15 Week Old Pullets with Sour Crop

saving grace

Loving Life
Premium Feather Member
Feb 2, 2021
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Earlier today we bought four Partridge Cochins from an online seller. We were so excited to pick them up, but I could immediately tell they were not acting normally. Long story short, I figured out at least two have sour crop. They were drinking SO much water and some started spilling out of their beaks, they were also very lethargic. I checked all their crops, two have the signature soft, balloon-like crop. The other two don't feel soft or hard at all, I think their crop is empty but it is infected since they still have the symptoms. I'm pretty sure they are all defecating, but a lot of it is diarrhea. I took out their food but left their water for now.

What is the best way to go about treating this? I've been researching it, but there are so many different opinions on the best ways to treat it and it just makes me confused the more I read. Some people make it sound extremely complicated, while others make it sound like a piece of cake. I can't tell whether this is extremely life-threatening at this point because everyone sheds a different light on it. If you could clear this up for me and tell me what to do, I would be so grateful! :)

I'm quite irritated with the seller for letting it go on this long and selling the pullets sick! :barnie
 
Earlier today we bought four Partridge Cochins from an online seller. We were so excited to pick them up, but I could immediately tell they were not acting normally. Long story short, I figured out at least two have sour crop. They were drinking SO much water and some started spilling out of their beaks, they were also very lethargic. I checked all their crops, two have the signature soft, balloon-like crop. The other two don't feel soft or hard at all, I think their crop is empty but it is infected since they still have the symptoms. I'm pretty sure they are all defecating, but a lot of it is diarrhea. I took out their food but left their water for now.

What is the best way to go about treating this? I've been researching it, but there are so many different opinions on the best ways to treat it and it just makes me confused the more I read. Some people make it sound extremely complicated, while others make it sound like a piece of cake. I can't tell whether this is extremely life-threatening at this point because everyone sheds a different light on it. If you could clear this up for me and tell me what to do, I would be so grateful! :)

I'm quite irritated with the seller for letting it go on this long and selling the pullets sick! :barnie
When you smell their beaks, does it smell sour?
 
To diagnose impacted crop (which comes first), remove all food and water overnight and check their crops again in the morning. If they are not flat and empty and are instead bulged and full, then there is an impaction. It’s normal for birds to sometimes regurgitate a little water after drinking a lot on a hot day; esp if you pick them up and press the crop by accident. But if you don’t smell anything, and the crops don’t go down then it hasn’t soured yet. Sour crop is a yeast infection caused by the food not going down and fermenting in the crop.
 
To diagnose impacted crop (which comes first), remove all food and water overnight and check their crops again in the morning. If they are not flat and empty and are instead bulged and full, then there is an impaction. It’s normal for birds to sometimes regurgitate a little water after drinking a lot on a hot day; esp if you pick them up and press the crop by accident. But if you don’t smell anything, and the crops don’t go down then it hasn’t soured yet. Sour crop is a yeast infection caused by the food not going down and fermenting in the crop.
Yes, like already recommended, make sure their crops empty by the morning. It may just be a slow crop sometimes.
I really hope that is what's wrong. The seller had them all squished in a small box and it is a hot day, so maybe that was why they were acting so off. They seem to be feeling better now. I'll keep a close eye on them.
 

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