4-day-old impacted crop - how often to treat

[maryn7]

Got my day olds on Friday, and my little easter egger definitely has an impacted crop. (Ironically, I picked her at the store because she looked like she was a good eater, running around with a big ol crop.) I noticed yesterday that she cries when she works on her feathers (I think it hurts to move her head around the crop), and she's just been real lethargic, crop was doughy, today it's hard, etc.

Took away food overnight, but her crop didn't empty. I tried feeding her coconut oil in solid state last night and this morning, but she's just so tiny and out of it. So we warmed some up to just liquid and got a good amount in her today. I've also been massaging her crop.

I saw a lot of posts about how to treat the crop impaction, but I'm not sure how *often* I should be doing the massage and giving her more oil (in case what we did wasn't enough - I got maybe half a teaspoon in her).

I was going to just let her pass, but she seems to be trying to mount a final stand after the coconut oil treatment and I'd like to help her. She ate and drank a little bit on her own. But don't want to over do it with the treatment, especially the oil. Thanks!

 

[azygous]

You won't overdo it. Keep at it until the crop softens and the contents go down. Chick grit might help.

 

[maryn7]

Great, thanks for that reassurance. She's still with us - I'm surprised every morning.

We did another round of coconut oil before bed. The insanely large, hard lump is gone, replaced by squishy softness. And I did see her poop a few times yesterday - I saw the posts about constipation being an issue. The poops all looked like little sausages - encased, basically.

I've massaged her crop again this morning, but other than a few sips of water, she just hides under the hot plate and distress peeps constantly. Even when the other four chicks go and join her and cuddle her; one of them has been very sweet and attentive. She can't be cold - everyone else is milling about, acting normal.

I don't want to cull her if she could make it, but I have to imagine this constant distress (and I mean if there is light, she is yelling) is stressful for the other chicks, too. (and me!)

 

[maryn7]

Posting an update for anyone who has this issue, so you know how it resolved.

She stuck around with us until today, so she was a week old. But this was a failure to thrive situation. We did oil twice a day and massage, grit, etc. She would occasionally eat and drink, but mostly she sat under the hot plate and cried. Just constant distress peeping. She did come out and play with her sisters in a little sandbox I made yesterday.

But it was clear she wasn't getting better, so we culled her this morning. (As you'll find on many threads, this post from @Redhead Rae on how to cull a chick was essential.)

What we noticed:
Her crop was very oversized compared to her body (and those of the other chicks). We think that it was either a genetic/organ issue or she might have had a constipation issue or ate bedding before I got her, and the crop stretched.

Every night, it was hard as a rock (she was eating enough to fill it up), and the coconut oil did some good work, as we did see her poop. In the morning, it would be mostly empty, but you could just feel the large amount of tissue in there, and it didn't feel right.

She was a little fighter and was clearly trying, so we gave her what we felt was an appropriate amount of time to see if she could overcome it. But her quality of life seemed increasingly poor and the prognosis worse, so we made the decision to euthanize her this morning.

This was my second set of chicks, but my first culling/chick illness. It was really tough to do! But it was a mercy, and I feel a sense of relief that she's not suffering anymore. I hope this is helpful for anyone dealing with similar situation in terms of symptoms, potential treatments, and knowing that this is sometimes just what has to be done.

 

[Hermits Garden]

Posting an update for anyone who has this issue, so you know how it resolved.

She stuck around with us until today, so she was a week old. But this was a failure to thrive situation. We did oil twice a day and massage, grit, etc. She would occasionally eat and drink, but mostly she sat under the hot plate and cried. Just constant distress peeping. She did come out and play with her sisters in a little sandbox I made yesterday.

But it was clear she wasn't getting better, so we culled her this morning. (As you'll find on many threads, this post from @Redhead Rae on how to cull a chick was essential.)

What we noticed:
Her crop was very oversized compared to her body (and those of the other chicks). We think that it was either a genetic/organ issue or she might have had a constipation issue or ate bedding before I got her, and the crop stretched.

Every night, it was hard as a rock (she was eating enough to fill it up), and the coconut oil did some good work, as we did see her poop. In the morning, it would be mostly empty, but you could just feel the large amount of tissue in there, and it didn't feel right.

She was a little fighter and was clearly trying, so we gave her what we felt was an appropriate amount of time to see if she could overcome it. But her quality of life seemed increasingly poor and the prognosis worse, so we made the decision to euthanize her this morning.

This was my second set of chicks, but my first culling/chick illness. It was really tough to do! But it was a mercy, and I feel a sense of relief that she's not suffering anymore. I hope this is helpful for anyone dealing with similar situation in terms of symptoms, potential treatments, and knowing that this is sometimes just what has to be done.

I'm sorry about your wee chick. Glad, though, that you understand that mercy sometimes looks harsh--and were able to do what you needed to. <3

 

[maryn7]

Thanks, I appreciate that.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I'm so sorry about your chick. Sometimes it is necessary to cull. I'm glad my article helped you out.

 

[Unswydd]

This is so sad I'm going to cry. I'm so moved by these helpless babies and just can't stop myself.
I'm dealing with a 5 day old Roo that has an impacted crop and I'm reading every article and post I can. I gave a tiny bit of coconut oil and some ACV in his water. I'll try to give more coconut oil tho. I only have the 2 here in the brooder. I have 8 wk olds in the coop in a large cage along with 6 fully grown hens so these 2 must stay together. If I separate them the little girl screams to high heaven!

 

[azygous]

This is so sad I'm going to cry. I'm so moved by these helpless babies and just can't stop myself.
I'm dealing with a 5 day old Roo that has an impacted crop and I'm reading every article and post I can. I gave a tiny bit of coconut oil and some ACV in his water. I'll try to give more coconut oil tho. I only have the 2 here in the brooder. I have 8 wk olds in the coop in a large cage along with 6 fully grown hens so these 2 must stay together. If I separate them the little girl screams to high heaven!

Give one teaspoon of coconut oil at once. The chick can handle it. It won't OD. Divide the dose into pea size pieces, chill until hard, then push one at a time into the right side of the beak. It will slide right down the gullet. Give all one teaspoon, and then gently massage it into the crop mass. This should free it up so it goes down. Do another one teaspoon in an hour if there is no breakup in the crop contents.

When this happens to such a young chick, it's usually because they are not drinking enough water or they are eating foods that need grit to digest. If they are being fed anything other than chick starter crumbles, they require chick grit.

 

[Unswydd]

Give one teaspoon of coconut oil at once. The chick can handle it. It won't OD. Divide the dose into pea size pieces, chill until hard, then push one at a time into the right side of the beak. It will slide right down the gullet. Give all one teaspoon, and then gently massage it into the crop mass. This should free it up so it goes down. Do another one teaspoon in an hour if there is no breakup in the crop contents.

When this happens to such a young chick, it's usually because they are not drinking enough water or they are eating foods that need grit to digest. If they are being fed anything other than chick starter crumbles, they require chick grit.

Thank you! I am afraid he's eaten some of the wood shavings. I emptied all the shavings and put puppy pads down. Avc water and feed. I'll do all the coconut oil.
It appears the massaging I did helped somewhat tho. Still nervous about it. He's my only Roo and I need him!!!