compacted crop, listless - have tried everything

[BlackGiantMerlin]

Today is day 5 of one of my two hens being sick. Her comb is floppy, and I know her crop is impacted but I don't think it's 'sour' as I didn't smell anything when I made her get sick the second day after symptoms appeared. Afterward I offered her water with oregano oil (which she drank on her own) and a little creamed corn with coconut oil. Been keeping her hydrated though she has continued to drink on her own some.

Two days ago we started administering liquid paraffin twice a day and I thought we had progress but she seems to have regressed again. She has passed some poop but very little. She's been semi interested in eating until today which she has zero interest.

Have considered making her throw up again, isolating her completely from the other hen (which only adds to her stress and why I haven't done it - we only have two and it's easy to parse out small amounts of feed that the other that she gobbles up quickly). Then just offering her water with oregano oil for a day or two, along with something very soft like yogurt.

About a week before this happened she started having a 'poopy butt.' Note we had been treating both of them for leg mites successfully for two months prior - we used oregano oil and coconut oil topically and colloidal silver orally to cure/prevent any internal infection. My family has lived green for many years and will not use chemicals.

I know the poopy butt could mean infection of some sort - which may be at the root of the compacted crop but I am at a loss for what to try next. If I believed emergency vet intervention would make a difference I would take her in but I find most vets know less about chickens than I do and in fact, this board of awesome chicken owners collectively has seen and done more than anyone on the planet with chickens.

I've loved and lost many chickens over the years and cannot stand to see one suffering. Thanks in advance for any suggestions?

 

[redsoxs]

I don't have any useful advice to offer but wanted to make sure you visited the link below in case you hadn't. Best of luck. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments

 

[BlackGiantMerlin]

UPDATE: been administering the baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, lemon mixture for three days now -- she has definitely improved - she is more alert, walks with greater ease, crop is less full (but still doesn't completely empty) - she is eating, drinking and pooping (has poopy butt) but the poop is small amounts, soft and has some whole wild bird seeds in it. Any amount of wild bird seed would have been small from the wind blowing it in their run and I can't imagine that causing an issue - or could it?

Have been mixing dry feed with water, DE and coconut oil and she loves that. Going to continue with the baking soda mixture and will add colloidal silver in case she has some infection. I realize there could be other internal unknown things going on -- but beginning to appreciate how much treating/feeding from the get go for any type of infection, mites, or blockage seems to be the best approach when you don't know exactly what's going on.

Any more insight from anyone?? Would love to have her back to 100% normal but so long as she is comfortable and seems to be improving I will continue doing what I am doing.

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Thanks redsox, I've read so much on line but not tried the baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, lemon mixture and will do so this morning as her crop isn't firm it's more squishy. I will report back -- though I always hope for the best sometimes I feel like I am only prolonging suffering, that is the worst part.