How to give chicken antibiotics?

Daftanian

Help please!
One of my chickens has a respiratory infection and has been prescribed antibiotics. I tried to open her beak and get the syringe in but it was almost impossible. Even if she wasn't stressed out, I certainly was. Although I was shown how to do it, it is different now I have to do it for real and I am scared I could be doing it wrong. Any advice on how to do this or alternative ideas for getting the liquid down her would be greatly appreciated.

oldandhappy

I am pretty new to chickens ..have 3 bantems girls now for 4 months and just got 2 naughty and 2 good call ducks also....chickens drink a lot so I would put it in the water..fine if you can keep the sick one apart from the others for this treatment method. Dianne

MaximumImpact

As it is for a respiratory infection, has the vet said it was catching?

To administer the drugs, separate her off from the others (you should do this anyway if she is sick) and put it in water. Keep her in isolation as then you can closely monitor how much she eats, drinks etc.

Also, watch the others for signs of the same illness.

snowman2_2

If you are giving a laying chicken antibiotics by mouth, it will be an unlicensed medication so you need to throw out any eggs produced until at least 7 days after the medication has finished. This may be easier if you separate the chickens. Before you put the medication in the water, check the dose with your vet. There is a licensed medication for respiratory disease in laying birds that can be put in the water.

It is usually easy to medicate a chicken by mouth. Have someone hold the chicken over the shoulders / wings to stop her flapping then get hold of her head from behind to gently open her mouth. Pop the syringe in as far as possible to get past the opening of the windpipe then squirt it in. Your vet or a nurse should be able to show you how.