enzed Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 I think Geraldine has some sort of problem with her crop. She's still eating and drinking, but I thought I should get her some vegetable oil, and massage her crop to see if that helps stop her doing this funny swallowing move. Question is, how do I get it down her? I thought of putting a little oil in a ramikin and offering it to her, or mixing oil and corn and seeing if that works? Anybody got any experience of this? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starboyhull Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 I would have thought a syringe (without needle) would be the easiest way, something like you use for feeding chicks when hand rearing, or you could try a tea spoon with the edges bent up, which will work, but will probably be very messy ( we only ever used this for thicker foods) oil might be too runny..... Any good pet supplier or vet should be able to supply a syringe, if you explain what its for.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 If you go to a chemist and ask for a 5 ml syringe, they will sell you one. DON"T tell them its for a chicken! You are not allowed to buy them for animals! (As we found out when our dog was diabetic). My Mum said they were for an old man down the road. Its crazy, but thats the world we live in. If you mix some olive oil with pellets/mash, I found that was quite a good way of getting oil into the girls. All the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starboyhull Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 I didnt know that Christian, probably well worth remembering...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 The law states that you have to visit a vet for animal medication. Syringes you can buy over the counter for humans only! The worlds gone mad!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 You're right Christian. We wanted one in the early days with Stefan, as a spoon was less than useless. They asked me over the coounter what it was for. I think I looked a bit confused as I thought it was obvious as I'd also got some medicine, but they did say it shouldn't be sold for use with animals. However, I have syringed a bit of oil onto the top of our hen's beak in the past to help with the food flow with said syringe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 haven't tried it, but I think you can soak bread in olive oil and get it into them that way? maybe if her crop is already full that's not such a good idea though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 If her crop is full in the morning (first thing) then I would try and feed her live white maggots They will eat whatever is stuck in her crop and should help the situation. You can get them from fishing shops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMO Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 You could also try a 5ml pippette which is what my vet recommended when Roxanne stopped eating/drinking to keep her hydrated. Once it is in the beak just squeeze out the contents - don't worry about her choking as there is only one way in. Hope this helps AMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 If you syringe onto the bottom of the beak it will go down the right way. the windpipe is in the top half of the beak. I would try soaking bread in oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Can't help you out with how to do it. But on the subject of sourcing syringes, my children have 5ml syringes (just plastic tubes, no needles obviously) which I got from the chemist when they were babies. They are regularily used for very young children who can't take medecine from a spoon, so perhaps visit a chemist and tell them your "baby" needs a syringe for Calpol......? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enzed Posted June 30, 2007 Author Share Posted June 30, 2007 Her crop does seem to be full in the morning, although she is still eating, and has started laying again. So far, I have tried mixing oil with corn, with porridge oats and a 5mL syringe. With the oil plus corn or with oats, she stuck her beak in, then pecked at her own poo rather than take anything I offered. When it came to the syringe, two of us tried, but she wouldn't even open her beak, nevermind getting the oil into her crop, this from the chicken that tries to eat everything. Next, I the oil on bread, then the maggots.... even threatening her with the vet didn't make her open her beak! I just don't want her ending up really ill, if I could do something about it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah 2 Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 When I first got my girls we had to give them wormer by syrine. I used to get my husband to hold them firmly and I would be the one to force open their beak with my finger nail. You need to hold their neck with one hand though. Not as horrible as it sounds. Make sure you do a little bit at a time and but it on their tongue otherwise they seem to spit it everywhere. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickaboo Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 This is obvioulsy going to sound stupid, but how do you know if they have a problem with their crops !? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esjay Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Hello, I recently had a problem with a hen with a blocked crop and unfortunately she died, but when I spoke to a chicken breeder he said if it happens again get about 4 small balls of unperfumed soap and put them in her beak and push them down and just let her have water, no food. Do that for a few days and that does the trick. I have no idea if this works, any one else heard of it? esjay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhapsody Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 Oh dear- Bizmillah did this- do a search and you'll find my thread about it. We tried liquid paraffin down the throat (you have to be tough, wrap chook in a towel, head back and prise beak open) but she still kept 'body popping' so I tried flushing it out, it might work but its horrible- you syringe water down the throat then massage the crop, then turn wrapped chook upside down and firmly 'milk' the crop, working from bottom up to top. Hen will regurgitate all over your shoes. Repeat as necessary.Do not do in a raging thunderstorm as I did or you will get a reputation for the bizarre. If that doesnt clear it (btw your vet will do it for you, money well spent IMHO) then ask advice from a vet who knows poultry. Biz ended up having Crop Surgery, apparently she had a ball of grass stuck tight at the bottom of her crop that food could only inch past. Let us know how she fares Rhapsody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enzed Posted July 4, 2007 Author Share Posted July 4, 2007 The maggots worked a treat!! Geraldine's crop is not swollen anymore, and she is more interested in pellets than she has been. And the chickchicks acted like all their Christmases had come at once - I thought it was the most disgusting thing, and I got some strange looks in the fishing supplies shop, obviously not knowing a thing about maggots - who knew they came in half-pint measures!! Will definitely try that again. My only worry was that they ate too many, after Geraldine decided to try and fly into the tub, and knocked half the maggots all over the grass - they got them so quickly I couldn't have picked them up, but they seem to have had no ill effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
