Lethargic sick chicken

[NRHobbyFarm]

Your hen has a reproductive crisis going on, maybe with infection so try to locate an oral antibiotic to start her on. She also needs a calcium citrate tablet immediately to expel any egg material left inside her oviduct, and it's wise to assume the shell-less eggs are hers. She may have another one in there or remains from previous ones.

Get this type calcium as it goes to work quickest, and give her one tablet whole by mouth each day until she's acting normal again. View attachment 3245197

Will the whole tablet not choke her? I’ve bought the pills and they are big, new chicken momma and clueless

 

[NRHobbyFarm]

Will the whole tablet not choke her? I’ve bought the pills and they are big, new chicken momma and clueless

Nvm I went back and read the thread

 

[azygous]

Here's my tutorial on why chickens have an easier time swallowing a bulky pill than humans do.

We think chickens must have a problem swallowing a large pill just because we do. But their digestive process is different from ours. We begin the digestive process by chewing first, then swallowing. We aren't meant to swallow large chunks. We naturally choke.

Chickens don't have teeth for a good reason. They don't need them. Their digestive process begins after they swallow. The food goes directly into their crop without passing "Go", and then it trickles down into their gizzard where the "chewing" action goes into full swing.

Therefore, chickens can amaze us by swallowing things that we think would choke them, large pills included. But they actually have no problem. Slip the pill into the beak and you'll see it disappear like magic. Unless you don't get it far enough back on the tongue. Chickens can rival dogs and cats at firing a pill across the room like a guided missile, but it's not because they aren't able to swallow it easily.