I think I might need to top up my green clutch babies but I haven't got a crop needle yet or had a lesson on crop feeding. AV and I are trying to organise a lesson with the local avian vet but he isn't available for a couple of weeks as he is on leave. I do however have feeding tubing from my wildlife care. Has anyone used this for crop feeding before or have a link to how to do it? Also is there a good link that shows you how to crop feed, preferably with a tube but even something that shows you how to use a needle would be good and I'll adapt it to suit.Thanks all

 

 

Should add I'm currently downloading the Ross Perry crop needle video

Edited October 29, 200816 yr by melbournebudgies

Here is a crop needle video ---> HERE

 

I have just done my first crop feed this week - it is no where as easy as it looks

Should an older chick just take it straight from a syringe rather than having to crop feed it?? The chicks of concern are a couple of weeks old

definitely try for the syringe first

I just can't get a needle at the moment, I'm going to have to order it in as none of the local vets keep them in stock

 

I will try and see if it will take a feed from the syringe without having to tube feed it.

MB If you want i can get you some crop needles they are about $20 here maybe $19.95 let me know ...

 

That Dr Ross Perry says tube but he uses a crop needle

I can get one Neat, I'm going to mail order one from Vetafarm I just needed to do something a bit quicker than mail order. I have managed to get them to take a top up direct from the syringe to their beak. Managed to about 1/2 to 3/4 fill their crops so I'm hoping that the hen will get her butt into gear and take over properly, in the mean time I think we'll be fine :party0011:

 

 

One question, how empty should their crops be before I top them up? Do I need to wait until they are completely empty?

Edited October 29, 200816 yr by melbournebudgies

Fantastic pets in narre warren stock them. There should be lots of other places with needles in stock, But at that age you should be able to try and syringe feed them into their mouth.

Now now Jess that wasn't a plug was it It's a little far from here unfortunately

haha! Is that the pet shop she's at!! I've been in there heaps of times! I used to live down that way!

good luck ... I have always waited till the crops were empty completely but that is me

What can I say. I cant help if we are AWESOME! lol.

Yep, wait until the crops are empty before feeding and you don't want food stagnating inside their crop as it can predispose to bacterial overgrowth.

Golden rule when crop tubing. Make sure you can feel the needle through the skin of the bird when you have put it in the crop. If you can't feel it this means you have gone down the trachea. Remove the needle and try again. Once you can feel the needle then you know you are in the oesophagus/crop.

I'm pleased to report I managed to work it out SW and I have two healthy baby budgies and two healthy baby ringnecks now being tubefed. Having watched the video of needling I much prefer the tube it seems like a much softer, gentler way to feed than a rigid needle

Yay, that's good!

Yeah, when I was tube feeding Itha, she got really inflamed and swollen around her mouth where the needle touched. Poor thing, she did NOT enjoy it. Now she is scared of my hands and she used to even let me give her scritches. I'll work on her though.

 

Oh yeah, I was crop tubing her, because she was sick and had completely stopped eating. She is all good now, but she won't eat her veges.

Edited November 10, 200816 yr by Sailorwolf

Were you using a rubber tube or a needle? That's why I prefer the rubber tube, much gentler as once it is inserted you don't need to keep their head arched back so horribly so they relax much quicker I would guess

Metal. It was the only one available to me. I had to borrow it from the wildlife ward at the veterinary clinic. It was an emergency and none of the petshops had any.

I'll tell you a secret

 

Bicycle tubing, it's only a few mm wide and you can buy it from any bicycle shop for about 50c a metre. It is used by almost every wildlife carer over here for feeding small possums , etc and also is great for crop feeding. You just cut it to the length you want and it fits onto the tip of a normal plastic syringe

Here is a crop needle video ---> HERE

 

I have just done my first crop feed this week - it is no where as easy as it looks

 

 

That does not look easy AT ALL!

It's not easy on an adult bird as they struggle more than a baby, much easier on a chick

It's not easy on an adult bird as they struggle more than a baby, much easier on a chick

 

 

Well done for doing it anyway and I hope it all goes well

It's not easy on an adult bird as they struggle more than a baby, much easier on a chick

None of mine struggle....I must have more placid show birds

Well the first adult I had to try on was a pet type and they are always more 'goey' than show types

Well the first adult I had to try on was a pet type and they are always more 'goey' than show types

Thats for sure

Nice tip MB