Sour crop, need some extra guidance here

Date sort Score sort
ivyrash

ivyrash

Chirping
7 Years
Mar 31, 2012
237
11
81
Havensville, KS
5 month old frizzle bantam cochin rooster
what I have done so far: withheld feed for 24 hrs, started ACV water, tried yogurt that he didn't eat, crop was not completely empty but started soupy feed mixed with ACV water. Crop was almost empty felt like there were little feed pellets swimming around in there. We did recently change feed from crumbles to pellets but none of the rest of the bantam cochins appear to be having any problems so don't know if that is a factor or not.

Sour crop is making me crazy! I thought the rooster was doing better so I started feeding him again, small amounts of soupy feed mixed with ACV water and massaging his crop just in case there is still a blockage. This morning he is blown up like a balloon again and when I massaged it, there was a popping sound and then a nasty smell so I'm pretty sure it is sour crop. So I will withhold feed for 24 hours and he is getting water mixed with ACV at a rate of 2-3 TBSP per gal of water. What else can I do? I have not seen him drink any of the water. I realize the crop needs to empty once every 24 hrs or bacteria will start to grow so do I wait till it appears to be empty before I feed again? What if it's a couple of days before it is empty? I do understand whats going on but its not always black and white.

I have also been massaging the crop area morning and night and other times if I can. He is still pooping, sometimes it's watery sometimes it's more normal looking.

Thanks for your help!
 
Can you get any Nystatin or Fluconazole? If not, maybe you could try Monistat.Keep in mind that these will only work if there is a yeast infection, they won't work on bacteria.

-Kathy
 
Last edited:
You need to completely empty the crop.. and then keep her nil by mouth for 24/48hrs only giving him water with ACV.. if she wont drink then syringe 5ml every 2-4 hours directly down the left handside of his mouth whilst tongue being down so don't hit the lungs... Also you need to pop to a chemist and ask for some daktarin or nystatin and give her a pea size amount every 2-4 hours inbetweeen the water & acv. this will clear the infection and the avc will restore the PH in gut. when 24/48hrs have passed you need to be feeding natural probiotic 'live' yogurt and mealworm or maggots only or soft feed for next few days in small amounts... it may swing from sour to impacted and vice versa and can be tricky to deal with by if so best to feed maggots and soft foods if goes impacted and if goes sour again just repeat the treatment. Also Epsom salts but not too much can help flush system.
 
I would be very careful trying to empty the crop and I'd say if you're the type that is afraid to tube feed, don't even think about vomiting your chicken. FWIW, the opening to the crop is on the right-hand side of the chicken, not the left. Furthermore, to keep a chicken properly hydrated they need 30 ml per 2.2 pounds every 6-8 hours and this should be done with a tube as there is a very real risk that syringing fluids will cause them to aspirate.

This picture shows the esophagus and the crop on the right side of the chicken:



-Kathy
 
Last edited:
casportpony said:
I would be very careful trying to empty the crop and I'd say if you're the type that is afraid to tube feed, don't even think about vomiting your chicken. FWIW, the opening to the crop is on the right-hand side of the chicken, not the left. Furthermore, to keep a chicken properly hydrated they need 30 ml per 2.2 pounds every 6-8 hours and this should be done with a tube as there is a very real risk that syringing fluids will cause them to aspirate.

This picture shows the esophagus and the crop on the right side of the chicken:



-Kathy
Click to expand...
Well it really wont get any better if they don't empty it. It wont go away by itself unless they go to the vets and get them to treat it.
 
Also you need to act fast, a chicken goes down so quick with a sour crop. I lost my favouraite girl to it.
 
Also if you do make him be sick, lift him back up every 10 seconds to allow him to breathe.
 
Well I don't have the stuff to tube feed and it is Sunday so nothing local is open. I changed out the waterer I had in there and he started drinking right away so with any luck that will start to help. How do I know if it's a years infection? I do have some monistat on hand but don't know if that's what we need or not.
 
ivyrash said:
Well I don't have the stuff to tube feed and it is Sunday so nothing local is open. I changed out the waterer I had in there and he started drinking right away so with any luck that will start to help. How do I know if it's a years infection? I do have some monistat on hand but don't know if that's what we need or not.
Click to expand...
Well if you emptied it's crop you wouldn't have to tube feed it because it would be hungry. The cockerel will basically feel like how we do when we have a sick bug. He wont want to eat or drink. His crop is not emptying so he will be getting no food and will be getting weaker by the day. I made the mistake of leaving my Edwina too long and she died in my arms.
 
He's hungry, keeps pecking at my shiny fingernails when I try to massage his crop. I did make him regurgitate some of the stuff in there cause it was so full and nasty every time I massaged. Figured I would let him rest a while, it's not empty by any means but there was a lot of stuff that came out. Looks like watery slimy feed to me.

Why would you regurgitate them and then give them feed, something is not right in there or we would not be back in this situation now. How do I go about fixing what is wrong?
 

Similar threads

C
Hen had sour crop a week ago and is now lethargic
Replies
8
Views
364
azygous
azygous
G
Sour Crop
2
Replies
10
Views
1K
krogen
K
C
Hen Expelled Thick Mucus From Crop (possible sour crop)
Replies
1
Views
360
alinas2010
alinas2010
Alex S
Sour crop
Replies
2
Views
435
Alex S
Alex S
M
Soft crop?
Replies
4
Views
205
MegMicheleW
M

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom