Sick hamburg pullet - coryza and something else?

[JoanieShrubs]

Can you get a tube and a large syringe? What sort of stores do you have access to?

I’m in the suburbs near a small mall and numerous big barn pet stores

 

[JoanieShrubs]

Would this kids’ medicine syringe work? Or too broad at the top?

 

[casportpony]

Ideally, you would use a red rubber catheter and a 30-60ml catheter-tipped syringe. Here in the states, some feed stores sell a "lamb saver" kit that has both.

But you can use aquarium air line too, you just have to melt the end a little. Can you see if you can find something like this?

 

[JoanieShrubs]

Ideally, you would use a red rubber catheter and a 30-60ml catheter-tipped syringe. Here in the states, some feed stores sell a "lamb saver" kit that has both.
View attachment 3387505

But you can use aquarium air line too, you just have to melt the end a little. Can you see if you can find something like this?

It’s called the Shoof Stomach Feeder kit here, have searched and called around to all the ag stores and can only get it by mail order. Looks like the aquarium tube is the faster option.

 

[casportpony]

It’s called the Shoof Stomach Feeder kit here, have searched and called around to all the ag stores and can only get it by mail order. Looks like the aquarium tube is the faster option.

Get that then and a big syringe. Can you get baby bird food for parrots? Here we have Kaytee Exact baby bird food.

 

[JoanieShrubs]

Hi @casportpony - I’ve rounded up the materials, hope they’ll work for tube feeding. My chicken had a good day yesterday, chose to eat yoghurt and rice throughout the day and spent a couple hours outside without fading. She still has the diarrhea but at least there is some digested material in it. Her nose is still runny but her eyes are open. I don’t know if we’ll ever fully conquer the coryza tbh - she doesn’t drink willingly atm so getting the aBs into her is difficult (can the tube feed be used for this too?)

Does the aquarium tube look right? Not too thick? Will this baby bird food do?

Thanks for your help so far.

 

[casportpony]

That looks perfect! Have you melted one end of the tube a little yet? Unmelted, it's too sharp and can cut the inside of their mouth, esophagus, or crop.

 

[casportpony]

This is what I tell everyone to do:

Step 1:
Bring bird inside and place in a warm room, 80-85 degrees is ideal (watch for signs of over-heating).

Step 2:
Weigh the bird

Step 3:
Once warmed, correct hydration, and this should not be done until the bird is warmed up. Tube warmed (102 degrees) Pedialyte or Gatorade at 10-14 ml per pound of body weight, wait 60-90 minutes and repeat. If no poop is produced by 3 hours after first two tubings of fluids, repeat once more.

Step 4:
Once the bird is pooping, you can start tubing warmed Kaytee Exact baby bird food or a non-lay crumble (lay crumble has too much calcium). Start by tubing 10-14 ml per pound of body weight and increase a little at each feeding. Do not exceed 23 ml per pound of body weight. Sick birds are tube fed 2-4 times a day.

I suggest starting with fluids first. Tube just fluids until you get the hang of it.

These are using a crop needle, not a plastic tube.

This one uses a tube like I use

The hardest part is getting them to hold still. Ducks have a different shaped crop, so that's probably why you can't feel it filling. Duck looks like the one on the left:

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[JoanieShrubs]

That looks perfect! Have you melted one end of the tube a little yet? Unmelted, it's too sharp and can cut the inside of their mouth, esophagus, or crop.

Not yet - so just keep the end of the tube the same size and shape but melt the edges so they’re smooth?

 

[casportpony]

No need to change the size, just melt one end a little so it's not so sharp. It should be smooth enough that you could rub it against your gums and not bleed.