9 month hen crop problems/water coming out

[Lamoor]

Before I read through every post pertaining to this, I need to just write it down and have some help figuring it out.

My 9 month old Lavender Orpington, who spent most of her life in a pen in a barn, is not feeling well.

Since last night she has been quiet and not wanting to go range on the grass with the rest (a few hours per day, a mix of short and long grasses). I noticed she was drinking a lot when I changed the water, and noticed her crop as being quite large. I gently felt it and a lot of brown water came out, I tilted her slowly to almost head down and quite a lot came out, plus some strands of grass.

She just wanted to be quiet on her own still so I took out the feeder, gave her a dish of yogurt and dropped 2 ml olive oil down her throat. An hour later she seemed better, eating the yogurt, and the crop was more normal. I massaged the crop once or twice.

Now almost time to hit the roosts, and the rest are preparing for bed time but she has gone and sat in a corner under the roosts, looking into the corner. I tried putting her upside down again and there was no water coming out. Her crop seemed better.

so why the behaviour?? I am so worried!!

 

[ten chicks]

Before I read through every post pertaining to this, I need to just write it down and have some help figuring it out.

My 9 month old Lavender Orpington, who spent most of her life in a pen in a barn, is not feeling well.

Since last night she has been quiet and not wanting to go range on the grass with the rest (a few hours per day, a mix of short and long grasses). I noticed she was drinking a lot when I changed the water, and noticed her crop as being quite large. I gently felt it and a lot of brown water came out, I tilted her slowly to almost head down and quite a lot came out, plus some strands of grass.

She just wanted to be quiet on her own still so I took out the feeder, gave her a dish of yogurt and dropped 2 ml olive oil down her throat. An hour later she seemed better, eating the yogurt, and the crop was more normal. I massaged the crop once or twice.

Now almost time to hit the roosts, and the rest are preparing for bed time but she has gone and sat in a corner under the roosts, looking into the corner. I tried putting her upside down again and there was no water coming out. Her crop seemed better.

so why the behaviour?? I am so worried!!

I would bring her in the house,monitor her condition over night,make sure she is eating/drinking. This way you will know if her crop is still impacted or sometimes they develop sour crop as a result of impacted crop.

 

[Lamoor]

so if she eats and drinks (only giving her access to yogurt and water tonight) she is not impacted? I am so confused and not having much luck finding treatments for sour crop..I sure hope it doesn't come to crop surgery

just checked her and she has devoured all the yogurt, about a half cup. Her crop soft and large again, but less firm than before the stuff came out earlier.

 

[Lamoor]

still in need of some advice please!!

this morning my hen, my beautiful lavender girl, is still not wanting to do much. She had water in her crop when I lifted her up, she opened her beak and I tilted her again, and some dark water came out. Her crop is large and soft, but not quite as large as when I first discovered it yesterday.

I gave her more plain yogurt with a little olive oil in it today.

but How long can she go on just yogurt?? should I remove water??? Should I give her some feed too??

oh dear I just don't know what to do for her.

 

[The Chook]

It all might depend on the water you give her. Is it rain water, town water, river/creek/dam water. If they drink from troughs check to see if anything is dead in the water trough or system. I personally would separate my hen incase the others dont get it, thats only if you can. I am stumped with her illness, ive nver heard of it

 

[Lamoor]

the water is our very good well water. that is not the problem, I think she has impacted or sour crop.

 

[gallusdomesticus]

I hate to bring bad news but it sounds like your bird has an obstruction in her gut. I had a hen with a similar problem. She ate a litle and drank which filled up the crop but the crop did not empty due to a staple she had swallowed that blocked her intestine. If her crop is full and won't empty by digestion, water that she drinks will pour out of her when you tilt her head down. If she has a full crop in the morning, when it should be empty, it's a pretty good sign she has something blocking her plumbing down stream. I took my bird to a vet and they found the staple in an X-ray but she died before they could operate. My best recommendation is to see a vet that treats birds ASAP. Good luck with her.

 

[Lamoor]

Update on my hen with what I thought was an impacted crop:

She is ok now!

To recap, her symptoms were lethargy, a large crop, watery discharge when I tilted her on an angle briefly, three times over 2 days, some grass strands also came out.

I treated her with plain yogurt, 2 ml olive oil in her beak, repeated this the next day, massaged crop gently afterward.


Next day she was doing her usual activities and hanging out with the flock, and appearing much better. crop normal.