Huge Crop- So Frustrated!

Ghostchick

Songster
10 Years
May 1, 2009
145
8
121
OK, I have a 15 week old speckled sussex who had a huge crop. I had noticed this especially two days ago. I am a newbie, so this is new to me! I picked her up and felt her and she had the big water balloon feel. I read online and massaged her, kept her inside for 24 hrs, it looked better, smaller. She had some large airy poops, I was holding her at the time! When I massaged her you could hear gurgling. Her thraot also feels like some grit or oyster shells in it. She ate bread and olive oil yesterday. She has been feisty and hungry the whole time, but calms down for a massage. My husband put her out with the others last night for bedtime and she ran right to the food. This morning I looked and her crop is huge again. HELP! I am feeling helpless and am so stressed out to the point of tears. I have lost 2 chicks already, one died of unknown reasons and the other of a horrible bloody injury. I am not good with injured thing, it breaks my heart! Should we try to flush the crop? It is normal to just eat too much and have a large crop? I don't know what to do... She might have been like this for a while, they are getting bigger and filling out at this age, but she looks misshapen. Please help! I am think of taking her to a vet, but not sure of who treats chickens, or how much it would be. My 11 year old son loves to take care of the sick ones, I don't want to put him thru another death!
 
I am also frustrated because we have been thru so much, and no eggs yet! I do love them all, I get attached, as do my boys, so it bothers me when one of them is hurt. My heartburn is thru the roof!
 
ANYBODY?!! The crop is big. I tried massaging down. I did try massaging up, she opened her mouth. Should I try the baking soda purge? I think I will as soon as I find the syringe and hubby gets home to help.
 
I'm new to this too, but here are a couple things to check and then do some research. Does she stink, like the stuff in her crop is soured?? And are her poo's normal, other than the airy part? Have you searched the BYC pages for crop related topics? Also, If you don't get a response on here, I'll check my Chicken Health book when I get home. That book has dang near everything!! Hope someone who's had experience with this chimes in soon for you though.
 
Sounds like it might be "sour crop" if it is squishy. Especially if she is gurgly-sounding and gassy.
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Are you giving her water with Apple Cider Vinegar in it? That can help if she has a fungal overgrowth in her crop. This is usually what sour crop is - food sits in there and rots/ferments.
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You do need to keep her from gorging, as that can stretch the crop and lead to further complications such as the crop becoming "pendulous".

Before trying the baking soda purge, you can try just massaging upward and seeing what you can get out of her. Then just give ACV water for a little while and see if it goes down. Olive oil can help if something is stuck in there, plus it's good calories.

The baking soda flush is good, but I'd try to push stuff out first without it, because it's not fun to do - they don't tend to like it when you squirt baking soda water down their throat!
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If you do the flush, make sure you go past the tongue.

Good luck, and keep us updated!
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Does her breath smell bad? Search sour crop and bound crop and see if that matches the symptoms you chick is displaying.

Best of luck with her!
 
If you fast her overnight, and she still has hard material in the bottom of the crop, likely she has a mass of non digestible material in there like matted straw. Flushing/massaging/oil is unlikely to break apart this mass. IMO your options are take her to a vet and have them remove the material, or look up the do-it-yourself instructions that can be found. This (option 2) is not for the faint of heart, and I would not recommend a young kid be present- as it involves cutting the crop open & some blood. A vet would do it under sedation or anesthesia and will close the hole with absorbables + probably send home with additional meds, do-it-yourselfers do it awake with a restrained bird and close with whatever they have on hand. Outcome if done correctly is usually very good, and caution must be taken to prevent the bird to eat more of what it ate before (wood chips, hay, ect)
 
If you haven't already, do read the threads on crop problems on the FAQ page (link is at very top of this page on right.)

I would not do anything like cut or flush today, for sure. See what it feels and looks and smells like in the morning. For today, separation, maybe limit food, olive oil -- the more conservative measures suggested.

And good luck.

It's about 3 PM here, I just came back in from the coop, and those piggy things all have pretty outlandish looking crops!
 
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