4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[urbanchick]

Oh joy, to add to my list of chicken things to experience, I now have a crop problem to deal with. Annie has been a bit under the weather for a couple of days and I noticed this morning her crop was enormous. I just felt it and decided to squeeze it a bit to try and massage it. Well, out spewed copious amounts of liquid, poor girl. What shall I do? Shall I go back and squeeze the rest out? I am still in shock so haven't tried anything else.

Edited June 27, 2009 by Guest

[sandyhas3chucks]

you won't need to squeeze, carefully tip her up like the angle she would be as you sit up or down and would be holding herin one arm.

Care is needed as they can re breathe & get the fluid in their lungs!

If you search sour crop there are lots of posts about iit.

Oral daktarin is available OTC a pea size blob 3 x day.

Nystatin is best from a vet though.

And really need to know why it is sour (or in stasis(not moving through))

It usually happens as a result of something else which needs sorting...

Has she laid lately, how are her poohs.

good luck

[urbanchick]

Thanks. Just tipped her up and it all came out, followed by a little bit of sludge. It was smelly but not hideously so. I think her poos are ok, the only thing that makes me wonder is I've been chucking them alot of lettuce lately.

Do I need the daktarin? Shall I get maggots?

[sandyhas3chucks]

maggots are good for blocked crop. I would try the daktarin 1st. if you are not ging to a vet, which is what I would do.!

I tried ASV in the water but read after ,not a good thing.

plain water with citricidal was recommended. also probiotic plain yoghurt.

If I had one with it again I would drain more than I did.

(I lost mine) she got over it once but if I had thought the outcome was death then I would have been braver.

This is just my own opinon & experience.

still need to find out why if you can.

[Egluntyne]

ACV is helpful as it is slightly acidic which can help restore the correct PH and prevent the yeasts growing.

 

Home made apple sauce is also recommended a for the same reason and it helps break down tough fibres.

 

Plenty of massage can help shift the blockage and get things moving again. A swig of olive oil will also help lubricate the mass and make it easier to shift.

[The Dogmother]

Sour crop usually forms when the contents of a blocked crop start to ferment.

 

Please be careful when draining it from her as hens don't have a gag reflex and can easily choke and drown.

 

As Egluntine has said; ACV in the water, with Bokashi Bran soaked in live yoghurt as food will do the trick. Keep her off treats for the time being. She should recover soon enough.

[sandyhas3chucks]

ooo yes had forgtten about the apple...

didn't someone clear one up with just stewed apples & water???

yes very careful with emtying...

let us know how she goes.

good luck

[indigopurple]

i have seen a few things on the internet about live maggots as well x x x x

 

hope she is better soon x

[The Dogmother]

Live maggots only really work on an impacted crop as they will eat through the blockage.

 

If an impacted crop isn't treated, it can lead to sour crop though.

[Steph101]

Hello. I've had this with a couple of my chickens, and tried all of the above (be careful when tipping upside down though; I did this after administering a syringe of bicarb, and she gagged and went limp - it really panicked me)! I left her alone after that, kept giving maggots, and live yoghurt, and after a couple of days she was fine.

[urbanchick]

I tipped her upside down a couple of times yesterday to drain the liquid out and first thing this morning. I remember now, 3 weeks ago she was under the weather and her crop seemed a bit full, I put this down to neighbours giving her handfuls of long grass while we were away. As a precaution I gave her avipro and maggots and she perked up, back to her normal self. I now think perhaps her crop was still blocked and has been festering. I'm doing maggots, yoghurt and apple sauce (she was not keen on this though), hopefully this will work. I've yet to get the daktarin but might see how the other things go first.

I massaged her crop this morning, after draining and it was not very big and was quite soft and liquidy, so not sure whether to pursue this.

I'm a little pessimistic and think she is weak as she tumbled down the cube ladder this morning when she came out, no obvious injury though thank goodness.

[The Dogmother]

If you have Avipro, then that will be good - the pre-and pro-biotics will certainly help.

 

Bokashi Bran in live yoghurt and ACV in the water always do the trick.

[urbanchick]

So far so good. She is back to her normal self this morning and eating and drinking normally. Her crops feels just fine and she looks very happy. I think the maggots did the trick as she bounced back just like this the last time when I gave her maggots.

I'll have to keep a serious eye out for the problem returning as I guess she's going to be prone to it now.

Thanks for all the advice.

[urbanchick]

I've just found Annie dead in the garden. Her comb was blue and there was some clear liquid in her nostril although her crop felt normal. I had noticed her walking slowly this morning and thought she was struggling to balance herself. She took herself off to a corner under a tree with a bit of sun, along with her friends, so I'm glad she died in a nice spot surrounded by friends.

[sandyhas3chucks]

sad news indeed... thinking of you

[deejmum]

Awww so sorry. Very sa news.

[Redwing]

That is sad, you did your best x

[Egluntyne]

Sorry to hear it.

[Olly]

That's really sad, but it sounds like a peaceful end. Sometimes no matter what you do, the stress of being ill is too much for them.

[Chickvic]

Sorry to hear about Annie