need advice on feeding tube placement

[faykokoWV]

I know how to check how long the feeding tube is by measuring from the beak to the crop on the outside and marking it. My question is, how do I know I'm in the crop and not in the lungs? On a human I would push in air and listen for a gurgle, does this work on a chicken? while inserting the tube, are their any tips for head positioning that will help ensure I pass the tube through the right location. Again, in a human I know I have them bend the head forward to ensure the airway is closed, does this apply to chickens.

 

[drumstick diva]

I don't know anything about tubing chickens but in puppies, I'd wait a bit to see if they were coughing or uncomfortable with the tube. I think that would be a tip off with anything you tube feed.

 

[SpringChickens]

The food in the crop is often pretty solid, so you probably won't hear a gurgle. I would instead try to feel for a breath when the chick breathes. Good luck

 

[Bandit]

I had to intubate a chicken once and my brother the vet showed me how. If you tip their head up, the tube to the lungs closes and you can only get the tube in the esophagus, not the windpipe. So it's really easy. Just keep her head tipped to the sky.

 

[faykokoWV]

Thanks for the tips, this roo has wry neck and I'm having trouble keeping up with feeding him using a bulb syringe. I wanted a way to get more nurishing food in him without getting liquid in his lungs, so I'm hoping the feeding tube works. I was thinking of just taping it to his beak?
here's the thread on his wry neck. I'm also worried that the twisting of his head will close off the tube. I'm doing some therapy on him each evening trying to stretch this muscle out.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=443788

 

[MissJenny]

Are you also giving him vitamins -- poly-vi-sol? Vitamin E? Vitamin B?

Best of luck to you and your rooster.

Jenny

 

[ultasol]

Don't leave it in.

That's my personal advice,..

 

[faykokoWV]

I got flexible rubber tubing at the hardware store and cut the length I needed. Got polyvisol and two bulb syringes full of water thinned chicken and vegetable baby food in him. The third syringe came back up and then he tried to swallow the tube

Pulled the tube back out and I will try some more in an hour

question, is there any food that would be best for him that I can get down the tube. I did baby food, but should I be try grinding some chicken feed and mixing it in water?

 

[ultasol]

Two bulb syringes full? Sounds like too much. Do smaller amounts, especially when you are getting him back into it. You can get feeding tubes for handfeeding birds from a vet that does any work with exotics. Also, there are recovery formulas (when I had to go this for a wry neck bird last year I used Harrison's recovery formula, $8 for a 1lb bag of concentrate).

It is easy to digest and allows the digestive tract to recover while still providing needed calories and nutrients. It's good stuff.