feeding with a crop needle

County Lodge · **Posted:** Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:11 pm

Eggsalive, you mention feeding you pullet with a crop needle. I have considered getting one just in case.

What size do you get for say a 18 week old chook?
Would you use a parrot crop needle as they seem to be geared for aviary type birds rather than chooks or maybe I am looking in the wrong place.
So where is the best place to get one?
How easy/difficult are they to use?
I know one hs to make sure they don't put it in the wind pipe?

I would love some discusssion on this and someone experience in using one as I agree that one usually loses the chook from starvation rather than the illness.

Stt · **Joined:** Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:01 pm **Posts:** 3006

i also would like to now how to use a crop needle as i want to raise some birds this year(parrots)

County Lodge · **Posted:** Fri Aug 01, 2008 11:32 am

stuart wrote:

i also would like to now how to use a crop needle as i want to raise some birds this year(parrots)

and it has got to be easier and quicker than spoon feeding them. My girlfriend hand rears parrots by spoon feeding them and it takes her for ever.

Egglive · **Joined:** Fri Dec 14, 2007 10:58 am **Posts:** 267

Sorry County - I seem to have overlooked this one.

I used to spoon feed parrots & chickens, but I only recently changed to the crop needle. I wish I had done it years ago. It is so easy and there is no risk of fluid in the lung. Of course you need to take care, but it's much better. I got mine from Lentra Direct It was 8 Gauge and that works OK for my chickens. I have used it for birds from about 12 weeks and upwards, but maybe something smaller would be better for very young.

FEEDER CROP NEEDLE S/STEEL 8 GAUGE STRAIGHT or CURVED

I recommend the straight one, not the curved, it works well with the shape of the bird's anatomy.

Here's mine in my hand so you can see the size:

The end is bulbous to avoid injury:

A normal syringe fits into the other end. The only problem is that lumpy foods will not go through the syringe, so I tend to use baby foods and blended foods. You can buy premade formulas, but I just balance the carbs, proteins, vitamins etc myself:

I find it helpful if I have birds off their tucker with respiratory infections etc. I have one bird that hasn't eaten in three weeks (not looking good) but her comb is nice and red and she has a good amount of energy to fight the infection. It's a very handy tool to have. Highly recommended.

County Lodge · **Posted:** Mon Aug 04, 2008 6:08 pm

Thanks Eggsalive.

The information is really great and very informative. But the photos just make it really easy. I have looked at these exact crop needles and also wondered about the straight and the curve as well as the size. I have a syrings that I use to administer a very thick paste to my horses. The outgoing hole is bigger than a normal syringe so this may work well with the crop needle. I use this for the same reason as things just so not pass through an ordinary syringe. They make these specifically for this reason. I have found I can only get them from a vet, the syringe with hte large opening.

Egglive · **Joined:** Fri Dec 14, 2007 10:58 am **Posts:** 267

It sounds like a good idea. I made a home-made one with an old liquid nails tip and joined it onto a syringe with the tip cut off. It worked ok but was a bit wobbly and ended up with an air leak. It was useful when I particularly wanted to get chicken crumble mash into a sick bird to give more volume and consistency to the food & droppings. It was a bit short though. The good thing about this purchased crop needle is its strength and also the length of it. It is just the right length to sit comfortably in the crop on an adult hen.

I also find that repeatedly sterilising syringes causes the rubber plungers to break down over a couple of weeks and I have to buy half a dozen new ones when I do my fortnightly shopping. They're cheap, but it's just something I like to remember and keep a few spares in the first aid kit.

Stt · **Joined:** Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:01 pm **Posts:** 3006

hi eggs alive what size crop needle would you recommend for budgies and barbary doves?(and are doves and pigeons hard to handraise)

Egglive · **Joined:** Fri Dec 14, 2007 10:58 am **Posts:** 267

Hi Stuart.
I haven't ever raised doves or pigeons. I have only had galahs and cockatiels.
Lentradirect advertise a range of needle sizes. Here's their ebay listing for a range of sizes:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/CROP-MEDICTION-N ... m153.l1262

Perhaps you could ask them which size is the best for the birds you have. I have bought a number of items from them and they always post quickly and reliably.

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