing up. Ahhh nostalgia

 

[Sally8]

An update to giving pills to turkeys. It's possible that they may just die. Today my hubby helped me and we diluted the pill in a little water with a little jello (very small amount). I got it down chuck fairly easy, but remember that he is sick. Rosie was a little harder, not only is she mouthy but she was fighting me tooth and nail. Hubby says "no, don't dirty a towel" he was in charge of the syringe. Most went down her beak, I was sure we had killed her as she kind of gurgled but the interesting part is how I can tell you how bad that med tastes. "Oh, did I squirt some in your mouth, dear?". Huck was entirely different. I,m lucky I wasn't hurt. I grew up on a farm 50 yr ago. We raised cows, horses, hogs, ducks and chickens. Wrestling with animals is not new. My city slicker hubby is a whole other story. Next time, i'll hold the syringe.

 

[casportpony]

When I give mine a pilll, I catch them, hold them until they relax a little, open their beak and shove the pill the right hand side. I then massage it about half way to their crop. They don't like it, but there is no chance that they will aspirate any liquid.

Curiously, how much do they weigh?

-Kathy

 

[Sally8]

I'm not sure. I'll weigh them after work today. I'm dreading the pill giving session. If I ground it up in food I wouldn't be comfortable unless I keep each one separate. Someone once told me that for the first 6mo, a turkeys only purpose is to look for a way to die. We really haven't had much trouble with them and Rosie is so friendly and mouthy. Thank you all for all your input.

 

[chickenzoo]

I give it down the mouth...but if they are drinking well then it does dissolve in water..add some sugar or Gatorade to make it taste better..do small bowls of water so you can see what they are drinking. May have to treat longer with water method. They looked like small turkeys so I'd be giving half a pill by mouth.

 

[Sally8]

Update on giving pills to turkeys. WHAT A NIGHTMARE!.. Anyway, I'm managing to get Chuck's down every day and most of Rosie's dose down her. I've never been able to.get anything down Huck. He's a strong bugger! He won't even take any treat's. I sure hope no one is video taping us
Chuck is not getting any worse. He managed to get up to his perch last night before I went out to cage him (I let him run with the other 2 during the day). He only draped 1 wing and it still is, kind of. He can use it though. He is eating and drinking but not as hearty as he used to. I'm still sprinkling cayenne pepper on the food but give them fresh water. As I said, what can it hurt. As of right now, I haven't noticed symptoms in the other 2. My plan is to continue with the Metronidazole and follow with worming. Not only for the turkeys but with all the chickens. Who knew that worms, in many forms were such a pain?

 

[suki'smom]

Will they get it all?

So long as you use only a small amount of yogurt and give it to one bird at a time they should finish it right up.

 

[chickenzoo]

Lol....try giving pills to 125 pound emus that can cut you in half by accident...... I use the same technique with the turkey as I do the emu. Wait till night time or early morning when the are less likely to move. Sit or squat on their back and with one hand wrap your left hand around their head..cradle it in your elbow area...pry open mouth and with right hand push in pills then hold beak shut and rub throat or back of head.......

 

[casportpony]

Lol....try giving pills to 125 pound emus that can cut you in half by accident...... I use the same technique with the turkey as I do the emu. Wait till night time or early morning when the are less likely to move. Sit or squat on their back and with one hand wrap your left hand around their head..cradle it in your elbow area...pry open mouth and with right hand push in pills then hold beak shut and rub throat or back of head.......

Thanks for the visual, lol... and I thought dosing my 30 pound BBW was hard!

And you're right on about doing it at night. Just last night I had to dose some of mine and it was soooo much easier than the daytime.

-Kathy