Need to Tube Severely Molting Hen

[micstrachan]

Sorry about my rant last night. After all, my family is putting up with a very messy chicken in the main living space. LOL.

She looks a bit more sprightly to me. Is she eating on her own a bit now?

Ester is eating a bit of scrambled egg and meat, but is still not eating feed nor drinking as far as I can tell. It’s still ~ 48°F outside. Once it’s holding above 50° or so, I’ll see if she’d like to come outside for a bit. The yard is quite sunny at the moment. However, inside, Ester is sticking close to her heat lamp, so we’ll see if she chooses to go out.

Here is her second feeding this morning:

 

[RoyalChick]

Sorry about my rant last night. After all, my family is putting up with a very messy chicken in the main living space. LOL.

Ester is eating a bit of scrambled egg and meat, but is still not eating feed nor drinking as far as I can tell. It’s still ~ 48°F outside. Once it’s holding above 50° or so, I’ll see if she’d like to come outside for a bit. The yard is quite sunny at the moment. However, inside, Ester is sticking close to her heat lamp, so we’ll see if she chooses to go out.

Here is her second feeding this morning:

Aww poor baby. She looks like she is still shedding feathers!
I can’t believe how easily you manage to do that. I would be too terrified I think of putting it all in her lungs. I am so glad you can help her this way.

 

[micstrachan]

Aww poor baby. She looks like she is still shedding feathers!
I can’t believe how easily you manage to do that. I would be too terrified I think of putting it all in her lungs. I am so glad you can help her this way.

Thanks. You know what, RC? I have literally been gearing up for this for years. I have the right supplies and have watched several videos. I have medicated chickens several times by popping a pill or syringing anti-fungal under the tongue. I have syringe fed in 0.5mL increments, which is bit stressful for the bird, because it takes way longer. So I have lots of experience restraining a bird. I just got really lucky that Ester is so cooperative. I’m quite certain she understands I am helping her.

I’ve been saving tubing as sort of a life-or-death last resort. This was the time. Despite all my prep and experience, I was visibly trembling the first time. But now I feel confident when I see the tube along her neck from the outside and I figure she would put up a giant fight if I had gone in the wrong hole. Since Ester is so compliant, if she starts protesting, I let her go. I think the single most important factor, at least with Ester, is to remain calm.

It took a few tries to figure out a workable consistency of formula. I lower a pointed cocktail glass with a heavy base into a jar of hot water to keep it warm. I measure about 2.5tbsp formula and about 6.5tbsp warm water. This works out to be the right consistency and volume for about 70mL feeding with a little left over so I don’t suction up air from the bottom of the pointed glass.

 

[micstrachan]

Aww poor baby. She looks like she is still shedding feathers!
I can’t believe how easily you manage to do that. I would be too terrified I think of putting it all in her lungs. I am so glad you can help her this way.

I forgot to mention... she has few feathers left to shed. She only kept her long (flight?) feathers, a cuff around the bottom of her leg, and her neck feathers. Even her head is mostly pin feathers at this point.

 

[micstrachan]

I just gave Ester the option to go outside, and she opted out. I’ll try again in a couple hours. Here’s one good thing… The sunflower seeds arrived and she was pretty excited about them!

 

[micstrachan]

Well Operation Outside Time was a no go. I coaxed Ester toward and slightly out of the door with sunflower seeds. When her feet hit the cold tile, she turned around and headed straight for her heat lamp. I’ll try again tomorrow. I might take her straight out to a sunny spot in her carrier and see if she enjoys it. We are still an hour away from the warmest time of day here, but the direct sunlight on the yard will mostly be gone by then.

 

[micstrachan]

Oh goodness. Ester decided to come out now that there is no sun on the yard. She’s having a dust bath, which is good. Ruby wants a piece of her and it seems Roxy (whom Ruby is afraid of) is standing guard.

 

[RoyalChick]

Oh goodness. Ester decided to comr out now that there is no sun on the yard. She’s having a dust bath, which is good. Ruby wants a piece of her and it seems Roxy (whom Ruby is afraid of) is standing guard.
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Oh good. I can imagine a dust bath feels good with all that itchy porcupine skin. You can bring her in and warm her up afterwards.

 

[micstrachan]

Nope. Roxy was also being a jerk, so I kicked her out of there. Next, Cashew was a jerk. But at least Ester got a quick bath in.

 

[micstrachan]

Now Ester is having a dust bath in peace, and I have an oscillating heater blowing into her little corner so she can enjoy without shivering and wasting all her energy on trying to stay warm. She started walking weird while foraging, I think from the cold?