Chickens don't puke...do they?

[CHICKEN CRAZY1]

Yes you read right! I think I have seen a chicken puke! I was just out in the coop on a matter of a listless chicken. It was standing there, unmoving. After seeing if she would take interest in some bread,(She didn't want any.More strange behavior,a chicken not wanting food.) I picked her up to examine her vent to see if she was egg bound. She opened her beak and out shot some clear,slightly cream colored stinky liquid. I immediately put her down. She seemed to feel better and in fact took a couple steps. She still didn't look her old self though. I left her alone and ran over to the computer. I have read tons of chicken books and have no idea on what it could be! I don't think birds puke...do they?

 

[Suzie]

Sounds as if she may have sour crop...smells putrid when they bring up liquid...check out sour crop ...that may be the answer. Go to the stickys at the beginning of the Emergencies etc...has great information on both impacted and sour crop.

Go to helpful references and links

Scroll down to Medical treatment and dosages...lots of info there!

 

[CHICKEN CRAZY1]

I'll check it out. It definitely smelled horrible!

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Yes it is a crop impaction/ sour crop.
I had a hen have this once and I took an old timers advice (this is when I first started with chickens). He said to hold her upside down for 20 seconds periods a few times each day. Sure if enough it worked. Clear syrupy stuff would poor out (rubbing her cropped helped as well) until on the 2nd day there was none left. I put her in a separate cage with water and that natural yoghurt (full of probiotics) and she was fine.

I later read that this was a pretty bad technique and your hen can die if you hold her upside down too long. So perhaps you should use the other methods like trying to help the impaction pass though with olive oil etc.
Just a suggestion

. Good luck.

Also I have had chicken 'throw up' this clear stuff before without having crop impaction. They just don't get fed one night then in the morning gulp down to much food.

 

[CHICKEN CRAZY1]

Thank you for your advice! I had no idea what it was and it freaked me out! Both of your advice has been helpful!

 

[Suzie]

The latest info I have read is that you hold the chicken at a face down angle of 60 degrees, massage the crop towards the throat...she should vomit but allow her to breathe so only for massage for a few seconds and put her upright or she may aspirate the fluid into her lungs...you can add 1 tsp of baking soda per gallon to her drinking water...... but do not give ACV.

Hope this helps!

 

[CHICKEN CRAZY1]

Should I separate her? Do you know what causes it?

 

[Suzie]

She would be better isolated for now from the main flock...sour crop is sometimes the result of an impacted crop ..this is normally because they eat fibrous grass or some indigestible string or anything long that they cannot digest ... the chicken will drink excess water to try and pass the impaction..resulting in a watery acidic crop which smells foul...she should be given soft foods once you have dealt with the sour crop...

An easy way to tell if she has an impaction is if the crop is hard..

Sour crop will be squishy and you will notice the putrid smell...

 

[CHICKEN CRAZY1]

What other kind of foods would be good besides natural yogurt? (I can't find any reliable websites.)

 

[Eggcessive]

Most sites that I have seen recommend resting the crop the first day with water only, then on the second day giving yogurt or buttermilk with a little bread, soft egg, apple sauce, or mushy feed with water. Do not give any whole grains until the crop problem is finished. Sour crop can be bacterial or fungal, depending on what caused it. Some people will use crop bound capsules (or OTC colace,) or even mycostatin (monistat) suppositories fed orally, but I don't have experience with this. A vet is always your best bet, because the longer it goes on, the harder it is to cure.
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/answers-from-chicken-vet-on-impacted.html
http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/01/crop-issues.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/630307/sour-crop-cured-with-monistat