I have an australorp that has had a chronic problem with sour crop, which resulted in a pendulous crop/slow crop due to it being stretched out. Then we get more sour crop because it moves fluid so poorly. I've been at my wits end with her, could see that the large crop bothered her and her health was at jeapordy. I decided to construct and try a crop bra after reading a few things about its use in other birds, like parrots. I have to say that today, at day 3 using one, it is working nicely! Her crop is nearly normal and does not seem as flacid by at least half. I'm going to give it another two days or so, but I think this looks promising for those who have the same problem with birds. Here's how I made mine:
I took a man's support sock (the black stretchy ones full of elastic) and cut the foot off so that I had a tube. Folded in half lengthwise, I cut a sliver of material from one crease-fold beginning about 1.5" away from where the foot was cut off and about 4" long. (similar to cutting a thin heart out of a folded piece of paper.) This leaves a 1.5" round "collar" at the foot end and a belt at the other end of the sock (where it would fit around your calf.) Now lay the sock flat so that the sliver you cut is open into an oval. This is where wings will fit through, The collar at foot-end will fit around the bird's neck, the calf-end will fit around the bird's waist under the wings like a belt, and the material left intact will fit over the bird's crop and abdomen to support the crop. If you have a large bird like mine, you'll have to cut the calf-end belt in the middle and sew an extra strip of material in to fit the hen so it's snug but not too tight around the waist. (I cut a strip from the discarded foot.) You put the finished bra on like a shirt: calf-end belt first over head and wings making sure open oval is on top, gently pull wings through the hole so mesh material is on abdomen/crop and belt is situated around waist near hips, then finally pulling neck collar over head last and settle close to shoulders under neck feathers. Just make sure it's not to tight anywhere and the bird can eat and drink normally, and walk. You want to make sure the sock material over crop is wide enough not to bunch or slide to the side, and that it provides good coverage/support of the bloated crop. (Try not to cut the sliver too large so that the oval is not too big when you open it.)
I used a black support sock so that it blended with her feathers and the other birds would ignore it. She didn't like it much and keeps picking/scratching at it, so you'll have to keep an eye on your bird to make sure they don't get claws snagged in the bra. Just a few days of support seems to give the crop some time to drain properly and shrink. I haven't changed her diet or ACV water. It is just the bra that seems to be working!
I took a man's support sock (the black stretchy ones full of elastic) and cut the foot off so that I had a tube. Folded in half lengthwise, I cut a sliver of material from one crease-fold beginning about 1.5" away from where the foot was cut off and about 4" long. (similar to cutting a thin heart out of a folded piece of paper.) This leaves a 1.5" round "collar" at the foot end and a belt at the other end of the sock (where it would fit around your calf.) Now lay the sock flat so that the sliver you cut is open into an oval. This is where wings will fit through, The collar at foot-end will fit around the bird's neck, the calf-end will fit around the bird's waist under the wings like a belt, and the material left intact will fit over the bird's crop and abdomen to support the crop. If you have a large bird like mine, you'll have to cut the calf-end belt in the middle and sew an extra strip of material in to fit the hen so it's snug but not too tight around the waist. (I cut a strip from the discarded foot.) You put the finished bra on like a shirt: calf-end belt first over head and wings making sure open oval is on top, gently pull wings through the hole so mesh material is on abdomen/crop and belt is situated around waist near hips, then finally pulling neck collar over head last and settle close to shoulders under neck feathers. Just make sure it's not to tight anywhere and the bird can eat and drink normally, and walk. You want to make sure the sock material over crop is wide enough not to bunch or slide to the side, and that it provides good coverage/support of the bloated crop. (Try not to cut the sliver too large so that the oval is not too big when you open it.)
I used a black support sock so that it blended with her feathers and the other birds would ignore it. She didn't like it much and keeps picking/scratching at it, so you'll have to keep an eye on your bird to make sure they don't get claws snagged in the bra. Just a few days of support seems to give the crop some time to drain properly and shrink. I haven't changed her diet or ACV water. It is just the bra that seems to be working!
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