Our chicken has a overly sized chest!!?

chickennl0ver

Chirping
8 Years
Mar 1, 2016
26
12
94
maine
Our chicken Bubbles has been having some problems over the past few weeks. When winter started all of our girls started drinking a lot of water, especially her. We thought it was normal and her "food sack" as my kids like to call it was abnormally giant and full of water. Now it's been like that everyday. Its about the size of a coconut and her body is very small. When you pick her up she is very light and you can see that her "food sack" is just extremely expanded and full of water. I've stood outside and watched her eat the chicken food so I know that she does eat but her "food sack" is becoming worrisome. I don't know if it's an infection or she just always drinks water (I don't think she could keep it up to the coconut size 24/7 even if she drank ALOT of water). I also forgot to mention that when you pick her up then set her down she throws up or even she falls down sometimes and throws up. It smells horrible and definitely not healthy. I love my chickens with all my heart and I dont want one of them to die:( Please help! I don't know what to do!
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She has sour crop. Likely caused by a blockage in her "food sack" or crop as its called. If a trip to the vet isn't an option then you need to gently turn her on her back and hold her up in the air with her head pointing down. Gently massage her crop to expel the excess fluid/food. Bring her back upright to let her breathe every couple of seconds. Do this and much as you have to until the crop is a more normal size and then massage it gently. The massaging will break up any blockage she may have. Isolate her and withhold food and water for 24 hours. After that give her some water then leave her with nothing overnight. If her crop empties overnight then feed her soft foods for a few days then return her to the flock, if not, keep massaging her crop several times a day and give her only fluids. Electrolyte water is ok.
 
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One more thing. Sour crop is a yeast infection of the crop. You can look it up and will find lots of methods to treat it. I have dealt with it myself and the only thing that worked for me is a little unconventional as I've never heard of anyone else trying it so proceed at your own risk. I gave my hen with chronic sour crop oregano essential oil diluted in coconut oil. One drop oregano diluted in a tablespoon of oil. I would offer a teaspoon of this to her mixed with a bit of wet food after her crop empties.
 

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