SleepyFairy Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 Hello everyone, Am very sad to say that my lovely gingernut Peach's impacted crop has got worse and worse She's been on and off all the time we've had her (since Nov 08) but I wasn't sure what it was until a couple of months ago. I tried maggots at the beginning of the summer when she stopped her regular laying which worked but this week she's been very bad with it. I came back from our hols to find her crop was huge and she was isolating from the other girls I called Omlet on Monday to ask advice and they suggested olive oil, massage and no food for 24 hrs which seemed to perk her up lots and she even laid the next day (clever girl!) but by Weds she was huge again. I repeated the olive oil Weds morning and eve but didn't restrict her food as wasn't sure about doing it again and yesterday she was even bigger. Today the crop seems to be so heavy that it's almost weighing her down. poor love she's hardly even come out of the house and when she does, she goes into hiding. I've also noticed that her neck feathers seem a bit scrawny and there is no downy fluff there. I can see her skin around her neck when I part the feathers. I noticed this on Weds I'm going to restrict her food again in the morning (praying she'll be ok tonight) and try olive oil and massage again but is there anything else i can do? I've also looked at all the impacted crop advice on these forums and noticed the yoghurt idea which i could try? Haven''t taken her to the vet yet as we really can't afford to I feel very sad Any other suggestions receveid gratefully. Jules x Peaches Geldorrrf PeeWeeFluff Nancy Fudge TigerPopsicle the Magical Dog of Love Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 I would keep her on water only tomorrow, with a little home made apple sauce. Give her crop hourly massage and you might be lucky and shift the blockage. If there is no noticeable improvement, she will need to see a vet next week. The blockage could be caused by something other than tangled up food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepyFairy Posted July 11, 2009 Author Share Posted July 11, 2009 Thanks for that. I'll try it tomorrow fingers crssed. J x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 dehydration def does not help, apple sauce is really good. I am sure there is a recent post about an op to clear a blockage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 The vet can do an operation to clear the crop, but it is horrendously expensive. If a hen gets an impacted crop repeatedly, then the muscles surrounding it will lose their tone and the crop is then unable to empty properly, making the situation worse. Not a good prognosis I;m afraid, but make sure that she can't eat any tangled grass and feed her white maggots to eat through the blockage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 How is she today? Did you mean that she keeps getting an impacted crop since November? How many times? If so what have you done to stop it /clear it, before? are you sure she isn't just a stuffer? Is it still solid 1st thing in the morning? Is she drinking enough? Sorry for so many questions but it will help us understand your problem. All the previous suggestions work really well, specially the naggots they don't "just eat" the blockage as they naturally borrow down, which also helps sort of aerate/mix un-goop it, I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepyFairy Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 Well, thanks so much for all your help so far! On Monday, the crop had reduced in size by 50%! I was so pleased! But it was still quite large so I isolated Peach again to stop her from feeding but gave her some apple puree, free ranged the others with the pellets for a bit. Then I let her out and gave them all some maggots. Also massaged her again and have her oil. She laid - hoorah! - and was really perky so I put her back on her food on Tues. She hasn't laid since and has starting isolating herself again. Seems to be a neverending cycle Can it be broken??? She has had a swollen crop since the spring but it wasn't really bad until last week. I've only ever tried maggots to clear it before which worked. She only ever laid ever few days since we had her and i thought this was normal but i'm guessing now its not?!? Now we haven't had any eggs since Tues from her Also we have another problem. A broody chicken!!!! When I isolated Peach in the run on Monday, Nancy couldn't get in the nest to lay. When my lovely man realised I'd forgotten to let Peach out when the others had stopped eating their brekkie, Nancy rushed in, got on the nest and hasn't left it since! She laid Tues night in the run and got very upset about it as we'd shut the door to keep her off the nest to try and stop it. We keep taking her off the nest, i've put flowerpots in there but she kicks them out, she's even sat on a house brick. Nothing stops her. I really don't know what to do and can't imagine putting her in a bucket of water which is what it says in the Omlet literature. So now I've got 2 girls not laying, one with a dodgy crop and a broody one. Feeling helpless!!!!! help!?!?!?!? Jules x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Unfortunately, once they have had an impacted crop, the chances are that the muscles surrounding it will become stretched and they will be more prone. Sounds like she needs a gastric band Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 I have no experience I am sorry... Maybe wet food only? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepyFairy Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 oh well, thanks anyway x x x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
