OK. I got some Valbazen and scrounged up a measuring syringe - the type with a bulb on one end to draw in the medicine. Well that didn't work worth a hoot! Valbazen is only slightly runnier than Elmer's glue and once the first dose was sucked into the syringe the inside was coated with thick milky goo and I could not read the level of the next dose. Off to Walgreens to get a plunger-type syringe. Thankfully they had something that would measure 1/2 ml. Back to trying to pump this stuff down the chickens' throats. They would have none of it!! I tried grabbing the waddles and they fought it like the dickens. So what is the technique? How to you open their beaks wide enough to get the syringe in? How to you get them to hold their head still?
Hold the bird so it is comfortable supported by your forearm and body. I talk calmly to the bird while I do this. If you're right handed, with your left hand thumb and forefinger, gently pinch the base of the beak so the birds mouth opens. When the beak is open, place the tip of your thumb in between the top and bottom of the beak to keep it open. Be careful not to injure the bird by stretching the mouth open too far. Use your right hand to squirt the solution down the bird's throat.
I do mine at night off the roost and put them in the run afterwards so no one gets a double dose.. First time around some did not want to cooperate but by the next round they mostly did better. I cradle them in the left arm and pull there mouth open by the wattles and then squirt it down the hatch.. On my syringe i break the needle off and use the remainder of it with the syringe. It gets easier with practice. Good Luck.
Ok. I eventually resorted to holding them between left forearm and body while using left hand to open mouth. This is after trying the soaked break trick and watching top bird consume 3 doses, in spite of efforts to avoid that! Gotta be smarter than the chickens I guess. Holding waddles didn't really work though. I found myself having to pry a couple beaks open with fingers. I'm not looking forward to redosing next week.
