5 week old chick with super enlarged crop

shadowq

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1) What type of bird , age and weight: silkie, 5 weeks old. Same weight as sibling.
2) What is the behavior, exactly: Had enlarged crop for past ~2 weeks. Still eating, pooping, walking around (though less walking last couple of days)
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?: ~2 weeks
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?: No
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.: No
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.: for the first few weeks, the chicks were on pine shavings. Perhaps they were eating some?
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all: perhaps pine shavings? Otherwise, chick starter / crumble and water. Since the enlarged crop, we have also tried kefir/probiotic yoghurt, apple cider vinegar, oil, sauerkraut juice, crushed bluestone gravel (for grit).
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc: poop looks same as sibling.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?: tried isolating from food and water for 24 hours (giving little amounts of water at intervals). Crop still didn’t empty overnight. 2-3 times daily massages, downward motion.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?: would like to DIY treat if possible. Can’t afford vet.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use: was pine shavings for first few weeks. Now a towel, rotating.
 

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Is the crop hard or squishy? Is there a bad odor in her mouth?

If hard, the crop is impacted. Try to give her some coconut oil to help loosen up the impact and get things going. You can freeze the oil and give it to her in little chunks. I am not sure how much to give her, hopefully others will chime in, but if it were my chicken, I would start with a teaspoon a couple times a day, then massage to get it mixed in as you have been doing. This should help loosen things up and help the crop begin to empty.

If it is squishy and has a bad smell, then it is probably sour crop. I have never dealt with sour crop, so hopefully someone else will chime in.

Pictures of her poop would help.

Hope she responds well to your approach.
 

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