Australorp Help Needed!

[buffyfluffy17]

Hello BYC Community!
I have a Black Australorp hen who is around 4 years old and is having some issues. First, I noticed that she would move her neck around in a weird motion like she was trying to swallow something. She would do it for a minute and it would be a while later when she would do it again. Otherwise, she was fine. Then, I noticed that she is having trouble walking. Her crop has gotten so big that when she tries to walk, she cannot take a normal step with her right foot because the crop gets in the way. So she kinda wabbles around. She can't get over the step to get into the "playpen" from the run because it's about a 3-4 inch step up. When she leans over to eat some scratch, her crop rests against the ground. She, along with my other 10 hens and a Blue Andalusian rooster are eating 16% layer feed and I usually give them a little scratch every day. Keep in mind that my Australorp hen has always been on the heavy side. It's just gotten worse in the last week or so.
Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks

 

[coach723]

There are a lot of things that can cause crop problems, so in the interest of time and space here are a couple of articles that cover it well, and can hopefully help you narrow it down. She may benefit from a crop bra, her crop looks pendulous which can prevent it from emptying properly. That could be all it is, or it could have another underlying issue causing it.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/