stubborn crop issue

[redriding]

i have a 4 yr old isa with a very full crop. it’s not hard (it feels doughy) and i dont feel a clump of food. i suspected grass impaction so tried oil and light massages first day. she’s hadn’t pooped much. no change so next day i gave 2 stool softeners- 2 days in a row and got her pooping well. also gave her hairball medicine. still no change to crop so next day i started miconazole, today will be day 5 and still no change. i’m at a loss , any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[coach723]

Do you know when she last laid? Feel her abdomen, below the vent, between the legs, does it feel bloated at all? Compare with a healthy bird if you aren't sure. How is her weight, is her keel bone well muscled or is the bone very prominent? Have you ever wormed her? What do droppings look like?

 

[redriding]

Do you know when she last laid? Feel her abdomen, below the vent, between the legs, does it feel bloated at all? Compare with a healthy bird if you aren't sure. How is her weight, is her keel bone well muscled or is the bone very prominent? Have you ever wormed her? What do droppings look like?

she’s had egg issues for about 2 yrs poor girl, chronic soft shell/broken but she still lays just with troubles. she missed 1 day so i thought that’s why she was all backed up. her poop was hard pellets with white liquid. after treating her she had cecal poops and big, healthy poops. this morning she was back to barely any poops overnight. i treated for tape worm in july and i check regularly and haven’t seen anything. she’s a robust heavy girl, guessing 5 lbs (i’ll weigh today) she’s still active, running down grasshoppers haha and eating but sooo full she’s careful when she drinks. i thought about epsom salt crop flush but scared to put any more fluid in her ?

 

[redriding]

Do you know when she last laid? Feel her abdomen, below the vent, between the legs, does it feel bloated at all? Compare with a healthy bird if you aren't sure. How is her weight, is her keel bone well muscled or is the bone very prominent? Have you ever wormed her? What do droppings look like?

i have some oxytetracyline left over from a couple years ago should i try that ? she lays the yolk and white and but i usually have to help her with the egg shell

 

[coach723]

Have you tried supplementing her calcium for the egg issues? I would give her a calcium citrate +D (citracal or generic equivalent) 600-800 mg once a day for a few days, see if it helps her pass anything. Having said that, if she's not moving anything through the crop, it's not going to help as much. If you can get things moving, try that to see if it helps egg shell quality. But she may have a shell gland disfunction.
What did you worm her with in July, and dose?
Does it feel like grass in her crop? From her behavior it doesn't sound like antibiotics are needed just yet, and that could cause more issues in the crop if it's not moving. Antibiotics can set them up for yeast overgrowth in stuff sitting there. Description of the poop sounds like she's not passing food from the crop. When the stool softeners got things moving, did the crop empty then?
The issue with an epsom salt flush is dehydration. If she's already having issues, then you don't want to dehydrate her, so you need to make sure she takes in enough fluids if you try that.
Both the egg issues and the worm history could be causes or contributors, both of those things can cause crop issues.
These are very good articles and lots of info, may help:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[redriding]

Have you tried supplementing her calcium for the egg issues? I would give her a calcium citrate +D (citracal or generic equivalent) 600-800 mg once a day for a few days, see if it helps her pass anything. Having said that, if she's not moving anything through the crop, it's not going to help as much. If you can get things moving, try that to see if it helps egg shell quality. But she may have a shell gland disfunction.
What did you worm her with in July, and dose?
Does it feel like grass in her crop? From her behavior it doesn't sound like antibiotics are needed just yet, and that could cause more issues in the crop if it's not moving. Antibiotics can set them up for yeast overgrowth in stuff sitting there. Description of the poop sounds like she's not passing food from the crop. When the stool softeners got things moving, did the crop empty then?
The issue with an epsom salt flush is dehydration. If she's already having issues, then you don't want to dehydrate her, so you need to make sure she takes in enough fluids if you try that.
Both the egg issues and the worm history could be causes or contributors, both of those things can cause crop issues.
These are very good articles and lots of info, may help:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

ive been supplementing her with calcium/vit d for over a year and it’s never helped 100%. at best she lays a super thin egg or rubber egg but usually it’s broken. she never eats the egg or oyster shells but the supplement never does much either.

i treated her with praziquantel for tape worms. she got them almost a year ago to the date, i suspect it’s the earth worms she loves to eat. she did go through a short spell of laying solid (but thin thin) eggs after this treatment

i can’t feel grass in lumps at all in her crop just doughy ?

there was no change to her crop after the stool softener, just better poop results (cecal + large poops)