Should I 'force feed' my severly underwieght sick chicken (with a syringe slurry of insectivore mix?)

[Hannah G]

As I've recently posted, my 3 yr old Isa brown chicken has been sick for about 6 weeks (just diagnosed with salpingitis) iand has become extremely underwiegtht before I noticed she wasn't eating her grain. For the last 10 days I've been feeding her various specially prepared treats but she eats more some days than others (its weird cause each day she has a preferencce for a different food). Anyway, yesterday she went to bed with a fairly full crop but today I can hardly feel it so I've bought some insectivore mix and would like to syringe some as I've just started her on anitbiotics today to try to give her a chance to live a little longer as she is still wondering around the garden (between napping) and basking in the sun. Any advice on how much to give her, if I should add anything else, or if I even should 'force feed' her would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Do you mean a miticide or insecticide?
An insectivore is something that eats insects like shrews, moles, anteaters or even venus flytraps or pitcher plants. Is the bird infested with some parasite?
There are many strains of E-Coli around the world and are among the most drug resistant types of bacteria. Most are not treatable by antibiotics and only if treatment starts early with lab diagnosis of the specific strain so the most effective antibiotic for that strain is prescribed.
The best treatment is to keep the bird warm and well fed with a high protein feed. So I would avoid forcing her to consume much grain. High protein is needed to add muscle. Too much grain will add fat, not muscle.
A vitamin E supplement is helpful.
What is the temperature there?
Good sanitation and ventilation is important and keeping water free of droppings.

 

[Hannah G]

Do you mean a miticide or insecticide?
An insectivore is something that eats insects like shrews, moles, anteaters or even venus flytraps or pitcher plants. Is the bird infested with some parasite?
There are many strains of E-Coli around the world and are among the most drug resistant types of bacteria. Most are not treatable by antibiotics and only if treatment starts early with lab diagnosis of the specific strain so the most effective antibiotic for that strain is prescribed.
The best treatment is to keep the bird warm and well fed with a high protein feed. So I would avoid forcing her to consume much grain. High protein is needed to add muscle. Too much grain will add fat, not muscle.
A vitamin E supplement is helpful.
What is the temperature there?
Good sanitation and ventilation is important and keeping water free of droppings.

I bought a bird food mix for insect-eating birds, its not to kill the parasites. I've been bringing her inside at night nice and warm, I started her on antibiotics yesterday and she is a pretty perky today, enthusiastically looking for bugs, but ANY food I offer her, she picks it up in her beak looking keen, but then drops it! This is why I'm thnking of 'force feeding' her. In the previous week the one food she consistently ate was egg white but yesterday and today she isn't even eating that (actually and tomato, but she has refused that today also). She does still eat actual insects but its a lot of effort for each tiny bug! She isn't eating any grain, that was the first thing she stoppped eating, but I enntice her with a bit of warm toast or rice, but she only takes tiny bits.
So in a nutshell, she is acting well, but is litterally bone and feathers only with an empty crop!

 

[Hannah G]

I bought a bird food mix for insect-eating birds, its not to kill the parasites. I've been bringing her inside at night nice and warm, I started her on antibiotics yesterday and she is a pretty perky today, enthusiastically looking for bugs, but ANY food I offer her, she picks it up in her beak looking keen, but then drops it! This is why I'm thnking of 'force feeding' her. In the previous week the one food she consistently ate was egg white but yesterday and today she isn't even eating that (actually and tomato, but she has refused that today also). She does still eat actual insects but its a lot of effort for each tiny bug! She isn't eating any grain, that was the first thing she stoppped eating, but I enntice her with a bit of warm toast or rice, but she only takes tiny bits.
So in a nutshell, she is acting well, but is litterally bone and feathers only with an empty crop!

I'm in Australia and it was getting a bit cool at night (13 celecius) but we're heading for a hot period now, in the 30's celcius during the day.