Tips on dosing birds with no wattles

[NightingaleJen]

Any ideas? She isn't always keen on being tricked with even scrambled eggs. The spicy lady (half Buckeye) in question has zero wattles, and I don't doubt a lot of chicken keepers find themselves in a similar predicament. With what method(s) have you been successful?

 

[Eggcessive]

You can gently squeeze the beak to part it and open it. The third video below shows that. Here are a couple of good videos on how to give a pill or liquid medicine:

 

[coach723]

I have had a fair amount of birds with little to no wattles. For those, I either use my fingernail to get between the beak slit and open it with my finger tips and hold it open in the corners (cup your hand around the back of the head and use your thumb and fingers on each side), or I will use the loose skin where the wattles would be, and pull down on that to open the beak.

 

[NightingaleJen]

@Eggcessive @coach723 Thank you both!

Anyone else have suggestions? I couldn't find a good post about just this topic, and hope this ultimately helps a lot of chicken keepers.

 

[Eggcessive]

I think if you handle your chickens when out feeding a small treat, that you can practice opening the beak with a thumb and forefinger. Place a small tidbit into the beak after opening it. The videos above should also help.

 

[Bawkbok]

I administer pills exactly as @coach723 described on birds with small wattles. They might spit it out but just do it again. It helps to have a helper hold the bird but if you must do it alone, hold the girl under the arm like a football, using the hand of the same arm to part the beak.
For the smart ones that like to spit it out, I find if I GENTLY hold their beak closed for a quick second and rub their throat, they immediately swallow it. It gets easier the more you do it.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I do like Coach does:

use the loose skin where the wattles would be, and pull down on that to open the beak.

There always seems to be enough loose skin flap under the beak to grasp GENTLY to motivate the hen to open the beak enough to slip in a finger from the side if necessary, or just slip in a pill or syringe. It does help to have an assistant to hold the hen, otherwise I find it best to hold her like a football or even to wrap her with a towel to control wings and feet. Better if you can treat quickly so this is not needed, but some chickens are resistant and difficult.

 

[NightingaleJen]

"...some chickens are resistant and difficult."

Ha, yes. The current girl in treatment, appropriately named Tabasco, immediately goes into "I am STRONG like an EAGLE!" mode the minute she sees her pill. You would never know she was hand-fed and took naps in my lap as a chick!

Thank you all so much.