tinkkletoes Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 hi all. i posted a few days ago thinking my 8 month old Blackrock had an impacted crop... i have for a few days given her warm olive oil in the morings. 2 mornings ago i thought it was smaller but this morning i would say it was about the same size as it was the night before. her crop was sought of swinging side to side this morning as she walked around the run ( it did look like the pic on this forum about impacted crop). she still has a big appitite but now getting a bit worried for her wellbeing & health. does anyone have ideas how to make the crop smaller. thinking of trying maggots. has anyone tried this & did it work.? all ideas greatly received please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Sorry to hear that, I did use maggots with one of my orpsa and she fully recovered although sometimes she has a huge crop at night but she is a very greedy girl. I ordered the maggots on the Internet, sterile and not dyed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I have used live maggots and fed them about an hour before bed and let them work their magic. One of my girls also had sour crop and I had to make her vomit, not something I would recommend unless your confident. I would try the maggots, give her crop a gentle massage then let her eat the maggots and see how she is the next day. You can try the oil/massage for a day or two but if that doesn't work then maybe a trip to the vets I'm afraid x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 The effectivity of the maggots to break up a crop impaction depends entirely on how the chicken eats them. Some gulp them down live, others peck them once to kill them and then swallow. They are going to do nothing in the crop if they are dead. Not a method I have employed, although I used to give them maggots as a treat. We have the same sort of problem with an Orpington Thinkkletoes. I can't get the lump to break up in her case and suspect it is a knotted mass of feathers. It all depends what is in her crop as to wether it will break up and digest successfully. All I can suggest is to administer excess water (10 -20mL at a time, depends on their crop capacity) and massage gently to try and soften it. Are her poo's OK? I ask this to make sure her digestive system is free of any obstruction, because that can be why the lump forms in her crop in the first place. That's our problem at the moment and a very difficult one to solve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Maggots can be effective ( give her the White, undyed sort), depending on the nature of the blockage. Apple sauce can be effective in softening the mass and helping to break it down a bit too. If it is a repeated problem, she could have a blockage further down. If she continues to have a reasonable appetite, is laying and pooing, then there is probably not too much to worry do about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinkkletoes Posted November 22, 2014 Author Share Posted November 22, 2014 well have syringed her 3 times today with warm olive oil and massaged her crop. massaging i thought i felt corn. kept her most of the day in an open cage. i did give her some live mealworms as a treat of which she gulped down. she was given the last hour or so in run before bed. her manor is still as bright as it has always been. i did manage to see her poo once and it was small the usual consistency BUT with a green tinge to it. ?? !! good / bad ?? will do the same tomorrow. hoping it's doing her some good. maggots ordered. but now i have a very broody Speckledy who decided today was the day to start! and to top it all no eggs have been laid today . guess too unsettled with all this going on. hoping for better tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Have you thought about withholding food and only giving her small amounts of fluid for 24 hours to see if her crop clears? I Would try that and then feed small amounts of wet mash for a day or two. When giving her the maggots I did mine about an hour before bed and let those little rascals work their magic overnight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
