I returned home from a trip to find that one of my hen's crop was very full, and felt impacted. It was also making the gargling noises and smelled as though it may have been sour as well. I separated her and tried everything from fasting, epsom salt drenches, massage, olive oil, and baking soda to get it to break up and move along naturally, but after almost a week, the impaction was slightly smaller but just as firm as ever. My sister, a former vet tech, came over, opened up her crop, and removed a horribly stinky mass of hay. She also flushed the bird's crop out with warm water before suturing it closed. That was on Saturday night, and the chicken's crop felt completely empty after surgery. Because the surgery was done in a less-than sterile environment, and I had nothing but cotton thread to sew her closed with, I started her on penicillin G injections. I provided her with water after the surgery, but waited until the next morning to give her some yogurt with mashed garlic (incase of sour crop) and a few bites of scrambled eggs. I fed her a small amount of the same things Sunday evening. On monday morning her crop was not totally empty, and her poops were mostly just water and bile. I've been feeding her small amounts of food throughout the day since, alternating between scrambled eggs and layer pellets soaked in water and Kefir. She has had one solid poop since the surgery, but continues to mostly have watery brown or clear poops, but is still laying eggs daily. Last night was day 5 of the penicillin injections (i gave 1/2cc/1xday). From what I've read 5 days is a full course, and the surgery site looks very good. Her crop is still not emptying normally though and she keeps doing this "chewing" thing, so I am wondering if I need to now treat for sour crop? Before we did the surgery I ordered some copper sulfate, which should be arriving today. I'm thinking it can't hurt to treat her water with that? Is it possible there's an impaction beyond the crop, in the gizzard or something? Advice? Thank you!
