how to give chickens pills?

[comedianchick]

I have to give my chickens pills and i cant imagine it being an easy task

please give me instructions how?

thankyou

 

[purpletree23]

What kind of pills and who said you should give them to the chickens?

 

[comedianchick]

bactrine for resperitory illness
should i crush them up or pop them oion their mouth

 

[Brody's Broodello]

Open mouth & shove down throat! Rub throat afterward!

 

[ranchhand]

I have never heard of giving pill form antibiotics to chickens for respiratory illness or anything. Did a vet prescribe them?

Choking would be my first worry. And crushing them means you can't be sure each chicken gets the correct dose.

Most respiratory diseases are treated by liquid or injectable antibiotics.

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

I use my thumb and index finger to hold the pill
Use my thumbnail and middle to pry the beak/mouth open and just drop it in.
Quickly use my pinky to push it down a bit.
Massage the throat to make sure it is past spitting up.
I do the same for the cats.

I've gotten pills from the vet before. He doesn't treat chickens but,
will sell the medication for avian birds. (our local farm store has little
on supply for medication.)

 

[comedianchick]

thankyou so much everyone is it okay if the pill is split also?

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

Have you tried just throwing the pill down and see if the chicken will pick it up and eat it. Can't hurt to try, ya never know.

 

[ivan3]

They can be crushed and daubed up with torn open grapes (works especially well with meds that arrive in capsules). Whatever particularly tasty treat with some adherence going for it will do.

 

[b'hamPeeps]

Just got finished with a 10 day course of baytril antibiotics. 1.5 pills 2x per day. My vet gave me a "piller" and taught me to use it. It is a kind of syringe which hold the pill at the end and when it is in place, you push the plunger and the pill pops off.

Truly, as our hen got stronger, it actually became easier to just open her beak and pop in the pill. The piller tube was a little stressful and uncomfortable for her. Only one day, she actually pecked up the pill and ate it. YaY! That was a good day. The vet recommended using a syringe to dribble a little water along her beak after pilling to help the pill go down.