Use of the Crop Needles  Dr Tony Gestier, Vetafarm.  News from Vetafarm for Veta-Club members. (taken from issue No3 November 1997)

The simple things work best! The crop needle has become accepted as a simple method of giving anything orally to a bird. In veterinary clinics it is the ideal way to collect uncontaminated samples from the crop for analysis. 

All birds can be crop needles, 
From the pigeon to a finch, you just have to change technique a little. Crop needles should be straight - I don’t like curved crop needles, they simply do not suit the anatomy of a birds throat. You must remember that crop needling is a gentle process, the rough approach will only damage ( or kill ) a bird. 

Learn how to hold a bird comfortably 
Most problems people have with crop needling come from incorrectly holding the bird. Use the “ Universal Bird Hold“ I have been advocating for many years. This is great for all parrots, pigeons and small passerines are held as shown in the pictures. 

A tip 
When introducing the crop needle - gently twirl it back and forth in the throat as you advance the needle. This motion prevents tearing of the throat membrane. Another good idea is to use the ball of your thumb to gauge how far the needle is down into the crop. If you are giving food, water, wormer or medicine, it only needs to be into the top third of the crop - do not try and push the needle out the birds vent!
 

"When introducing the crop needle - gently twirl it back and forth in the throat as you advance the needle."

Care of the needle 
Although it is a valuable tool it can also cause problems! You must keep the ball of the needle smooth. As birds bite on it it may get roughened. Use a potato scourer to smooth the end again. After each use wash the needle and rinse in Enviroclens to remove germs and place in a dry container. 

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