How do I give meds with eyedropper?

[CathyM]

Hi -
I'm trying to get my hens to drink the water-soluable Tylan, and to be sure, I wanted to give them at least some down their throats via an eye dropper, as I read some folks do here. But I can't hold a struggling hen, open her mouth and squirt liquid down -- is there some trick?? I have them penned with only the medicated water to drink, but wanted to be sure they are drinking.
Thanks for any hints and suggestions!

 

[dawg53]

Gently pull the wattles down, the mouth will open. It helps if someone else is holding the hen.

 

[CathyM]

Thanks, Dawg! I can see that would be easier with 4 hands!

But that's helpful info! She certainly wasn't gonna let me pry it open...

 

[dewey]

Oh gosh, I'm never comfy using an eye dropper. We hatched and hand fed birds of all types for years and always inserted a feeding tube, taking care to be sure it was inserted correctly. Still makes me nervous because of human errors in the past, even with feeding tubes.

Eye droppers make me break out in a sweat.

 

[CathyM]

Glad to know I"m not the only nervous user... but I can't imagine inserting a feeding tube if it's just me and the hen... I wonder if I can put something delicious in the water to encourage extra drinking? Just so I'm sure they get enough of the antibiotic...

 

[Tony K T]

I think the best way is to inject meds into mealworms and give it to them that way.No bird can resist a mealworm.It may take 4 or 5 mealworm to get enough meds in them.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[CathyM]

Oh, good idea! I tried to marinate peas in the medicine water, and of course they ate them up... but hard to know how much medicine they got... they sound better this morning, so that's great.