Hello i think my silkie is ill! Her symptoms are: Her crop is extremely large and squishy She hasn't eaten for 3 days Barely drinks anything She hasn't moved from the same spot Every time I move her she returns Mild feather loss on her breast I really don't know what to do and cannot pay for her to go to the vet! I think it maybe sour crop because what little she does poo is really green and fibrous. The crop of my frizzle is hard and pretty large but she seem fine! Is she ill aswell or is that how a crop is meant to feel? How does a healthy crop feel? How can I help them? I've heard yogurt, apple cider vinegar and other remedies invoicing making your chicken vomit but I don't want to interfere unless I know for certain that it'll improve her condition!
Is the same spot perhaps the nest box? And that's where she returns when you let her go? That plus the mild feather loss on her chest makes me think she's broody. They pluck their own feathers from their chest when broody so their skin comes into contact with the eggs. Are you sure she's not eating when you're not around? They only get off the nest once a day to eat when broody. The large crop however might not be related to the broodiness and if it is sour crop will need to be treated, I'll let those with experience chime in on that.
Your silkie may be broody, and want to hatch eggs. They typically look like they are in a trance. They may only get up once or twice a day to poop, eat, and drink. The breast feathers are pulled out to sit on eggs. They will growl when you come near, and may peck you. When you remove them from the nest, they hold their tail in an upside down V, and cluck-cluck-cluck at the others. Any egg set in front of them will be pulled under them. The crop may be slow to empty due to a lot metabolic rate.
Try reading this. I assume you’ve determined she really is broody? To me it is much crueler to let her remain broody than break her if you are not going to give her eggs to hatch or get her day-old chicks to raise. She won’t like it, her hormones are telling her to hatch some eggs. But she will be better off in just a few days if you can break her. It’s the kind thing to do. I use the elevated wire-bottomed cage method. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/181289/how-to-break-a-broody-hen#post_2176186
