Crop Worms

[FernhillMama]

I have a 8mo old chocolate Orpington I am treating for worms. She’s lost a good deal of weight and been acting off/lethargic. Not eating as much as usual. Poop doesn’t have any blood. Crop hard/doughy first thing this morning.

I’ve given her 1/4mL/lb safeguard as dewormer. Do I give it to her every day for 5 days and again at day 10 or once then again on day 7? I keep seeing different things.

I have her separated and am giving water, crumbles, and will give veg oil to help move things along.

Anything else I should do?

 

[Eggcessive]

When treating with SafeGuard treating once and in 10 days will treat round worms only. To treat roundworms, capillary, and gapeworms, treat for 5 days in a row. That is it.

It does sound like a possible impacted crop. What are you feeding? Do you have granite poultry grit available? Here is a good link to read about crop problems:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Eggcessive]

Is she eating anything? I would try feeding some egg and a little watery chicken feed. Is a vet possible if she has a wad of grass inside her crop?

 

[nuthatched]

It sounds more like a crop issue.
What's her diet?

 

[azygous]

Can you feel a wad of grass in her crop? How long has she been suffering from this crop issue? It may be caused by something other than what she ate. What did the crop feel like first thing this morning?

 

[azygous]

A doughy crop isn't necessarily an impacted crop, and unless you can feel grass in there, I wouldn't recommend crop surgery. Continue with the stool softener and oil and massage for today. When massaging, try to focus your fingers to break up the mass in the crop.

Have you tube fed a chicken? Are you game to try? If she's getting weak from hunger, this can help give her some strength. By tonight, you may want to try a crop flush if there is not progress, but that also is more efficiently done by tubing.

All that is needed is flexible oxygen or aquarium tubing and a syringe that holds a few ml of liquid that will fit into the diameter of the tubing. You cut the tubing into a ten inch length and we can instruct how to insert.

 

[FernhillMama]

I am willing to tube feed. She eont be able to go on much longer like this. I will get tubing and a syringe while in town today.

I’ve been kneading the crop trying to breakup anything, but it seems very much like a dough ball with no identifiable masses to be broken up. I remove her water at night and the crop is smaller in the morning, but no true improvement over prior morning.

 

[FernhillMama]

I would tube feed some raw eggyolks mixed with sugar to help rebuild some strength.

Maybe repeat every two hours to give it some time to go down into the gizzard and further to the intestines to be absorbed.

I’ll do this for sure. I don’t have bird food folks talk about using so was going to research recipes. I forgot to mention I gave her 1mL of nutridrench with her electrolyte water.

 

[FernhillMama]

Update 9/27

Crop fed raw egg yolks and fluids last night and hen was a wee bit perkier this morning. Crop still had full, doughy consistency this morning. My mind may be playing tricks, but it seemed the slightest bit smaller and maybe more fibrous? Perhaps I’m able to feel what I’m thinking is a grassy obstruction.

Am going to flush crop again and crop feed again today.

 

[FernhillMama]

Update 9/28

I’ve been crop feeding her at night and she’s free ranging during the day. Her crop was still doughy this morning. It almost feels like sand in a stress ball?

She’s still lagging behind. Her appetite is there, but diminished. She enthusiastically ate strawberries today.

Her crop has been full from time to time like a water balloon so she is drinking. Her comb doesn’t look as bright red as her sisters, but it’s the slightest bit darker, not pale. May be my imagination though as I’m looking for anything to indicate signs of our troubles.

I don’t know what to do from here. I don’t love tube feeding, but will do so if necessary for her. Where do I go from here?