sick hen will NOT eat or drink, techniques for force feeding?

[beeZ2010]

my coccidiosis ridden hen has barely eaten anything in a day and has barely drank either, i have seen at least 3 watery bloody poops in this time so she must be running low on water, any techniques to force feed her? everytime i got grab her beak to put a syringe in she just spazzes out of it. I dont want to hurt the poor critter. is it just a cruel to be kind moment?
PLEASEEE HELP!!

 

[Beth G.]

Be very careful forcing fluids down their throat. You could wind up with a respitory problem. Have you tried just an eye dropper with warm water and a hint of molassas? I would do two drops every 15 mins and see if you can calm your hen down inbetween. Good luck.

 

[beeZ2010]

ok, i didnt want to force feed too much, just cos it really seems to stress her out, shes not eating still, but i have seen her drink for herself for the first time in a couple of days, god i hope she survives this!!

 

[donnaps23]

I have been able to get my four week old chicks to eat boiled eggs whey they wouldn't eat anything else. I have even had some success with the less ill ones by putting pieces of egg white into the water.

It seems to work great - just the whites though, not the yolks. In a shallow clear glass bowl, our four-week old babies "fish" for the pieces of boiled egg - often they "miss" and take several gulps of water before they get a piece of the food. I have to hold the bowl steady with one hand during the process or they would surely tump it over, but I have been pleased with the fluid intake.

And any rate as a bonus when they do get a piece of the egg it is wet with medicated water. If I drop the egg pieces in from above they think it's a bug or something and are even more excited about what's in the water. Three of them though were so quick they caught a piece out of the air before it hit the water container though - I was impressed!

Anything to get that medicine into them - we lost 10 in two days to a bacterial infection they got from the grass clippings we were using as bedding. Hard lesson learned.

Also I take the chick, stand at the sink, snuggle it against my warm tummy and hold it with my left hand, and with my right hand I have a deep-bowled plastic teaspoon that has medicated water in it. With gentle coaxing I can get the chicks to drink if only a little. With my left hand I stroke their head and dip their beaks gently into the water. I can get a little bit of medicine water into them that way and do it again every half hour to an hour, depending on how they are doing. It has been a very tedious process and been pretty-much my focus round-the-clock since Wednesday, but since we got this tetracycline water going we haven't had any die on us so that's good.

Best wishes

 

[donnaps23]

ps. Bloody poops you need an antibiotic - they have a bacterial infection. I got tetracycline at the local feed store - I make it up 3/4 teaspoon per quart and it expires every 24 hours so write on the jar when you made it up, maybe on a piece of tape so you can keep up with it.

 

[beeZ2010]

wow, thanks donnap!! iv ordered some antibio spec. for coccidiosis but as its friday, it wont get here till monday!! all the local feed stores round here suck and only have vits and minerals. BOOOOOO. I hope i can just keep her alive at least until then!!!
thanks for the info everyone!!!

 

[donnaps23]

just a suggestion - some vets keep tetracycline for dogs and cats - they might be willing to sell you a pack of the powdered kind.

Also I forgot when I stand at the sink with the chick I let it's feet stand on an old washcloth that is draped over the edge of the sink. they seem to drink better when they are standing on their feet than when their feet are off the ground with me holding them totally. i guess it's a more natural position for them.