Which is best: syringe, spoon or tube/gavage?
The syringe is my own tool of choice. It allows quick feeding and minimal mess. The spoon is much slower and messier. I don’t care for it because it may involve dipping back into the formula (contamination risk) and because it allows the formula to cool, but mainly because it’s tedious. Many people like the spoon because they think it gives them more of a chance to bond with their chicks. However bonding can be achieved more freely outside the feeding time. Tube or gavage feeding is frowned upon by many aviculurists. This is because it is often used by large breeding operations to quickly feed chicks in an assembly line fashion. The problem is not with the method itself (though this instrument can be deadly in the hands of an amateur) but with the people who tend to use it. Often they won’t properly socialize their chicks at all. Nevertheless ever breeder should own at least one tube. It is invaluable for feeding stubborn or ill chicks who may have no feeding response, or those who are
