Sarahsausage Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 You must think this is never going to end! When I've 'starved' Hilda it's only been for a couple of days tops (with water provided of course!), but on the second day I've given her a small amount of yoghurt and cat food. On the third day I've introduced about a third of the amount of grain again but either mixed with water or yoghurt. I'm not sure how you could restrict Polly's intake once she's back with the others (apart from keeping her separate but that's not really an option and would be unfair), maybe someone else will have some ideas? You could pop Polly back in the coop at night when the others have gone to bed so they don't forget her(!) and then take her out again in the morning? Sorry I haven't been much help and don't know about the maggots, I guess it wouldn't hurt to give her some as they are soft and also full of protein. Chickens hey?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 when you take here out, let her friends visit.... I hope I read that wrong and that you did not mean you starved her for a week TBH I have never heard of starving as a solution until I read SS threads, but she had been struggling with iffy crop for some time as I understand it? (SS?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 just re read some posts, forgive me if this is obvious to you, but you are checking her crop, 1st thing in the morning BEFORE access to food? It should be empty or mostly then, at any oither tIme if you check her it will have something in it! just checking??? (I would not have know this sort of thing to start with!!!!) in fact I was soo new I thought my poor ex bats had deformed breasts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 It sounds like she got ill again because you put her back out before she had recovered Bring her back in (first suggested over 24hrs ago...) and let her recover without her stuffing her face Worry about re-introductions when she is better and not now Hesitating over this wont get the chook well, if she isnt better in a couple of days you need to get her to the vet - you did ask for recommendations about a week ago and it doesnt look like she has been taken Sorry to be harsh but this has been going on for some time now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucky chicken Posted February 24, 2010 Author Share Posted February 24, 2010 Sorry to have alarmed some of you - Have only starved her for a day (not a week!) and have spoken to the vet who assured me that I was doing all the right things - and she did appear to be getting a lot better, but I think it's time now to go back again like you said, so will make an appointment tomos and let you know what's been said - meanwhile have brought her in for the duration..... although she looks fine and is pooing well and appears to be eating and drinking..just that darned crop! Maybe the vet can give us a better idea of what's going on..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 I think she does need to go go back to the vet, as this has been going on for a quite a long time. An apparent 'impaction' that has lasted this length of time, and has resisted your attempts to shift it might be due to a growth, or an impaction that is further down, for example, in the gizzard. If this is the case, home remedies won't be enough. Professional treatment will be needed. If it is a crop impaction, and she has a plug of co"Ooops, word censored!" fibres sitting there, the vet might need to remove them surgically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 I can't add any more except to endorse the recommendations made by Redwing and Egluntyne. If something like this hasn't eased in a couple of days of treatment, then the bird needs to get to the vet. They can operate to sort out the blockage, and it is usually successful (if expensive), but TBH, if the hen still gets crop problems, then the outcome isn't very positive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 wondering how it went at the vets had hoped it wasn't meaning starved for a week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucky chicken Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 Hi to everyone again - Polly returned to the vets again on Friday morning - but the advice was nothing you couldn't have told me already!! We're still in the same situastion - this vet was also not very helpful - again! She didn't seem to know what else we could do, other than what we were already doing - and promised to get back in touch with me again today when she had consulted Great Western Referrals in Swindon... Surgery is apparetnly not very successful and quite expensive - according to her, - £150 plus! I told her that Polly seems quite happy, is eating and drinking and pooing, just that the crop doesn't seem to be going anywhere..... so not sure what else I can do.... vet agreed that she looks fine otherwise. I've put her back outside with the other girls, and she seems much happier, is integrating herself back in nicely with them, and is still mad for maggots! So until I hear anything else, nothing much else to tell..... Think this is destined to be a very long saga.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 If she's happy enough, then just keep an eye on her and see what happens. If you're around this way, then try contacting either Clive Madeiros or David Shepherd at West Bar Vets in Banbury fro an appointment - both excellent avian vets. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucky chicken Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 Cheers Claret - unfortunately - we're in deepest Wiltshire - Banbury is quite far for us to go - I could phone, but he'd probably need to see her....... I think as she's ok at the moment, I'd rather just keep an eye on her and see what happens, she doesn't seem to be in any distress, and enjoying the sunshine today so rather inclined to just carry on what we've been doing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shtw00724 Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 Hi there. I haven't read all of the posts but can tell you that one of my ex-bats had an impacted crop (she'd been eating long grass and everything else in her sight before I realised grass was so bad for them). I tried the olive oil etc. but nothing worked and she was getting thinner and thinner. I found a vet in Solihull who had performed surgery on chickens before which basically involved opening her up, removing the yukky stuff trapped in the crop and sewing her back up again. I know some people probably thought I was cruel to put a hen through the trauma of surgery and in fact, for the first few days afterwards my Gertie seemed worse than before the op. After that, she picked up and several months later she is still with us I too was expecting the op to be mega bucks but I was only charged just over £26 including the post-op antibiotics. I was very pleasantly surprised. If one vet can charge that and another is quoting £150 I think I would certainly question why the difference. Whatever you decide, hope your girl recovers soon. All the best. Susie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 My vet was the same Susie, although it was three or four years ago now and I can't remember precisely how much, I know it didn't break the bank. I think it pays to shop around to find a good vet with sensible charges. I've always been lucky! Jools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker Betty Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 No idea if it'll help but one of my girls had an impacted crop for quite a while. I tried maggots and all sorts - not sure if it helped or not really. In the end, liquid parafin and massaging definitely did the trick - though don;t expect it to work quickly, it took several days for it to reduce in size and every day it felt slightly more flexible. The reason for my post is what I fed her in the meantime which she seemed to really enjoy and it kept her well throughout that time. I mixed up apple puree with live yoghurt and some garlic with a bit of water so it was really sloppy and liquidy - odd combination I know but she loved it. Sometimes I added a tiny bot of weetabix too. I think the best thing was plenty of TLC, patience and perseverance! Good luck with it - I know how frustrating it is - and how unhelpful the vets are with this stuff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
