Broody is vomiting

[Lifetime chicken lover]

So I posted this on emergencies and illnesses and got ZERO responses in 2 hours. Maybe I'll have better luck on this topic.

Hello chicken folk!
So I have my first broody, who happened to start setting perfectly with the moon on the 7th (according to farmers almanac)-chicks due to hatch the 28th or 29th. She started getting a big soft belly soon after setting on her eggs, which I thought was normal for a broody so she could keep her eggs warm.
Yesterday I noticed she was kind of puking up a foul-smelling yellowish colored fluid. I looked it up on BYC and it sounds like sour crop. I've been massaging her crop and turning her upside down to help her throw it all up, but it just seems to come back right away. So my question is what else can I do for her? I've read I should give her apple cider vinegar with her water, but then another forum said I should NOT do that. I gave her some grit, which she isn't eating. I gave her some BOSS and cracked corn, which she ate this morning. How dangerous is this to her health? She seems to be getting off of her eggs more often than usual, but other than that she seems ok, her comb is still a nice reddish color and her eyes look fine. Someone help me! I feel so bad for her! What do I do? Any and all advice is welcome, since I normally go to the feed store for advice, but they had no idea. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, if anyone has any thoughts or experiences, please share!!

 

[Wynette]

I would NOT recommend turning her upside down to get the crop contents to come up - she can VERY EASILY aspirate (suck the liquid into her lungs) and if she does, she'll die!!

 

[Gypsy07]

I don't know what you should do to help her, but ACV is great for chickens. I don't know why anyone would recommend against giving it. It won't do any harm at all. I don't know that at this stage it'll do your bird any good, but it won't do her any harm...

 

[Lifetime chicken lover]

Thank you both for your response! Wynette, the only advice I've been able to find is helping her vomit so I thought that'd be the best. After I did it she seemed to look a bit better. And I am very careful not to hold her upside down for more than 10 seconds.
Off the topic a bit, what chicken is laying the RED eggs?!

 

[they'reHISchickens]

I would feed her natural yogurt for good bellybugs along with the ACV.
Broodies don't always eat right because they don't spend much time off the nest and if you are getting any of this heat, that isn't helping. Make sure she has plenty of fresh cold water close by so she doesn't have to even get up. I'd keep up the BOSS as a supplement and give her regular chicken feed also close by. Skip the corn.

 

[TedJan92_in_Idaho]

very severe round worm infestations will cause the symptoms you described. I had one do the same thing once and lost her. I autopsied the hen and she had round worms. They were in her crop and intestines

 

[Lifetime chicken lover]

She seems to be feeling better today. I massaged her crop a few times yesterday, she didn't throw up anymore the last time. her belly feels a bit more normal today- not liquidy-soft and squishy but a bit harder and bumpy. I hope she's on the mend. She came off of her nest several times yesterday, but only once this morning, like she usually does- and she made a nice normal looking poo- I checked it for worms and other abnormalities. I'm hoping that I dislodged whatever it was that was blocking her up. I'm keeping up the ACV water and BOSS. And will give her some yogurt when the rain stops.
We only have a week to go before the babies hatch, so I hope that this was the worst of it! Now I just have to start working on the nursery
Thank you all so much for your advice! What would I do without BYC?!