How to feed hen medicine pill?

[SillyChick]

Hello

We have a New Hampshire hen named Laura, she's a very sweet and friendly chicken by I noticed that she has heavy breathing, odd nasal noises and twitching head, which might be signs of gapeworm infection. I was worried so we went to the feed store and bought a chicken deworming tablet. We showed her the pill but she only pecked it a few times, she did try to swallow it but it's probably a bit big for her throat. How can I feed her the pill?

Thanks in advance!

 

[needmorechickens!]

I've read here before that worming meds don't kill all worms so make sure it is the right med before giving it. Worming meds can weaken chickens.
But to get her to take a med you can crush it and mix it in moist cat food. Most chickens like cat food as a treat.
~Rebecca

 

[SillyChick]

Ok, thanks! I'll crush the medicine right away.

 

[simba49450]

another way is to crush it and use a little water and put it in a eyedropper or a syringe without the needle and give it that way. mix it up and give it to the poor thing. it works for cats, chickens etc

 

[wc_tophat]

I have found a great use for those mini coffie grinders, I use them to crush pills.

I paid only 10.00 for mine and you can crush multiple pills then I mix into water and give it to the whole flock with a dropper. You can also get wormer in drops it cost more but its less mess

 

[Jenski]

Do make sure the worner kills gapeworm before you administer, or you will be wasting time and $. I would crush the pill with the back of a spoon and mash into a treat she likes, maybe ripe banana or even oatmeal. Giving this first thing in the morning or last thing at night gets better results, as the chickens are usually ready to stuff themselves around these times of day. This is much less stressful than force-feeding.

Good luck!

 

[Faso]

Tried everything and can't get mine to eat a calcium pill....Tried dropper and she isn't thirsty...tried crushing it on a piece of lettuce and it all falls to the ground. Tried on top of yogurt(which my chickens never ate before)...Tried on a strawberry dipping it into the yogurt...nothing works and I think she needs it because I haven't seen an egg in 2 weeks!

 

[Gypsi]

on the calcium pill, I'd give up on the pill or dissolve it in the chicken water. Put a dish of clean sterile crushed eggshells next to the food dish and they'll dose themselves with calcium. Also fresh sand in the run seems to produce harder shells.

But when birds are too old to lay, they are too old to lay, I spent a fortune feeding my old production reds yogurt and all kinds of calcium and protein treats and only managed to give them heart disease. When they run out of eggs in their ovaries, they are out of eggs.