Help! What would you do? Just lost one hen and now another could be sick!

[casportpony]

So how would I know how much to give them and can I just put it in their water? Because there is no way I'm holding down the rooster to give him medicine! lol! He scares me.

The peacock used in this thread is somewhat tame:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/745210/how-to-safely-worm-your-peafowl-orally

This one was really wild and about 13 pounds, yet I caught him, held him, gave the wormer *and* took the picture

-Kathy

 

[PeachygirlGA]

Oh my goodness, I don't think I could do that!

 

[casportpony]

Oh my goodness, I don't think I could do that!

Sure you can!

-Kathy

 

[Chickadel]

Hey!

So sorry!! I just read your posts about your chickens. I had the same problem with one of mine last year. Worming helped but I worm them about twice a year, anyway. Also, the I massaged the keel (I didn't know what you called it) everyday for about two weeks. On the advice from a friend I also began giving them fruit once or twice a week. Sometimes I just use canned when I don't have anything fresh. The other thing I did way cleaned her bottom and cut her feathers there. She recuperated and all is well. All the advice so far sounds good.
Hope they are all doing ok now.

 

[Nambroth]

So how would I know how much to give them and can I just put it in their water? Because there is no way I'm holding down the rooster to give him medicine! lol! He scares me.

You can do it! Wrap him up in a towel, like a rooster burrito. He can't slap you with his wings or spur you or do more than give you a hairy eyeball then. Could you do it if it could improve his quality of life, or give him a longer lifespan?

 

[KayTee]

So how would I know how much to give them and can I just put it in their water? Because there is no way I'm holding down the rooster to give him medicine! lol! He scares me.

There is another option, if you don't feel up to catching a bird and forcing a dose of medicine down them.

In the morning, let all the others out, but keep the one you want to medicate inside the coop / run / a caged area. (Basically anywhere where they can be isolated from the others for a short time - use your foot to stop one leaving the coop if necessary!). Then give them a bowl with a small amount of a treat (tinned sweetcorn, boiled rice etc) well mixed with the measure of medicine. Because it's the morning they will be hungry, and will gobble it up. You can then let them out to feed with the others as usual.

I have found that medication in water never works, as you can't guarantee how much water they will drink, and you would have to add a huge amount of medicine to the water to ensure a good dose. Food works every time for me - I wouldn't do anything else now.