Em's hens' Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Hello, new to the forum but would love some advice. Several of our hens seem to be suffering from an impacted crop, but one in particular has become very large and gritty feeling - not to mention incredibly heavy. Although she still seems very active and is eating, she is losing weight quite quickly and has stopped laying. I have tried oils, bicarbonate and massage but nothing seems to be working. They are fed on layers pellets, grit, clam shell and corn, they also free range around the garden so should be accessing natural occuring grit in the ground too and they also get daily s"Ooops, word censored!"s (veg/fruit bits and peelings). I have read that live white maggotts can be fed to them ( I assume they eat through the impaction and then are passed through??) has any body else heard of this? I'm willing to try anything for them before resorting to veterinary treatment (last time we took a hen to the vets it cost us over £100). Please - any advice would be appreciated, thanks! Emma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Hi Emma, welcome to the forum . Sorry your first post is a problem . I've no experience of impacted crops I'm afraid but it sounds like you're doing all the right things. I've definitely heard of using live maggots - I think they work really well. You might want to put this post in "Chicken Clinic" too as more people might notice it there and offer advice . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 **This useful article** is in the FAQ section. If you type "Impacted crop" into search, you will find several helpful threads on the subject too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna_0 Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 HI I'm fairly new to all of this, but I've read that probiotic yoghurt (and they will probably love it as mine do!) can help, also massaging the crop and as someone has suggested, live maggots -Barbara"Okay you may have an egg today" 28/07/08 -Margot"Nope, none from meee again" 04/08/08 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Hi Emma! Pop along to your local fishing shop and buy a pint of white maggots. Pretty gross at first, but you soon get used to it. Give your girls a treat every afternoon of some live maggots, served on a bed of lettuce, rice, couscous, sweetcorn etc. If it's simple impacted crop the maggots will sort it out in 4 or 5 days. Your hens will all love the maggots and they won't do any harm to any of them. Tips: Keep the maggots in the fridge or they will turn into flies. Being cold stops them wriggling so much too. Once you have put the maggots into bowls, serve them immediately or they will climb out Good luck and let us know if it sorts the problem out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 Hi Emma. I echo all what others have said. I gave my girl live white maggots. If you can't find a local fishing tackle shop you can buy online. It's more expensive online but I got some from a great company. Put "white maggots" in their search box, £5.25 for 1 pint. You have to be in to sign for delivery though. http://www.wormsdirectuk.co.uk Give her live bio yoghurt or some Actimel drink. Some of my hens will eat yoghurt neat, but others prefer it mixed with pellets or maggot.... I added warm water + Actimel to the pellets to make them sloshy and easier for Henny to digest when she had impacted crop. But be warned, mine now prefer this and turn their beaks up at normal pellets now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poplars Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 Hi... I just read through the thing about impacted/compacted crop in the Faq section, it says not to feed chickens bread... Is this only after one has had compacted crop or at any time, mine love it and it seems a shame to not give it to them, obviously not in huge amounts, but when we have stale ends they go mad! Thanks Eve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaireG Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 Hi... I just read through the thing about impacted/compacted crop in the Faq section, it says not to feed chickens bread... Is this only after one has had compacted crop or at any time, mine love it and it seems a shame to not give it to them, obviously not in huge amounts, but when we have stale ends they go mad! Thanks Eve I learnt on my hen course on Sunday that the gluten in the bread makes it swell in their crops and can cause it to become compacted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 If you give it in tiny chunks, and moisten it it will be OK. Huge chunks of a stick to your ribs wholemeal might not be so good. Bread is a very useful way of administering medicines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alih Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 I gave mine maggots, massages and in about a week she was a lot better - the maggots really work and although they are expenseive, the ones from wormsdirect arrive quickly. Hope it works! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 I started with Worms Direct and really appreciate their little tub, which I still have. The fishing shop sells maggots in see=through plastic bags! After this horrible experience, I always took the tub round to the shop and asked for half a pint of maggots in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph101 Posted August 30, 2008 Share Posted August 30, 2008 Olive oil in a syringe and a bowl of maggots (the uncoloured kind) have worked for me twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
