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[Uma]

One of my original girls is very poorly. She wasn't 100% last week and wasn't eating as normal, I checked her over but everything seemed ok. The next day she had a huge swoollen crop-sour crop, which she has had before as a secondary to peritonitis. I gave her nystatin and acv with probiotics for two days and she was seeming to perk up. We were away over the weekend and she only missed two days of medication, however we returned yesterday and although the hen sitter said she seemed fine she wasn't. Huge watery crop and had lost so much weight. I don't think she ate or drank at all when we were away.

 

I started the process of tipping to clear the crop but because it was so much she was getting distressed with it, so I took her to the vet to drain it. They drained it all (about 400-500 mls...) and she is on an anti fungal and an anti anerobe. But I don't think she is going to make it. Her crop has refilled overnight, she isn't eating at all. She had some water yesterday but nothing today yet, apart from what I managed to give her via syringe. Her comb is floppy and purple. I am so upset. She is inside and I keep sitting with her, but you can see how weak she is as her blinks are so slow. I think she will pass away soon. My poor poor girl.

 

This will be my first loss in 3 years. The other two original hybrids are also causing concern as one wasn't eating last week, although she is now eating happily and seems ok, but both of their poos are not quite right.

 

Is three a good age for a hybrid? I have brought this girl back twice from peritonitis now and she has been so happy. I am so upset.

 

Uma x

[Daphne]

You have done well with her. Hybrids do often have a shortish life as they give so much in terms of egg production. However, even the PBs which can routinely live to 6 or older, often get something wrong with them and die before then. Its a horrible time, losing your first bird, but it sounds like she is well on her way and so I think the best thing you can do is think of her being quietly at home, with you, and not being unduly stressed at the end of her life. Let yourself grieve about her, its really important and she will always be special, but remember this is part of the cycle of life and death, and there will be brighter days.

[LottyJ1]

I think you have done an amazing job bringing her back from peritonitis twice. Sounds like she is in good hands.

[Uma]

Thank you both. It means a lot.

 

She is currently valiently trying to eat the flesh of a grape and I syringed her some more water with some porridge too. Still very wobbly on her feet and comb not good but she seems to want to eat....

 

Uma x

[SueChick]

Good luck and well done to you for saving her twice before.

 

I lost a hybrid at 4 but still have one at 5 so I agree it does depend on the bird.

 

Good luck and big hugs.

[Uma]

Well looks like I've done it again... After posting that she seemed to perk up a little and tried eating a grape and some other food (they normally never get grapes..!) She then drank all her water and had a preen. Her comb was looking red and more upright and this morning she seemed so much better. Her poos now contain food in them rather than just liquid although they are still green tinged. And her crop never had any fluid in it this morning. She was calling away by the door so I've let her out to FR with the others and honestly, no one would know she was at deaths door yesterday! Will maybe bring her in again later but will have a feel of her crop and see what I think. I think she actually eats more with the encouragement of the others.

 

Wow, I knew cats had nine lives, how many do chickens have??

 

Uma x

[LottyJ1]

Yay!!!!

[Daphne]

Well done - you obviously have a very good rapport with chooks Enjoy her bumbling about, just being herself

[Uma]

I may have spoken too soon. After acting as normal running around with her friends yesterday by going in time she was looking a bit off. Her crop was full of fluid again so I emptied it and brought her in. She wasn't interested in food and I called the vet and took her at 8.30 this morning.

 

He drained her crop although overnight it hadn't filled up very much which was good news but he managed to get a chunk of tighly bound food/grass etc. out with his tube once the crop was completely empty. I have my fingers crossed that this was what was causing the problems and now its gone the crop may resume working properly. He gave her an injection which is normally given to help the stomach work properly in the hope that it will encourage the crop to start working again. Still on the Nystatin but last day of the microdazolone for a break. Syringing her with water, ACV, porridge and fruit puree just now and will puree an egg for later too.

 

Even if she doesn't improve I am glad she had a day being out and happy with her friends yesterday.

 

Uma x

[laurmurf]

I think getting the blockage out will be all she needs - i've got one who blocks up quite frequently and each time i've had to massage the lump of grassy-yuck up out of her beak and then she's been fine.

 

I think we need to get the word out on the omlet forum, in a sticky perhaps, that what folk have been describing as 'sour crop' isn't sour crop but a blockage that needs treatment and unblocking like your vet did for you and I've had to do with my chooks - nystatin will not achieve that.

 

The description of a fluid filled crop in the morning may indeed be sour crop - or not - but it is almost certainly caused by a blockage in the crop or possibly further down the digestive tract. If it's in the crop then it can sometimes be sorted out but only if the right approach is taken and quickly before too much weight is lost.

 

I've lost several hens to blocked crops now and I'm determined not to lose another - that's why i've learned to do the more 'agressive' interventions myself.

 

I'll contact a mod and ask for some updated info.

[Eggasperated]

Thought I would add to this although I did originally have a thread in 'Clinic' for Alice.

She was very quiet all day Tues and I did not see her eat or drink, because of the new girls problems I made her a vets appointment but when I checked her Tues night her crop was all squishy.

She went to the vets (farm vet I found as an alternative to my regular vet) Weds am and her crop was emptied, there was nothing in there to cause a problem and no blockage found. She had a Baytril injection and I was given oral Baytril to give her for 4 days and advised to give her probiotic yoghurt, by syringe if necessary.

She came home and drank some water and her crop immediately filled again. I have given her the Baytril and fed her the yoghurt but she is very unwell, with a crop like a water filled balloon and also very gurgly. I have another vet app. today at 5.20, is there anything else I can do in the mean time? Or anything I should ask the vet to do?

Alice is 3 and has never had anything like this before.

[Uma]

Eggasperated- If it is truly sour crop which is what it sounds like then she needs her crop emptied either by tube or by you vomiting her. Tube is better for the hen if the vet can do it. She then may need an anti fungal (Nystatin is the most effective) and also an anerobic antibiotic. You could ask the vet to take a sample to view under a mycroscope which is what my vet did. She will need fluids syringed into her if she is not drinking and also soft food too-eg. porridge and apple puree.

 

Lauramurf- Absokutely, I agree. However this was definately sour crop. I could feel no blockage initially in her crop at all, just lots and lots of fluid. I think the blockage was further down but I'm still waiting to see if this is what was causing it or not. The nysatin definately is helping as her crop is far less fluid filled with her taking it. Even if sour crop is caused by a blockage the candida can still be present making the whole thing worse.

 

So far so good with her though. She is enjoying some porridge, apple puree and pureed boiled egg syringed into her beak.... But seems brighter and crop isn't fluid filled.

 

Will keep updated.

 

Good luck with your hen Eggasperated!

 

Uma x

[Eggasperated]

Further update on Alice - she deteriorated over the afternoon and by the time we got to the vet her comb was purple and very floppy. The vet drained her crop and then found she had a very high temperature, so gave her a jab of metacam; but she doesn't hold out much hope. She did say Alice really needs to eat something to give her a chance of survival.

Anyway at home I tried all sorts of food, including apple purée, soaked pellets, yogurt - but she turned her beak up at everything until she heard me rattling dry pellets. I offered a few pellets and mealworms and she ate some, I didn't really want her eating dry food but I thought it was better than nothing. She did drink some water and I gave her the Baytril and syringed some yogurt into her beak.

We have to go back to the vet tomorrow to see how things are.

[Uma]

Eggasperated-I'm sorry to hear she isn't doing so well. Did your vet give you nystatin? I don't think the baytril will be helping matters at all as it is an antibiotic which will make the fungal infection worse, if that is what is causing the sour crop.....

 

You will need to syringe water into her regularly and also soft food. Often when they are poorly they go off their food and then that makes them feel worse, if I was you I would be mashing up a boiled egg with water and syringing that into her throat a few times a day.

 

Hope she is feeling a bit better this morning!

 

Uma x

[Uma]

Update on Hazel.

 

After being fed by syringe only and not eating Hazel began to perk up, her crop was beginning to function better and she was pecking around the room. I put her out for an afternoon and she went straight in with the others and gobbled up loads of food. The next morning she was really bright so went free ranging with the others and was doing really well, again the same yesterday, although she seemed reluctant to come in which to me was a warning sign. She was still eating which was great and crop was mostly empty by morning.

 

This morning however, when I let the girls out she never went for the food and was hunched over. Her crop was feeling ok but her tummy never felt right, although not like peritonitis. I took her to the vets at 9am and he said she was very dehydrated and had a mass in her tummy, which could be a tumour or a blockage. He gave her fluids via the top of her leg, antibiotics and something else that I never caught the name of... I am to give her 40mls more of water via beak and 40mls of sloppy food today and will be back at the vets 8.30 tomorrow. She doesn't look great though, her wattles and comb have been looking red and upright but they have started to look rather pale.

 

I don't feel optimistic. But I am glad she had a few days out with the others...

 

Uma x

[Eggasperated]

I'm so sorry to hear Hazel has had to go back to the vets Uma. I hope she can manage to recover its so sad to see them feeling unwell.

Alice seems to have made a recovery, she is now back with the others, scratching about eating grubs, grass and weeds, and some corn that I gave them all last night. However I have not seen her eat any pellets and although she is looking bright with a good colour comb this is rather worrying me.

 

Thinking of you and Hazel.

[sandyhas3chucks]

Somewhat concerned at the oral Baytril, as this alone can exacerbate the fungus causing a sour crop.

You may be fixing it only to cause it again and really need to be using Nystatin at the same time.

I am in a similar position but am needing to give Noroclav orally . I am staggering the antibiotic with Nystatin.

Nystatin works directly on the candida fungus, It remains in the gut not going into the blood stream..

[Uma]

My beautiful Hazel was put to sleep this morning at 8.30. I had been syringing her food and water yesterday but her crop was still full this morning and beginning to go back to sour crop. Her mass in her tummy was also much larger and she was in pain and very unwell.

 

First girl we have lost and she was my favourite-my little friend who would follow me everywhere outside and loved to come and have cuddles. I am very upset but know that I did the most I could for her, and having been brought back from peritonitis and sour crop twice she had a good life.

 

RIP my beauty.

 

Uma x

[sandyhas3chucks]

So very very sorry.. X

[Daphne]

Sad news RIP Hazel.

[Eggasperated]

So sorry, Uma.

[LottyJ1]

Sorry

[hippy chick]

aw so sorry

[Leicester_H]

So sorry - you did your very best for her.

H