- Oct 13, 2013
- 58
- 3
- 41
I have a 10 month old hen with an impacted crop. I noticed her a few days ago not wanting to fly up to roost, then saw that her crop was very low and full even in the mornings. So I did some research and learned how to vomit a chicken, which smelled very sour and brought up quite a lot of mostly liquid stuff. I then isolated her to watch her and so I could treat her further.
I have been reading all about crop issues since then, and have only become confused. I believe she had sour crop as a result of an impaction. The first vomit was really sour smelling for sure. And I could feel a hard mass in her crop the first time.
This is day 3 that I've been treating her and like I said I just keep getting more confused. Some people say make her vomit to try to empty the crop, others say don't do that she needs fluids. Some say water, some say oil, some say wine!
Here is what I have done so far:
Day 1 I made her vomit to clean out the crop, very bad smelling stuff came out, mostly liquid. I then massaged her crop and felt a firm mass in there. Tried to break it up a little but didn't want to hurt her, though she seems to enjoy the massage sessions and coos at me to keep going if I stop. I gave her 2 droppers of mineral oil and massages some more. Did this 3 times during the day. Put a bit of molasses and baking soda in her water, took away hard foods and put out some soft fermented feed that my girls usually go nuts for. She ate a bit but was not that interested. She drank well though and seemed to perk up after I emptied her crop.
Day 2 I fed 2 mashed cooked eggs, 1 in the morning and 1 at night, and also put out fermented feed, which she at a little of, and a piece of melon which she picked at. In between feeding I made her vomit to see if I could get any lumpy stuff out that may have broken up. Mostly liquid came out, but thicker this time and with some small solids in it, but nothing dramatic that I could see would cause a blockage. She continued to drink well. I massaged 3 times during the day, and the hard lump seemed to be breaking up, or at least not as big. I put olive oil in with her eggs as well, and I made sure she had a dish of grit. My chickens free range so they have lots of opportunity to pick up grit, but I also put out a dish of chicken grit for them to be sure.
Today I checked her first thing and her crop was not empty so I again massaged and made her vomit, but only liquid came up. I can't feel a hard lump anymore, but I do feel small gritty stuff, in other words her crop is not smooth and empty feeling, but there's no longer a softball in there. After vomiting I could still see her crop was pouchy and I could still feel that there was something in it, but not a hard mass.
I fed her another egg with yogurt mixed in and she gobbled it up. She continues to drink well.
She seems to have a good appetite and drinks well, but it looks like her crop is very sluggish. She is pooping but not a lot, or at least not as much as I think she should. What poop she does produce looks normal, and also I wormed her on day 1 of this crop issue. She doesn't seem to have much appetite except for cooked eggs, which she eagerly gobbles up.
Should I continue to try to empty her crop? Flush it with water? Give her more oil? Like I said there is so much advice out there I'm getting really confused!
I have been reading all about crop issues since then, and have only become confused. I believe she had sour crop as a result of an impaction. The first vomit was really sour smelling for sure. And I could feel a hard mass in her crop the first time.
This is day 3 that I've been treating her and like I said I just keep getting more confused. Some people say make her vomit to try to empty the crop, others say don't do that she needs fluids. Some say water, some say oil, some say wine!
Here is what I have done so far:
Day 1 I made her vomit to clean out the crop, very bad smelling stuff came out, mostly liquid. I then massaged her crop and felt a firm mass in there. Tried to break it up a little but didn't want to hurt her, though she seems to enjoy the massage sessions and coos at me to keep going if I stop. I gave her 2 droppers of mineral oil and massages some more. Did this 3 times during the day. Put a bit of molasses and baking soda in her water, took away hard foods and put out some soft fermented feed that my girls usually go nuts for. She ate a bit but was not that interested. She drank well though and seemed to perk up after I emptied her crop.
Day 2 I fed 2 mashed cooked eggs, 1 in the morning and 1 at night, and also put out fermented feed, which she at a little of, and a piece of melon which she picked at. In between feeding I made her vomit to see if I could get any lumpy stuff out that may have broken up. Mostly liquid came out, but thicker this time and with some small solids in it, but nothing dramatic that I could see would cause a blockage. She continued to drink well. I massaged 3 times during the day, and the hard lump seemed to be breaking up, or at least not as big. I put olive oil in with her eggs as well, and I made sure she had a dish of grit. My chickens free range so they have lots of opportunity to pick up grit, but I also put out a dish of chicken grit for them to be sure.
Today I checked her first thing and her crop was not empty so I again massaged and made her vomit, but only liquid came up. I can't feel a hard lump anymore, but I do feel small gritty stuff, in other words her crop is not smooth and empty feeling, but there's no longer a softball in there. After vomiting I could still see her crop was pouchy and I could still feel that there was something in it, but not a hard mass.
I fed her another egg with yogurt mixed in and she gobbled it up. She continues to drink well.
She seems to have a good appetite and drinks well, but it looks like her crop is very sluggish. She is pooping but not a lot, or at least not as much as I think she should. What poop she does produce looks normal, and also I wormed her on day 1 of this crop issue. She doesn't seem to have much appetite except for cooked eggs, which she eagerly gobbles up.
Should I continue to try to empty her crop? Flush it with water? Give her more oil? Like I said there is so much advice out there I'm getting really confused!
hope she gets better soon! 
