Impacted crop

[casportpony]

Has she been drinking a normal amount of water?

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Can you post a picture of her poop?

-Kathy

 

[Michelle2639]

Yes, she seems to be drinking fine. I'll try and get a picture in the morning, it's dark here now. What I saw this morning was a somewhat chunky/liquidy. She hasn't seemed sick. My first clue that something was going on was that she was moving her head last night like she was trying to swallow down something and then was still doing it this morning. That's when I caught her and checked her over. I went ahead and checked all the other girls too and they all seem fine.

 

[TwoCrows]

I have to interject something here, though. Many times, an impacted crop is not the true issue, only a symptom of a more serious underlying one. The crop is a barometer of how the body is working. It is just what we can see for ourselves. Crops can stop working, causing an impaction, not necessarily an impaction causing the crop to quit working.

I've cleaned out crops and they never did work again because the problem was not really the crop but the system of the bird was failing due to some underlying issue, like reproductive cancer or other internal issue or highly advanced pendulous crop where the muscles just do not work any longer (common in some lines of blue Orps I used to raise). Just an FYI.

In my article I have covered all kinds of reasons why a crop impacts. However sometimes the symptoms have to be treated first before one can diagnose the cause of the issue.

 

[Michelle2639]

I guess I'll see how she's doing in the morning and go from there.

 

[TwoCrows]

I guess I'll see how she's doing in the morning and go from there.

Did you read the article? Everything you need to know on how to move that crop is right there. I have never NOT gotten a crop to move with these methods.

Impactions, for what ever reason can kill them. So don't wait to long to take some sort of action.

 

[Michelle2639]

Yes, thanks, I read the whole article. If she's still impacted in the morning, I'm going to try the dulcolax/baby food. I'll try and get her cleared out and then try and figure out if there's anything that needs to be dealt with. I haven't ever wormed the chickens but I haven't seen any signs of worms either. Should I do it as a precautionary measure with all of them?

 

[casportpony]

Remember that force feeding a dehydrated bird can kill it.

-Kathy

 

[Michelle2639]

Well, I'm confused now on what I should do. I guess I'll figure it out for myself in the morning. Thanks

 

[casportpony]

Well, I'm confused now on what I should do. I guess I'll figure it out for myself in the morning. Thanks

She has food in her drop, so no need to add more to it. Keep her inside with nothing but water and see how much of it she drinks and what her crop looks like in the morning. Make note of what her poop is like (picture would really help).

-Kathy