AngelinaThePekin8
Crowing
So I noticed today that one of my oldest hens has a "bulging" crop and won't eat but drinks a lot of water.
I have read this article a few times already.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
I sort of know how to treat sour crop but have never really treated it before
I want some guidance and I would greatly appreciate any help.
....................
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Barred rock, 8 or 9 years old, she feels to be an okay weight I would like her to be a little heavier but I think she is gaining some.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Won't eat, drinks lots and is lethargic but is still quit alert.
Her crop feels full of liquid with a little bit of feed or rocks in it.
It looks like she tries to adjust her crop every now and then, that particular behavior is what made me check her over.
Her comb and the rest of her face are not pale they look to be a normal color.
I don't think she is laying, I don't think she will start either.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
I noticed it today at about 7:00am this morning, I think I noticed something off with her yesterday but never thought anything of it if I noticed anything at all.
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.
Age, possibly diet, maybe she ate to much long grass, I don't really know what to think caused it.
I mostly think age.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
She has been eating all flock except today she didn't eat any and I am not sure about yesterday.
I have SOME oyster shell out for them free of choice but my chickens and ducks don't seem to like it or know what it is for (I've never used oyster shells before they were always on layer until a few months ago).
We don't give them grit.
She seems to drink fine, except she drinks a lot.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
I haven't seen any of her poops today, or yesterday.
She has poop stuck to her vent area (I have pictures of it)
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
I put some ACV in their water today, there is plain water for her and all the other birds to drink as well.
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?
I want to treat it myself, I am not aware of any poultry vets near me.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Here is her poopy vent feathers.
Hopefully the pic of her poopy butt is good enough.
You can tell her crop is full, in the photo above.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
I use wood shavings, I have a bag of soft wood shavings and a bag of large flake that put in the coop when more is needed.
All the chickens and ducks free range all year round and are let out around 8:00am most of the time sometimes later or earlier.
The coop has a number of issues (size and ventilation wise).
I have been trying to solve those issues though.
I have 8 ducks and 9 chickens, two of the ducks are put in a separate area at night, the drakes were fighting a few weeks ago (they stopped now) I still keep the same hen and drake in the pen at night mostly for more room in the coop.
This hen (the barred rock with the sour crop) doesn't have a name I forgot what hers used to be and I cant come up with a name for her.
..........
In march one of my old hens passed away from a reproductive issue, it caused sour crop and on the day that I was planning on euthanizing her, she aspirated some of the liquid from her crop before I could even get ready to euthanize her.
I don't want to go through that again or just lose a chicken in general, but I fear that maybe its time for this hen to go I am hoping I will be able to resolve her issue, she is one of my favorites, and I don't think it is her time quit yet.
Edited to fix grammar.
Thank you for reading this.
I hope everything I wrote will help you help me as best as possible.
...............
I have read this article a few times already.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
I sort of know how to treat sour crop but have never really treated it before
I want some guidance and I would greatly appreciate any help.
....................
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Barred rock, 8 or 9 years old, she feels to be an okay weight I would like her to be a little heavier but I think she is gaining some.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Won't eat, drinks lots and is lethargic but is still quit alert.
Her crop feels full of liquid with a little bit of feed or rocks in it.
It looks like she tries to adjust her crop every now and then, that particular behavior is what made me check her over.
Her comb and the rest of her face are not pale they look to be a normal color.
I don't think she is laying, I don't think she will start either.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
I noticed it today at about 7:00am this morning, I think I noticed something off with her yesterday but never thought anything of it if I noticed anything at all.
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.
Age, possibly diet, maybe she ate to much long grass, I don't really know what to think caused it.
I mostly think age.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
She has been eating all flock except today she didn't eat any and I am not sure about yesterday.
I have SOME oyster shell out for them free of choice but my chickens and ducks don't seem to like it or know what it is for (I've never used oyster shells before they were always on layer until a few months ago).
We don't give them grit.
She seems to drink fine, except she drinks a lot.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
I haven't seen any of her poops today, or yesterday.
She has poop stuck to her vent area (I have pictures of it)
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
I put some ACV in their water today, there is plain water for her and all the other birds to drink as well.
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?
I want to treat it myself, I am not aware of any poultry vets near me.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Here is her poopy vent feathers.
Hopefully the pic of her poopy butt is good enough.
You can tell her crop is full, in the photo above.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
I use wood shavings, I have a bag of soft wood shavings and a bag of large flake that put in the coop when more is needed.
All the chickens and ducks free range all year round and are let out around 8:00am most of the time sometimes later or earlier.
The coop has a number of issues (size and ventilation wise).
I have been trying to solve those issues though.
I have 8 ducks and 9 chickens, two of the ducks are put in a separate area at night, the drakes were fighting a few weeks ago (they stopped now) I still keep the same hen and drake in the pen at night mostly for more room in the coop.
This hen (the barred rock with the sour crop) doesn't have a name I forgot what hers used to be and I cant come up with a name for her.
..........
In march one of my old hens passed away from a reproductive issue, it caused sour crop and on the day that I was planning on euthanizing her, she aspirated some of the liquid from her crop before I could even get ready to euthanize her.
I don't want to go through that again or just lose a chicken in general, but I fear that maybe its time for this hen to go I am hoping I will be able to resolve her issue, she is one of my favorites, and I don't think it is her time quit yet.
Edited to fix grammar.
Thank you for reading this.
I hope everything I wrote will help you help me as best as possible.
...............
Attachments
Last edited:
You have an aging flock and it seems there's always something going on.
