Omlet cube and run

[Beetlemama]

We have a sick hen, she's about 3 now and she's always been a well hen but these past few weeks she's been going downhill, I first noticed her not getting up and coming out at the end of March, we thought a blocked crop and sour crop, did all the usual things with yogurt and maggots and she's been in the house for the better part of two weeks.

 

I was tipping her crop out for the first couple of days, and the sour crop passed, but she had a ball in there even after a day without food, I think she ate a bunch of hay from the bedding, she does that but its not got her in to trouble yet, until now.

 

Now, my concern here is I have been feeding her soaked pellets and despite the lump in her crop she seemed to be going well, eating and pooping, we were going to put her back with the others this weekend, so I started feeding her dry pellets and wheat again on Tuesday (still in the house) and today she's back with sour crop.

 

Is it time to put her down? if she can't eat properly she's not going to have much of a life and I can't really keep a chicken in the house for the next decade in a cage on my dinning room table to ensure she only eats wet food.....anything else I could try or is it time? any help appreciate, I'm not thrilled about having to do this, she's a nice old girl and she's fun to have in the house, you say 'Morning Ethel" and she says "Booor!" back

[Tweety]

Hi, sorry to hear about your girl. Have you taken her to a vet? They may be able to suggest/prescribe something. There may be nothing they can do, but I would get her checked out before making any decisions.

Good luck with her.

[Goldie]

We had a sour/impacted crop hen for a long time...did the remedies like oil/maggots/massage etc all to no avail. She threw her head around to try and dislodge it but she seemed happy enough, free ranging, eating, drinking, scratching around although slightly slower to run around than the others. But she seemed fine, although she didn't lay, everything passed through her ok, enjoyed her corn and mealworm treats.

We had her put down last weekend and it became apparent she wasn't all that well inside (when the contents of what had been in her crop all came out) and I felt like we should have bitten the bullet with her a long time ago.

In the end it's completely up to you, if you feel you can help her through the illness then by all means try your best for her. But we couldn't and should have stopped her misery rather than let her just carry on. But hindsight is always 20/20.

Go on what you can see in front of you, it's hard to let them go but harder to see them suffer.

P.s. I've since seen that live yoghurt can be helpful to sour crop hens.

[freddie]

we've just been through this with one of ours, and had to do the deed, as she was miserable, .I take heart that she had a great time until last week, with all a chicken could want for.

[laurmurf]

We had one with recurring blocked crop. I kept getting the blockage out then she'd block up again. I should have acted sooner as she was fading throughout and losing weight and condition. I wanted her to be well and that stopped me being pragmatic...

A 3 year old hybrid has reached a good old age, it just may be her time.

[Beetlemama]

Thanks folks, we don't want to leave her to make us feel better rather than to do it to make her feel better but once we'd read the replies my husband wants to give her a bit longer (probably because he'll be the one doing the deed), so we're going with Tuesday if she isn't markedly improved.

 

Hate all this business though, when our rooster died last year it was pretty horrible, the girls didn't know what to do without him, but eventually they sorted out a new pecking order with Ethel second in command and now she's going.

[sandyhas3chucks]

Like you I was sure my girl had eaten some bedding as saw her pecking at it.. her crop was full not emptying, ftried all the usual.

She had a crop operation on Tuesday,,,

This was not stressfull and she is fine in herself now was the next day BUT there was only food she had eaten in the last 7 days in there!!!!

I know just what she had as she too had lost weight.

Well you would eating for a week and it not going through to feed you !!!

The problem now is

WHY ?

There will always be an underlying reason.???

Is her gizzards impacted, am I getting it cleared.

Or an a Post Mortem on anther showed is there a blockage caused by anything further along actually preventing the food going any further?

I am afraid as many questions as answers.

But for today she is happy, today she is eating and enjoying life..

For Hen Pen her crop IS moving now slowly though not totally emptying over night.

This week will tell I think,

But It will be better a day early than a day late as soon as is necessary...

each girl and reason seems to be different..

My friends was blocked solid with grass, after removal whilst awake and operated on at vets , she made a full recovery.. thos was a year ago. without the removal she would not have survived . we struggled a month with her and I wish we had her operated on sooner !! ( I say we as I was the one who cared and looked after her until she was well )

[Egluntyne]

I see you mention that she has been eating hay. I would use a different bedding in future, as hay and straw are both implicated in causing blocked crops, and in addition, they can harbour fungus spores.

 

I'd have her to a vet now, for a thorough assessment, as the lump that you feel might be a tumour of some sort.

[Goldie]

How is she today Beetlemama? Any improvement?

 

Egluntyne, What would you suggest as a bedding apart from straw? Having had a blocked/sour crop and obviously not wanting another episode...how do you bed your hens nestboxes? Just shavings?