Tube feeding a hen that won’t eat

[Orpingtons Mom]

Hey, some News for you. I mixed up a really thick batch kind of the consistency of thick mustard. And I tried to give her some on a spoon to see if she’d eat. Needless to say she is now on her second dish of this very thick mix. Wow! This is really good news.

 

[vantain]

I was able to grind up their normal Flock Raiser, and have been tube feeding that to Gwyneth for the past four days. Her poops have returned to the normal brown coloring, and have started to firm up a bit more. Not a lot, considering how much water is in the food slurry, but progress was made there.

That said, yesterday I made a determination that I would only continue to tube feed for a few more days and then cease. It's been 10 days, and if she won't eat on her own at this point, then there probably isn't much more I can do, and I'm only prolonging her life.

BUT....before I could go out there this morning to give her her tube feeding, I checked the cameras to see where she was. And...I found her at the feeder, eating! She hasn't touched the normal feed in over 10 days. I have tried to feed it to her, and she has refused it every time. But there she was eating it on her own. So maybe I have finally reached a point where she will now resume eating/drinking on her own. I will continue to monitor her, and may still supplement a tube feeding here or there in order to continue to make sure she is hydrated enough. But progress is progress.

 

[Orpingtons Mom]

That'sgreat news!

 

[vantain]

And..I did have to resort to tube feeding again for another week, but she eventually started eating on her own again. It’s been a little over two weeks now, and she has been eating normally on her own, and gaining back her weight steadily. I guess I’ll see how things go at this point.