lovebugette Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 (edited) A quick warning to my Omlet friends. After 3 years of feeding my gorgeous hens bunches and bunches of grapes, I have one of my ex-batts in chicken hospital with a grape stuck in between crop and stomach (she did say which part, but I am an Insurance "expert", not a vet!) . She went downhill over the last week, withdrawn, hunched, depressed, not eating. Despite an initial mis-diagnosis, the vet is now on top of it and has broken the grape up with manipulation and is treating her sore tummy and helping to build her up again. Had this not worked, an op would have been required. Additionally, apart from risk of this happening, grapes are high in sugar content so a risk of sour crop is apparently likely. Hope this helps. In the meantime get well soon my lovely Betty the batt, we'll be snuggled up in the garden sharing a cup of tea again soon (I hope ) x Edited May 27, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Oh poor Betty, we are all rooting for her though! Thank you for posting the warning (though I think my girls will be less happy about it!!!! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Someone else posted about one decomposing in the crop and since then have chopped them up. Hadn't really thought about the sugar content though. Hope your girl mends quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Hope your girl gets better, I chop them up too but also hadnt thought about the sugar although that makes sense thinking about it. Good luck and thanks for the warning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandkymberley Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Hi, i have been reading lately that lots of people have been giving there hens grapes, however i read somewhere ages ago not too and i never have since, also havent given them raisins as they are a form of grape, thanks for the confirmation though, but so sorry betty has learnt the hard way xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovebugette Posted May 28, 2011 Author Share Posted May 28, 2011 Thank you for your kind words - Betty not doing so well today. Vet is an hour away from me (local ones rubbish with hens) and despite their hard work she is regurgitating food and not passing any poo's. After finding out her B&B (or rather B as she is not eating!) is £40 per night, and with a bank holiday looming I faced the prospect of at least 3 nights stay plus meds plus consultation! Have asked if I can collect her tomorrow and try to nurse her myself. Had a not dis-similar problem last year and the Metaclopromide used to help the crop move food on takes a few days so hoping it's the same with Betty. Fed up this week as had another hen put to sleep with cancer on Saturday. Therefore husband NOT impressed at this weeks vet bills. Think that, on occasion, vets do see pound signs with animal lovers! I will keep you informed and thank you for thinking of Betty the beautiful ex-batt (whose photo adorns the BHWT van and somehow emerged from a battery farm with full feathers,most unlike her friends who were all almost bald!) My most glam hen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 Someone else posted about one decomposing in the crop and since then have chopped them up. Hadn't really thought about the sugar content though. Hope your girl mends quick. Same here. good luck, though really not sure why grapes seem to give some trouble and mine swallow mice and small frogs whole with no ill effects ??????(apart from me gagging that is ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovebugette Posted June 12, 2011 Author Share Posted June 12, 2011 Exactly! How can the quaff a frog and not a grape? Guess the shape is what matters. A sad update regarding Betty the batt. After a £200 vet bill, we still had to have her put to sleep. It would seem the grape had lodged in her Proventriculous (part between crop and gizzard) and that despite the measures taken she didn't recover. An operation would have apparently been hard as whilst the crop heals well when cut, the proventriculous does not. A word of warning to my fellow Omlet-eers - grapes cut up are best, but even then the vet recommends rarely as they can on occasion cause sour crop. As a final note, the vet made me feel much better by saying that someone has to be that one-in-a-million and it would seem that was Betty. Oh, a life of heartache comes with rehoming these little hens! As a glutton for punishment, I'm off to Biggin Hill next Sunday for a couple more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 apart from anything else i chop mine because i am tight!!!. how can they possibley enjoy it if it is gobbled like that chopped and fed in groups of 2.... less bolting... I lost a girl with a stricture after the gizzard. another 1 in a million heart breaking isn't it (hugs) x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruciebumpkin Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 What sad news... Grapes are now definitely off the menu for our girls. I wonder if there are other fruits which are similarly as bad in terms of sugar content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
