Green Tea Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Over a week ago I noticed that Thursday wasn't looking too well. She had a bit of a mucky bum and I figured she was probably due to be wormed so started her (& her coop mate Pepper) on Flubenvet. She didn't improve much and then a couple of days ago I noticed that when she came out of the coop in the morning she had a swelling quite high up her neck on her left side. I tried to feel it but there didn't seem to be anything there, certainly nothing solid......... but, being cautious I decided to treat her for impacted crop and duly syringed some olive oil down her throat! Since that she passed some undigested corn so I figured maybe that was the problem but the swelling still seemed to be there. I put some avipro in their water and swapped the feed to mash mixed with some yoghurt and bakashi. Yesterday, swelling still the same but also her left eye appeared to be half closed and she seems to be favouring her right eye if she looks at anything. So, I took her to the vet. The vet didn't seem any the wiser than me tbh. She thought like me that sour crop was probably the most likely problem, she said her crop felt more gaseous than watery and she couldn't feel any food in there. She stuck a needle in her crop and drew out just a tiny bit of fluid. She didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with Thursday's eye - although in fairness she did seem to be opening it a bit more then and it didn't look so different to her right eye. She told me to carry on with the yoghurt (although I had got natural yoghurt assuming that was pro-biotic so have switched her to the right sort of yoghurt now - duh!) and see how she goes. She said if there is no improvement in a few days it might be worthwhile opening up her crop and washing it out So, I now am providing water with ACV, another supply of water with Avipro, (pro-biotic) yoghurt with a little olive oil and bokashi. I'm wondering - a) does anybody else have any advice/suggestions? b) will my other hen be ok sharing this diet (I do also have layers pellets out). c) is there a limit to how much yoghurt I should be putting out? In herself, Thursday just seems a bit quieter than usual, she's very thirsty but is still eating too. The vet also discovered she had lice She said not to worry, her hens always seem to get lice when they are ill and sure enough when I got home and checked Pepper I couldn't find anything on her despite them sharing a coop (always smothered in DE ) If you managed to read to the bottom of all this Ta, Sarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyhole kate Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Hi you will be able to tell If it is sour crop by holding your girl and tipping her head down she will in effect bring up fluid as though being sick. Much easier to treat than I first feared I recently diagnosed and treated one of my girls for sour crop by following the excellent advice from the forum health section Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Tea Posted June 27, 2011 Author Share Posted June 27, 2011 Thanks Kate. I have tried holding her upside down but she doesn't seem to bring anything up.... but the vet did say it felt more gaseous than liquid. I have isolated her and will just give her water with ACV, some yoghurt and a little bokashi and more water with ACV for another day or so..... although I didn't entirely clean the spare run and I'm pretty sure she's been scratching around and picking up the odd bit of chick crumb too! This morning I felt her crop and couldn't really feel anything although she still looks a funny shape Hopefully in a couple more days she will be ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Hmm, the crop usually hangs to the right - about where a right breast ought to be if they had one. Doesn't sound like sour crop to me. Do you have a more chicken-savvy vet near you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Tea Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share Posted June 28, 2011 Tbh I'm not entirely convinced either. I took her out of solitary confinement last night, she'd been starved for 24 hrs apart from the water with avipro and a little yoghurt and bokashi and her crop didn't feel like it had much in it at all. I tipped her and only about half a teaspoon of liquid came out. She still looks a funny shape, really hard to describe and to me her left eye still looks strange, as if she's squinting. I did wonder if she could have a had a mild stroke but assume that would have affected her balance. She is a bit quiet but not just sitting and still interested in food. Her poo is not very solid but not watery so that doesn't really concern me much. I'm going to keep an eye on her and perhaps take her back to the vet (apparently there is one in the practice who knows more about chickens) later in the week if there's any decline or new symptoms. She's a speckledy and pretty heavy and barrel chested normally anyway and I'm beginning to worry that it's all in my mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
