Minnie&Moose Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 (edited) Our speckeldy appeared to be crop bound at the beginning of the week - large, hard crop that didn't go down overnight. She'd been foraging in the garden over the weekend and had managed to get into the neighbour's garden behind their shed so I'm guessing she ate too much fibrous stuff/long grass. She's virtually impossible to catch (I have to trap her in the cube run and grab her as she flies past me - very stressful for her so I avoid doing this unless I absolutely have to). Since Monday I've had her on a restricted diet (the first day she had maggots and water, nothing else) and since then it's been pellets only, no greens, no foraging, avipro in the water (as a precaution against sour crop), and regular helpings of maggots. In the first few days I also caught her twice a day and gave her some olive oil and gently massaged her crop. After two days of that the crop was much softer, but still distended. All this time she has continued to lay, looks OK but is often seen doing that neck wiggle they do that I've always assumed was readjusting crop contents. My concern is - her crop is still very big first thing in the morning and now looks very low slung. Her crop stays large all day but isn't as huge as it was initially. Should I expect it to go back to what it was after this time? Any other bird and I'd have taken her to the vet already but I'm not sure she'd survive the experience given how stressed she gets being handled. I've spoken to the vet about her and the only additional thing they could suggest was a X-ray and possibly surgery but I don't think that's a good option for this particular bird. I will certainly take her to be PTS if she begins to look like she's not coping but I'd like to give her the best chance I can. I will catch her again today and feel her crop and check to see whether she's losing condition or not - visually she looks fine and she still runs like a greyhound whenever I come near the pen! Any further suggestions of what I might try are very welcome. Should I try starving her or should I be feeding her pellets as a sloppy mash? Thanks. Edited June 5, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 Some advice here in the Frequently Asked Questions section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 Check she's not eating the bedding in the nestbox as well. Otherwise sounds as though you are doing all the right things. Has she been passing droppings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted May 29, 2011 Author Share Posted May 29, 2011 Hi Plum, Not sure if she's passing droppings or not - they've all changed their sleeping spots in the last week so I no longer know who's sleeping where. But I'll try and work out where she is tonight and check. I've just checked her crop which is huge again - but now it's very squishy and doesn't feel hard at all! She doesn't smell but I haven't tried tipping her up - I'm not confident enough with her to do that. She's also feeling a bit thinner than she was earlier in the week I'm wondering whether it's worth starving her for 24 hours, as suggested for sour crop, and then going from there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 well I guess sourcrop may be a complication of blocked crop but a squishy crop at this time of day could be normal so I wouldn't tip her just keep an eye or nose out for odour from the crop which would indicate infection. I was wondering about gape worm when you said about her wiggling her neck but don't know much about it. Perhaps if you can get hold of her and hold her head up open her beak and look down. You are supposed to be able to see the worms or you could see cheesy stuff for some infections It's worrying that she is loosing weight though, perhaps time to consult a vet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted May 30, 2011 Author Share Posted May 30, 2011 Mabel's still with us and still perky but her crop was noticeably bigger than normal, even having been starved between 5pm last night and 8am this morning. Again, it was soft, but no gurgling or nasty breath. So, she had maggots for breakfast and then a little pellet mash with bokashi bran, bio yogurt and poultry spice. The others got to range in the grassy part of their run today but I excluded Mabel from that. She's producing normal looking droppings though I don't know whether she's producing them as frequently as usual, and she laid a fine looking egg today. So, I don't really know what to think. Do some hens just develop large droopy crops that still function OK? I'll continue to watch her closely but at the moment she seems OK, just looks like she needs to wear more supportive underwear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 Mabel now has sour crop She'd been looking better but when I caught her at lunch time to check her crop I got covered in delightful stuff So she's been to the vet, had fluids and an injection to try and get her digestive system functioning again, and she's back in the cat box with just water. She still looks bright but no egg today and whilst there's obviously something passing through her, it isn't much. It will be back to the vet tomorrow for more fluids etc. Hopefully this will do the trick but there's still the issue of whether there's a blockage or not and although the vet's prepared to try surgery I'm not sure I want to put Mabel through that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staceychristie Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Oh bless her, Hope she feels better - your doing all you can. Good luck. Stacey X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Only you can decide how far you would go. I'm afraid I wouldn't partly because they are unlikely to survive the anaesthetic and it's a personal choice. Hope the current treatment works so you don't have to make that decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 Plum - thanks, I really appreciated your views and I agree with you. I don't feel happy with the idea of surgery. Because she seems well in herself I'm willing to give things a try for another 24 hours or so, but increasingly I'm concerned about her general wellbeing and what's fair to her. I'm attached to her as I am to all of them but I don't want to end up doing 'what feels best for me' if that's not actually what's best for Mabel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy ben grace Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Hi, just wanted to wish you luck with Mabel. I have a pekin, lucy, who has impacted crop at the moment. Have given her maggots today so will wait and see. Its so hard when they are poorly, knowing when to say enough is enough... Will be hoping for the best for both our girls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 Hi, just wanted to wish you luck with Mabel. I have a pekin, lucy, who has impacted crop at the moment. Have given her maggots today so will wait and see. Its so hard when they are poorly, knowing when to say enough is enough... Will be hoping for the best for both our girls! Thanks poppy ben grace. Very sorry to hear about Lucy - I hope she makes a excellent and rapid recovery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share Posted June 1, 2011 Well, this morning Mabel is looking and smelling better than she was. Her crop is decreasing in size, and she's perky and determined to escape from me, much more her usual self! She's been back to the vet for more fluids etc and has been given the OK to have some very small sloppy/soft meals to see how she copes. There's definitely something passing through so the assumption is the crop blockage has either cleared or at least isn't as severe as before - she was the source of an eye-watering stench in the car on the way there And when she got back she laid another egg! So, fingers crossed she will continue to improve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy ben grace Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Thats great news, you must be so relieved, lets hope she makes a complete recovery. My Lucy seems to be on the mend too, i think the maggots did the trick(ugh!). Is seems my have been answered! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share Posted June 1, 2011 Wonderful news about Lucy - I'm delighted for you. Unfortunately Mabel doesn't seem to have coped very well with her small meal today - the sour crop has definitely improved but looks like the impaction is still there. I have to give her another injection tonight and then she's back to the vet's tomorrow morning, but I think it may be time to accept defeat in her case. It's hard though because she's still lively, her tail's up, she's not hunched up or looking sad - but she's spent much of the day behaving as if she's trying to rearrange her crop contents, and it just doesn't seem fair on her. Not sure how I'm going to break the news to her 10 yr old owner - we lost another one last Friday to egg binding and our remaining original Omlet hen before Easter - so to go from 6-3 in such a short period of time is going to be very hard on him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy ben grace Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Oh dear, i am so sorry to hear that. Your poor son. Its hard on the little ones. My 3 are still too young to really understand whats going on. I suppose at least it in a way they will hopefully learn than dying is a (sad) part of life itself. it would be nice to be able to protect them from heartache but unfortunately we cant can we. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeckyBeak Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 (edited) Sorry to hear about Mabel, Just to say that my beautiful Lavender a 2 1/2 year old bluebell hybrid had the operation and after 2 weeks on anti-biotics made a full recovery, unfortunately she later succumbed to peritonitis, but that was unrelated to the crop problem. Hope things work out for Mabel and you. Such a difficult decision... Edited June 3, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 What a shame you are trying so hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 After yet another trip to the vet's we've decided to give Mabel until Monday to clear her crop, unless she takes a turn for the worse or looks to be suffering. Yet again, she's laid today, and although her crop isn't empty each morning she's now having tiny but frequent meals. She's looking very alert, is lively, dustbathing, sunning herself, and is keeping her position in the hierachy without any problems. I put her 'best mate' Mavis in with her for a couple of hours a day, the rest of the time she can see the others as they potter around outside the cube run, and they're all sleeping together. So, fingers crossed this works. It's been so hard deciding what to do with her because at no point has she been fluffed up or withdrawn or looked obviously ill. She keeps her tail pointed firmly skywards, shoves all and sundry out of her way, and seems determined to carry on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy ben grace Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Bless her, she must be a little fighter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 Bless her, she must be a little fighter! She's certainly that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 Sadly, we decided to have Mabel culled this morning . She had seemed to be doing very well but once we withdrew the injections to stimulate peristalsis it became clear her crop was not functioning adequately, and although she was still laying, dustbathing etc., it was obvious that she was losing weight and her crop was filling up again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 So sorryto hear that. You did all you could for her, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy ben grace Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 Sorry you lost mabel. You know you did all you could for her. Hope the little man didnt take it too badly bless his heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted June 6, 2011 Author Share Posted June 6, 2011 Many thanks for your responses. It's very strange in the garden at the moment - the hen pen doesn't look right without Mabel We put her last edible egg into my son's favourite cake - as a way of remembering Mabel at her best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
