One person tube feeding.

[Shadrach]

I wondered if anyone has any tips for tube feeding when you only have one pair of hands.
I have a very uncooperative semi feral old lady (9 or 10 years old) who is not used to being handled.
She has some stones in her crop that are not moving down to her gizzard. This seems to have put her off eating her normal feed. While foraging is filling her crop before roosting time her crop still has the stones and some residue 'mash' in it in the morning. I'm trying to flush her crop and massage gently to get things moving.
The thing is I'm having to do this on my own. I've coped before with better tempered hens, but this one is a shocker and isn't at all cooperative. she has already partially severed one tube when I had to remove my finger from her beak.
Any tips from the pro tube feeding people?

 

[LoveMyChickenBabies]

@casportpony

 

[casportpony]

I might be able to help.

I think the hardest part is figuring out you to restrain them. When I do them I find it easiest to do them while seated on something low enough to the ground that thighs are parallel to the ground, or I do them sitting on the floor with my back against the wall.

I always place them on my lap up against my body with their head pointed to the right. Most birds are small enough that I can use my left arm to keep them pressed against my body, and my left hand to extend their head an neck upwards.

Once the head and next are extended up, I open their beak with my right hand, then place my left index finger in their mouth to keep the beak open. Some will wiggle, but unless they are 10 plus pound birds, it's not an issue.

Some people wrap in towels, cut be careful doing this because any pressure on the crop can cause them to vomit.

Zip ties or tape on the legs might help too.

 

[Shadrach]

I might be able to help.

I thing the hardest part is figuring out you to restrain them. When I do them I find it easiest to do them while seated on something low enough to the ground that thighs are parallel to the ground, or I do them sitting on the floor with my back against the wall.

I always place them on my lap up against my body with their head pointed to the right. Most birds are small enough that I can use my left arm to keep them pressed against my body, and my left hand to extend their head an neck upwards.

Once the head and next are extended I open their beak with my right hand, then place my left index finger in their mouth to keep the beak open. Some will wiggle, but unless they are 10 plus pound birds, it's not an issue.

Some people wrap in towels, cut be careful doing this because any pressure on the crop can cause them to vomit.

Zip ties or tape on the legs might help too.

Thanks for the ideas.
I've been doing it on a low chair with her in my lap. I can get her beak open but I just don't have the dexterity to feed in the tube, keep her beak open and hold her still while she jerks her head away.
I might try with the towel keeping in mind your concern about pressure on the crop.
I wondered if I turned the lights out and just used a head torch whether this might keep her a bit calmer/dazed?
I've got four inches of tube at the end of the syringe now which is just long enough to reach her crop.
It's just so frustrating!

 

[casportpony]

@Shadrach, will this be you first time tubing?

 

[Shadrach]

@Shadrach, will this be you first time tubing?

No, I've done it three times before but I'm no expert.
One rooster and he was extremely well behaved. I knelt on the floor with him between my legs and had both hands free with him.
The other two were hens and were too sick to struggle.
Apart from the crop problem this one is fighting fit and not at all used to being handled.

 

[casportpony]

I have a high percentage Spalding peahen and they are well known for being nutters. The one time I tubed her I did her in my bathroom, in the dark, and that did help a little, so maybe try the low light approach.

 

[casportpony]

Having a longer tube might help too. And I say that because I feel there is a little more wiggle room. With a 4" tube and a full sized bird I don't think it will reach the crop, so if they start moving the risk of them aspirating increases.

 

[Shadrach]

I have a high percentage Spalding peahen and they are well known for being nutters. The one time I tubed her I did her in my bathroom, in the dark, and that did help a little, so maybe try the low light approach.

Well, I'm going to go and get her off her branch in a bit. She needs to go in the coop anyway.
I'll have another go. I'm only trying to get 8 centiliters of water into her!

 

[Shadrach]

Having a longer tube might help too. And I say that because I feel there is a little more wiggle room. With a 4" tube and a full sized bird I don't think it will reach the crop, so if they start moving the risk of them aspirating increases.

It was longer until she bit it. It's very thin tube and I don't have any more.
She's a bantam and tiny which isn't helping me feel any better about not managing.