Smart Feeder - Light sensor values

[JanTheDiver]

For a couple of days one of my girls seems to have a very full crop which is very soft and squidgy and warm to the touch. She has had some days where she doesn't seem herself but other days she seems fine. She is eating, drinking, pecking the ground and laying (but not as frequent) as normal every day but most of her poo's are very runny i.e. like water.

 

I have massaged her crop a couple of times, which she seemed to like, but it is still full this morning.

 

I am concerned that she may have an impacted crop but the books I have read say it should be hard, which it isn't. Does anyone have any ideas what else it could be? She may also be starting her first moult, which I know can put them off colour a bit, but I do have a pecking problem so I am not sure.

 

Thanks

Jan

[johnandkymberley]

Hi, i had a problem with Willow's crop about a month or so back, it felt how you have described, soft and like a deflated water balloon. Willow had sour crop, which might be what your chook has, especially if her poos are quite runny and shes not laying as much. Sour crop is were the food gets stuck and is not being digested properly (so could explain runny poos etc) try and see if you can feel any pellets etc? i could in willows crop. Here is what i found out/researched and what i did

I found out:

hens take 6 hours to digest their food

sour crop can be a build up of bacteria

your hen may have a "sour" breath, hence the term sour crop

What i did or you can do:

you can try to squeeze the crop and push it upwards to see if you can make her vomit it up (this didnt work with willow and it was very distressing for me and her!)

if not

she is going to have to try and pass it, i seperated willow from the others, i dont no if you can do that but if you can do it!

I gave natural probiotic yoghurt (a value brand as they add less preservatives etc) mixed with garlic powder and a little corn to get her interested (she has trouble eating it but she got there!) and some fresh water with some ACV to perk her up

After 24hours she still had pellets in her crop, so i knew that it was deffo sour crop

after 48hours she was back to normal and generally herself, i started to mix the yoghurt with mash and eventually pellets and then gradually reduced the yoghurt.

Willow had other problems with her eye which meant she was kept seperated for a bit longer than if she had just had a sour crop (once she is eating pellets or mash again i would put her in with the others)

Willow is partially blind in one eye now and has had mites, sour crop and a chest infection in the space of 3 months, bless her! Against all odds and the vets she has pulled through and is laying every day again (although the vets told me she would never lay again!)

I hope this helps you and let us know how you get on xxx

[JanTheDiver]

I have some natural yoghurt as you describe so I will try some. Not easy to separate her but I don't suppose it would do the others any harm if they shared it.

 

I will give this a try, thanks for coming back.

[chicken bark]

In addition you can give her some Cod liver oil. This may help lubricate things and if not will act as a bit of a tonic anyway.

 

As a rare treat mine all get some probiotic yoghurt - they love it although it is not a good idea to give it to them too often.

[JanTheDiver]

Would Evening Primrose Oil have the same effect?

[alet_chicken]

I'm not sure, I guess any type of oil will work just fine. The important thing is not to overdo it on the oil, as it will put a strain on her liver. The best is really liquid paraffin (medical grade, can buy it in horsey shops), which will just pass through her undigested. The first time I had a girl with impacted crop, the vet recommended 2ml of liquid paraffin, followed by 2ml of warm water, and a good crop massage, twice a day.

 

It's not clear to me whether she has sour crop, impacted crop or a blockage lower down (which would cause a back-log in the crop), or maybe something else (e.g. an infection) that is affecting her digestion. Her showing some interest in food is a great sign though.

 

If she likes the crop massage, then I would definitely recommend that, but if things don't improve, it may not be a bad idea to have a vet look at her.

 

Edited: using "perhaps" three times in the same sentence is perhaps not such a great idea.

[JanTheDiver]

Well they all had some Yogurt and mealworms for lunch today, which didn't hang around I can tell you

 

Will see what that does.

 

Thanks for all your input.

[johnandkymberley]

let us know how she gets on xxx

[JanTheDiver]

Well we tried the yoghurt for a couple of days but that didn't work, then the next morning I looked at her and thought she really needed to see a vet.

 

So she has now been on medicine and tablets for the last five days and I am glad to say she is getting better, her crop is now nearing normal sizes and she seems happier; her poo's are back to normal too

 

Thanks for all your help guys

 

Jan

[jill the potter]

What did the vet think it was, and what were the tablets?

[BocBoc]

Margot (our ex batt who has stopped laying now) went to the vets today with a funny looking crop. She's come home with £22 worth of antibiotics!!!! She's got a bit of sour crop going on and canker. The vet has also suggested rather than just layers pellets, we give them half pellets and half mixed corn, some mixed flakes and some oyster shell too. She also said boiled up potato peelings would be a good idea too. So, one tablet down and we're off to the poultry feed shop in the morning.

 

Hope your girl makes a full and speedy recovery....and ours too!