Need to Tube Severely Molting Hen

[micstrachan]

Are you weighing her each morning?

No. She won’t stand on the scale any more. She’ll get two good feedings tonight. I should be able to go up at lunch every other day this week. Mondays are brutal.

 

[Painted Calls]

Get a hand towel (or larger one if needed - I use cloth diapers lol) and some binder clips. Weigh your towel and clips and hit "TARE".

Take the towel and swaddle her like she's a human baby that's screaming bloody murder. Pin her wings and wrap her up. Secure the towel with the binder clips.

Set the chicken burrito on the scale.

Weighing her every morning is just as important as tubing her. You have to keep track of that weight on a daily basis. Believe it or not, they can loose a considerable amount of weight in 24 hours. Once they loose too much, it is hard to bring them back.

 

[RoyalChick]

Get a hand towel (or larger one if needed - I use cloth diapers lol) and some binder clips. Weigh your towel and clips and hit "TARE".

Take the towel and swaddle her like she's a human baby that's screaming bloody murder. Pin her wings and wrap her up. Secure the towel with the binder clips.

Set the chicken burrito on the scale.

View attachment 2485415

Weighing her every morning is just as important as tubing her. You have to keep track of that weight on a daily basis. Believe it or not, they can loose a considerable amount of weight in 24 hours. Once they loose too much, it is hard to bring them back.

Or weigh yourself with and without her in your arms. Just use your bathroom scale. The difference is her.

 

[Painted Calls]

Or weigh yourself with and without her in your arms. Just use your bathroom scale. The difference is her.

That works for heavier animals. With chickens, every gram counts. A kitchen scale is the only way to get a true weight.

 

[micstrachan]

Oh goodness. OK.

Get a hand towel (or larger one if needed - I use cloth diapers lol) and some binder clips. Weigh your towel and clips and hit "TARE".

Take the towel and swaddle her like she's a human baby that's screaming bloody murder. Pin her wings and wrap her up. Secure the towel with the binder clips.

Set the chicken burrito on the scale.

View attachment 2485415

Weighing her every morning is just as important as tubing her. You have to keep track of that weight on a daily basis. Believe it or not, they can loose a considerable amount of weight in 24 hours. Once they loose too much, it is hard to bring them back.

Oh goodness. Ok.

 

[micstrachan]

Or weigh yourself with and without her in your arms. Just use your bathroom scale. The difference is her.

I’ve done this, but I’m looking at small weight differences

 

[micstrachan]

BTW, I love the burrito weigh method! Throwing binder clips in my bag!

 

[Painted Calls]

BTW, I love the burrito weigh method! Throwing binder clips in my bag!

Comes in super handy for those not-so-calm birds! I also use them to make slings. Definitely a chicken kit must have!

 

[micstrachan]

When I got home, I tubed pedialyte and offered a little unsalted, canned corn, four fresh blueberries and alfalfa sprouts. I’ll give Ester a proper meal when her crop clears. She’s going to sleep now.

Here is her breathing:

 

[micstrachan]

Ack! I forgot to finish packing binder clips, but I have one large one. I’ll save a little extra time for Project Weigh Ester in the morning. I am thinking she might do better with her flock when she has enough feathering. Waiting for the weekend seems too far away.