Torpedo feeding hand feeding chickens. If your struggling to get a chicken to eat, here’s an option
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If you're struggling to get your chicken to eat, here's another option:
How to make Torpedo food:
grind her regular food (chick starter, or layer food, any dry quality chicken food) into a powder, in a blender or coffee grinder, dry. In a bowl add one or two eggs and then mix in just a little powder until you get the consistency a little thicker than cookie dough. From there hand knead in just a little more powder till it gets a little bit stiff but still holds together easily like Play-doh. Add just a tiny bit, less than a teaspoon of coconut oil to the entire batch to soften it and make it less sticky. It will keep in the fridge for a couple of days in a Ziploc bag. Break off little pieces and roll into a ball. Elongated torpedoes work well to slip onto her tongue. She should swallow them herself. I hold them with my thumb and middle finger and push gently to insert it with my pointer.
Think about slipping them between her upper and lower beak. Like slide it down her lower beak, slightly forcing her upper beak open gently. My finger barely went into her mouth to make sure she didn’t spit it out. But before long, I could do it without looking
It was the intermediate step for me between syringe feeding and tube feeding. It’s much less messy, and a very easy and efficient way to fill up their crop. Here is the one caution: make sure she’s getting enough water. If she’s able to drink on her own this is an easy way to feed her, if she’s not able to drink on her own you’ll have to syringe a little bit of water along with the food but it is still easier and more efficient than syringe feeding
And it is sooooo much cleaner. Could feed her in 2-4 mins, with zero cleanup. Just make sure she gets water
I think you can start with really small balls and put them just in her mouth. Her trachea is a ways down her neck. You won’t be pushing them past the middle of her tongue. It will be up to her to swallow it.
Think of a baby. You put a pea, just inside their teeth, on their tongue. Wait for them to spit it out, move it around their mouth or swallow. It’ll be her decision. Her tongue will guide you. I slipped it between where her upper and lower beak meet. Not down her throat at all, just barely into her oral cavity.
I suggest looking into their mouth before you start. Use a head lamp, hold her beak open and get an idea of the anatomy you are dealing with. Where is her tongue? And can you see her trachea?
Please, PM me with any questions!!! I’m here to help.