Chicken very weak, Maybe crop issue?

lovinchicks

Chirping
7 Years
Feb 12, 2012
140
1
89
Our hen is not doing very well. I found her last night when I went to lock up the coop. She was on the floor laying down. I picked her up and she made a sound like she was in pain. I set her on the roost, and she immediatly feel off. I set up a cage and brought her inside. She didn't walk around, just stood in one spot. Her eyes kept closing. She kept shaking her head, like she was trying ot get something off her head. She ate a tiny bit, and I got her to drink some. My son said she ate this morning, and I got her to drink again. But the rest of the day she has not wanted to eat or drink, and has gotten weaker. She can barley stand up now.

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.) Golden Buff, We have have had her for almost a year, and the guy we got her from said she was about a year, but not sure if that's true or not. She seems very thin. you can really feel her chest bone, and I felt her thigh and there doesn't seem to be much there either.

2) What is the behavior, exactly.
see above. Also checked for lice and mites and did not see any signs of it. felt a lump on the front of her next to her breast bone. lump Feels smooshy. I read others problems with sour crop, and they talked about the chicked sounding like they were choking. She is not doing that.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? this is day 2

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? No others, but we did have a turkey die 2 to 3 weeks ago, and they are housed together.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. Nothing visual. just the noise when you pick her up sounds like it hurts her
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. My husband commented the other day that when our light sussex rooster gets on her, it sounds like he's hurting her. I don't know if he could have hurt her.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. She is on Purina all Flock food, grit, oaster shells, Occasionaly cracked corn. Plain water
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. Poop is runny brown, with very few small sold pieces. Or runny white.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? brought her inside the house. got plain yogurt, but she doens't want to eat. I opened her beak, and got her to eat very little
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
we will be treating ourselves
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use she is in a insulated chicken coop with pine shavings

Thank you for any help or ideas.
 
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Well she is still hanging in here this morning. Yeaaah! I don't know if it's her crop or not. yesterday I was rubbed the lump on the front of her, which I guess is her crop. (Sorry new to chickens) many times during the day. The lump is about golf ball size. When you rub it for 30 sec, it goes away, and your just left with the pocket of skin. By the night time it didn't feel like anything was in it really. This morning it is back, about golf ball size, and smooshie. I can't get her to eat or drink. I only got a tiny bit of yogurt in her yesterday by opening her mouth and putting some in there. And got her to drink by dipping her beak in the water. She had a brown runny pile of poo under her from where she slept last night. Please any help!! I'm not sure if it's her crop or not? I did pry open her mouth, and smelled her breath, and I didn't smell anything.
 
If you hear anything back I will be interested as to what the cause is. I have a hen that is doing the head shaking like she is trying to get something off her and then closes her eyes and sleeps most of the day. I have her in a cage here in the house so she can get up and move around but is NOT eating. She will drink a little and has eaten a little of the hard boiled eye yolk I put in there but most of the time she sits with her eyes shut. Sure hope someone knows what this is. Good luck to you. Deb
 
Update...
Earlier in the day, I went to check on her again, and she was on her side, lifeless. you could only tell that she was still alive by looking if her cheeks were moving when she would breath. I held her expecting for her to die. My husband didn't want to give up, so he got a syringe and some fish tubing to make a feeding tube. I figured what the heck, she is on the brink of death anyways. We gave her some water with ACV in it, and also some plain yogurt with some fish oil in it. She is now able to hold her head upright for a short period again. Before it would just dangle. She still can't hold herself on her belly, and falls to the side, so I have her propped with a towel. And she keeps her eyes shut pretty much all of the time. Her crop feels different than before. Now it feels like a water ballon. Please Anyone!!!! Do you have anymore ideas as to what this could be, or what else to give her. She is not giving up, so neither are we.

Michigan Transplant.. My only advice is to not let her go to long without eating. I wish we started the tube feeding earlier. I really can't believe my girl is still alive. She looked totally dead earlier in the day.
 
Well, her body finally gave up, and she just dyed. I wish we had the finances to get her to a vet. Too bad no one on here had a clue what was going on. She was such a cool chick :(
 
I took mine back down to the chicken house and on the way I held her upside down and shook her. When I put her in the front pen she went to the food and pecked a time or two and then went to the water. She was walking around pecking at the straw on the floor. Guess time will tell if this one lives or not. It is to bad others on here didn't know what to say to help US with. :(
 
Lovinchicks, so sorry about your hen. I wish I knew what to do. Mine is like yours but isn't shaking her head.

Michigan Transplant, what does holding her upside down and shaking her do? I hope yours makes it!
 
SO, SO Sorry I didn't get on here earlier. So, so sorry for your loss.
hugs.gif
It does sound like it is/was sour crop/blocked. Here is a thread that is great on explaining how to fix this issue. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/229796/crop-surgery-performed-more-pics-how-to-steps-posted-pg-10 I know it is too late for one of the chickens but maybe the other one can be saved. Again I am sorry for your loss. Hope this helps.
 

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