swollen crop - - is it impacted? ?

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math ace

math ace

Crowing
10 Years
Dec 17, 2009
6,678
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Jacksonville, FL
I noticed today that my hen's crop was all swollen. I felt it and it seemed like it was full of liquid - - - not a hard ball / knot. It was gushy.

I did not smell the tell tale sour smell.

Does the swolleness alone indicate that it is an impacted crop and that I should start some treatments?


If I need to start treatments, my plan will be - - -

1.) Isolate and feed water with vinegar ( how much vinegar per quart of water) ? ? ?

2.) After 8 hrs of water only, start feeding olive oil soaked pieces of bread.

3.) Massage downward - - - ( HOW frequently should I do this ? ? ?)

4.) WHAT ELSE SHOULD I BE DOING - - - When should I start feeding things like unsweetend applesauce and plain yougurt ? ?
 
Don't start treatment yet. You shouldn't worry about a full crop.

when it doesn't go down overnight, is when you worry.

Let her be tonight. Check her crop early in the morning BEFORE she eats,

if it's still gushy/full feeling, THEN you can start treatment.
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It may be that your chicken just had a full crop, and this could be completely normal. It is normal for a chicken's crop to look/feel full during the day after it has eaten. It should empty over night, so that in the morning it should no longer look swollen. How long has your chicken's crop looked swollen? If you just noticed it today for the first time, see how it looks in the morning when you let her out of the coop and before she eats.
 
Quote:
I just noticed it today. She must not of been feeling good because she was laying in a "Quiet" spot in the coop away from everyone else. When I went to check on her, I noticed right away that there was something wrong. I picked her up and massaged the crop and discovered it was all liquid sounding - - - gush gush gush.

I put her out in the free range area ( with some grit - opps) and later on she was joining in with the group - - - BUT the crop was still very very large.

I have never seen any of birds with such a large swollen crop. I gave them pellets for the first time last night. . . . Do you think she could of pigged out on those and caused all this swollen crop stuff ? ?
 
math ace - I don't have a lot of experience with chickens but I doubt switching from crumbles to pellets would have caused this. When my hens eat like piggies their crops get large but not squishy. It sounds as if your hen might have sour crop, which is caused I think by the crop not emptying all the way. Here is a link to a thread on this site that describes symptoms that sound similar to your hen's. If you search sour crop you will find a lot more information. Check her in the morning and post an update on how her crop looks and feels, and whether her breath smells sour. You will find a lot of information on this site on treatment and no doubt others with more experience than I will help you with this.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5069120
 
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Thanks rhodeislandredfan!

I read the entire post and it was right on with what I am seeing out of my bird.

MY QUESTION - - -
One of the posters STRONGLY protested the use of ACV, yet every other post I have read recommends using it as treatment of sour crop.

Do I use or not use ACV vinegar ? ? I guess I may as well start a new thread to address this issue. . . . . . .
 
We are on day 2 of treatment ( day 3 since noticing symptoms).

Here is my question - - - - how much food do I let the little butterball eat ?

Yougurt ? ? ? Limit it or keeping spooning it out to her ? ?

Bread coated in olive oil and wine ( she really does seem to like the wine part) ? ?
Stop when she starts swaying and stumbling or what ? ?

Should I try scramble eggs today ? ? ?
 
Ok, this is my own little bump. . . .

I could use some help on whether I should be limiting the oil soaked bread or the plain yougurt ? ?

We are on Day 2 of treatment. She does not seem to be touching the yougurt today and I haven't tried the oil soaked bread today.

Somebody on another thread recommended some mylanta - - - - thoughts about this ? ? ?
 

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