Black Copper Marans - huge crop

[MarlaMac]

This is not my cockerel, but I am posting for a friend.

This little guy is about 9-10 weeks old. My friend just sent me the attached picture. She said she thinks he has a "blown" crop. I have never heard this terminology before, but it is what she said.

I am trying to get more information from her, but she is slow to text.

She said his crop feels mushy and that she has messaged it. He doesn't want to eat - she made him a mash with some yogurt and water, still no interest. It seems it has been like this for at least 2-3 days.

His breath does not smell bad. But the run he was in was full of cut grass and she thinks he may have eaten too much.

I suggested a teaspoon of frozen coconut oil to help lubricate. Is this the right approach? What else can she do?

Update: when she massages it he burps.

Thank you.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm calling in @azygous
Cut grass, burping when massaging, feels mushy.

Coconut oil is a good start and he may pass the material on out.
Work on it today/overnight and see how it is in the morning.
Photos of his overnight poop would be good.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[azygous]

If you dump grass cutting in a yard with chickens, they will pig out on it as if they were toddlers with bags of Halloween candy with predictable consequences. Thankfully, clippings are less dangerous than long stemmed grass, the latter almost never being able to leave the crop. There is a good chance the crop can move the contents out with a teaspoon of coconut oil every hour over several hours. Massage each time. If after three or four doses of oil the crop is still stuffed, a stool softener might help.

Since he's been burping, yeast has probably already begun to colonize the crop, so once the impaction is cleared, miconazole should probably be given twice a day for a full seven days to clean up the yeast.

 

[MarlaMac]

If you dump grass cutting in a yard with chickens, they will pig out on it as if they were toddlers with bags of Halloween candy with predictable consequences. Thankfully, clippings are less dangerous than long stemmed grass, the latter almost never being able to leave the crop. There is a good chance the crop can move the contents out with a teaspoon of coconut oil every hour over several hours. Massage each time. If after three or four doses of oil the crop is still stuffed, a stool softener might help.

Since he's been burping, yeast has probably already begun to colonize the crop, so once the impaction is cleared, miconazole should probably be given twice a day for a full seven days to clean up the yeast.

Thank you, I will pass on this information.

 

[MarlaMac]

I'm calling in @azygous
Cut grass, burping when massaging, feels mushy.

Coconut oil is a good start and he may pass the material on out.
Work on it today/overnight and see how it is in the morning.
Photos of his overnight poop would be good.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Thank you.

 

[LaFleche]

In addition to the above mentioned, he should have free access to granite grid so the clippings will not impact his gizzard after passing on down from the crop.

 

[MarlaMac]

In addition to the above mentioned, he should have free access to granite grid so the clippings will not impact his gizzard after passing on down from the crop.

Thank you. He does have access to grit, albeit chick grit, because she hasn't transitioned him from that yet.