Bella Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 I wonder if anyone would be able to offer an experienced opinion please. We don't have a chicken vet to ask and I've googled until my eyes are swivelling!! A little background- our year old Bluebell presented 10 days ago with a big balloony crop in the afternoon. A quick Google suggested sour crop so we did 24 hrs in isolation with just water. Her crop went down. She then had two days of small meals of scrambled egg with probiotic powder mixed in. Crop seemed normal but her meals were very small so not much to fill it up. She then graduated to small meals of sloppy wet layers mash still with the probiotics. All seemed OK. On Sunday, thinking she was fixed, she went back in the coop with the others and by the afternoon the big squashy crop was back. She did a day in isolation again yesterday with wet mash in small portions and seemed fine. We've given her a bit more food today and the big crop is back again. She doesn't have a smell from her beak anymore and seems quite perky in herself. My question is, what am I doing wrong? And how should I proceed from here? Am I being too hasty in trying to get her back with the others and is there anything more I should be doing. We don't have access to a chicken vet Any advice very great fully received. Tia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 Apart from being big, is her crop also slushy when feeling it? Is she pooping normally? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 I think I’d keep her isolated just so I could control her eating for a little longer to see what happens then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bella Posted February 4, 2022 Author Share Posted February 4, 2022 On 2/4/2022 at 6:47 PM, Cat tails said: Apart from being big, is her crop also slushy when feeling it? Is she pooping normally? Hi, yes her crop feels like a water balloon. It does go down over night and she is pooping normally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted February 6, 2022 Share Posted February 6, 2022 How is she now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bella Posted February 6, 2022 Author Share Posted February 6, 2022 On 2/6/2022 at 8:52 AM, mullethunter said: How is she now? Hi, thanks for asking. She's much the same. If we keep her food intake very small she seems able to digest it but if she has a more normal amount of food then her crop gets very big again. She's still in isolation and I've bought some daktarin oral gel and started her on that three times a day. We've tried to get hold of live maggots to feed her in case she has a blockage but noone has any available as it's not quite fishing season yet. I may try feeding a bit of coconut oil too. Its very frustrating because she seems quite perky otherwise. Any suggestions very welcome 🙏 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted February 6, 2022 Share Posted February 6, 2022 Daktarin is what I was going to suggest. Although it’s not licensed for use in poultry it did work for me once. If she’s still pooing I wouldn’t think it’s a blockage. I would keep feeding her little and often just with pellets as long as she’s eating them (or anything nutritious if she won’t) but if it was me I’d be getting her to a vet now. You say you don’t have access to a chicken vet. Are you in the UK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bella Posted February 7, 2022 Author Share Posted February 7, 2022 Hi, yes we are in the UK. On the Isle of Wight. The only vet practice with a chicken specialist isn't taking on new patients. We've been on the waiting list for 2 years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 Oh blimey that’s not good - I didn’t even know that was a thing ☹️ It might be worth ringing around other vets to see if they have anyone who could help (if you haven’t already). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 8, 2022 Share Posted February 8, 2022 On 2/7/2022 at 7:40 AM, Bella said: Hi, yes we are in the UK. On the Isle of Wight. The only vet practice with a chicken specialist isn't taking on new patients. We've been on the waiting list for 2 years! Could you not pop over to Portsmouth / Southsea and find a vet there to help you? I know the journey to/from IOW is expensive but could be worth a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
