Crop Issue - 3 year old Amelia

[N8Yoder]

We have a 3 year old Rhode Island Red (Amelia) who has a very full soft crop. It was squishy and not firm and had quite a bit of liquid in it. I massaged her crop this morning and when I put her down she threw up quite a bit. I then gave her 1/8 of a cup of Epsom salt water mixture (1/8 cup water with 1/2 tsp of Epsom's salts) via syringe. We have her separated from the rest of the flock in the "hospital hen house" which is inside the run but a separate coop we have for ill birds.

Should I start a pro biotic or feed her yogurt? Should we give her oregano or perhaps some olive oil or should we simply keep her isolated with water only at this point? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[chickcrack]

My recommendation would be water only for 12 hours. And monitor poop closely. You may want to repeat the epsom salt treatment in several hours if you aren't noticing her crop going down much and massage in downward motion as often as you can. She will probably drink a lot today and that's good. There seems to be a lot of crop issues lately! I have always observed in my flock that molting season seems to trigger crop problems but just an observation. Give us an update when you can.

 

[N8Yoder]

Thank you very much! Appreciate your advice

 

[N8Yoder]

When I massage her crop fluids are thrown up. I am nervous that I will cause her to aspirate. Her crop is again full of fluids. Should I just leave her be for 12 hours or so?

 

[CuzChickens]

You are doing the right thing getting her to vomit. Here is what I posted on somebody else's thread with a sour crop.

Sour crop is a potentially fatal condition that occurs when a hen's crop does not fully empty and a bacterial yeast infection results. The following can cause sour crop; inadequate access to grit; consuming long, fibrous grass, weeds and other plant fibers; excessive amounts of bread or pasta; eating wood chips, sand, string or twine; moldy feed.

Sour crop is identified by a squishy, soft, engorged crop, sour breath and possibly some liquid coming out of the hens's mouth. To treat sour crop, massage the crop in the direction of the head to try to induce vomiting and feed the hen yogurt, olive or vegetable oil and water with apple cider vinegar in it along with additional grit to aid in digesting the mass. Withhold all other solid foods and continue to massage the crop gently several times a day until the condition improves.

 

[N8Yoder]

Many thanks! I'm more than a bit stressed/nervous and I don't want her to be in any discomfort! Appreciate your help and feedback!

 

[polish hen]

Try some ducolax sodium 100mg capsules (it's a stool softener) give two capsules buy mouth with a five ml syringe of water or electrolyte water as this will activate the capsules so that they can start sofening whatever is blocking her crop, this has always worked amazing for any of my birds regardless of wheather they have a squishy crop or very hard feeling one, don't try to vomit it will almost always cause aspiration and if when you try to massage her crop she's bringing up fluid then stop because that indicates that she really full and the fluid could also aspirate her buy overflow of the crop, when a bird has a crop impaction they desperatly try to clear it buy drinking a lot of water but it also puts them at risk of aspiration if handeled roughly that's not to say you shouldn't gently try to massage her crop in a downward motion, but if fluid starts coming up I whould stop also give a slice of watermelon or cantalope to keep her hydrated along with plenty of water or vitamin electrolyte water and cheak her crop next morning and do this before she starts eating or drinking and if it's still full then give another two capsules with water. This may take a few days or it could be resolved next morning it's hard to say but if you start to notice a gross fermening smell and bubbling sound it could be sour crop which is very dangerous and she'll need a vet to perscribe powerfull antifungal meds

 

[N8Yoder]

Many thanks. We have been giving her yogurt and pieces of water melon but she has almost no interest in eating. She seems to be a bit more perky today (at least at points) but she spends lots of time in the corner of the chicken house. We have her separated in a separate smaller house so that she doesn't eat anything yet.

I took your advice on the Ducolax. I have been able to get one tablet into her but I was not able to get the 2nd into her. Her crop is squishy but not full of liquid. I was able to get her to eat some water melon so I am hopeful that the one tablet will be good enough for now. I am extremely appreciative. If she is infected is there a specific antibiotic that we should get for her or will that not do any good? Thoughts?

 

[polish hen]

No sadly if she has sour crop she needs antifungal medication such as naisatin (don't think my spelling is quite right) which is the medication of choice for sour crop but is only available buy vet prescription so it whould be best to take her in if you are able to. People also try at home treatments for sour crop like monistat but I have no idea the dosing or wheather it is even really effective or not... one thing is for sure if you think she has actual sour crop the best thing and only thing to do is take her to an avian vet because sour crop is life threatening and the longer your bird is left untreated the weaker and sicker she'll get and the outcome won't be good at all. I truly hope that she just has a impaction but please try to give her the other ducolax one won't help as much, just open her beak up and push the pill to the side of her throat, don't worry her windpipe is clearly visable and looks like a hole in the middle of her mouth when you open her mouth, I was worried about giving capsules as well but it's not so bad once you get the hang of it, or you could cut the capsule open with sissors then such up its contents with a syringe if that whould be easier? , keep me posted and good luck to you!

 

[polish hen]

So I've been trying to find more info for you and it appears there are a few people having great results treating sour crop with monistat, not sure how to provide you a link to this paticular thread but, look up "sour crop cured with monistat backyard chickens" and it should send you right to this exact thread, good luck!