crop full of sand

[Chicks4MyChicks]

So about 5 days ago I started to notice that our 14 week old Speckled Sussex was not emptying her crop at night. It was getting larger each day. When I massaged it, it felt exactly like an old leather hackey sack. Being new to having chickens I wasn't sure what to do so I started reading everything I could and watch videos etc ......... We were able to get a fair amount of water in to her and the crop went from hard/firm to squishy. You could feel the sand rolling around in there. I put her in a cage away from our sand floored run, I only gave her access to water and tonight we managed to get some olive oil and water in to her. Again lots of massaging. After being isolated in the cage for 24 hours now, she is pooping out lots of sand. Close to 2 tablespoons so far but the crop seems to be about half size so I am keeping her isolated again tonight. At no time has she appeared to be in any distress , pain or discomfort. And at the max , the crop was maybe getting close to a tennis ball size...... but very firm. Seeing pictures of other chickens with pendulous crop and impacted crop , I would say we either caught this early or maybe we are over reacting. Some of the pictures we saw , the crops appear to be 3-4 times the size of our girls. We have 8 chickens and I have felt all of their crops in the past few days. The other 7 are just like how they are described ........ by evening they are firm and the plum size ........ in the morning they are gone .......

So not much of a question as I think we are on the right track .......... but any advice would be appreciated.

I am confident we will get the sand out and she will be fine ...... but how do I stop this from repeating itself?

She seems to be the only one that is eating sand in large quantities


thanks,
Dax

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So about 5 days ago I started to notice that our 14 week old Speckled Sussex was not emptying her crop at night. It was getting larger each day. When I massaged it, it felt exactly like an old leather hackey sack. Being new to having chickens I wasn't sure what to do so I started reading everything I could and watch videos etc ......... We were able to get a fair amount of water in to her and the crop went from hard/firm to squishy. You could feel the sand rolling around in there. I put her in a cage away from our sand floored run, I only gave her access to water and tonight we managed to get some olive oil and water in to her. Again lots of massaging. After being isolated in the cage for 24 hours now, she is pooping out lots of sand. Close to 2 tablespoons so far but the crop seems to be about half size so I am keeping her isolated again tonight. At no time has she appeared to be in any distress , pain or discomfort. And at the max , the crop was maybe getting close to a tennis ball size...... but very firm. Seeing pictures of other chickens with pendulous crop and impacted crop , I would say we either caught this early or maybe we are over reacting. Some of the pictures we saw , the crops appear to be 3-4 times the size of our girls. We have 8 chickens and I have felt all of their crops in the past few days. The other 7 are just like how they are described ........ by evening they are firm and the plum size ........ in the morning they are gone .......

So not much of a question as I think we are on the right track .......... but any advice would be appreciated.

I am confident we will get the sand out and she will be fine ...... but how do I stop this from repeating itself?

She seems to be the only one that is eating sand in large quantities


thanks,
Dax

She's most likely trying to use the sand for grit and consuming too much.

You may want to consider providing commercial poultry grit (crushed granite) in a small container inside the run. The chickens will take what they need.

Also watch to see if she is being kept away from the feeder - if so she may be eating sand to fill her crop because she is hungry. If this is the case, then add another feeding station.

It sounds like you are treating the impacted crop well, let us know how she is doing.

 

[Chicks4MyChicks]

ok I will get some proper commercial grit

she is not being kept away from the food at all ....... she eats well

The feeder I have is made so 2 can eat at a time and she gets her fair share in there , and on occasion I throw in a handful of grass clippings / clover , all under 1" long and again she gets her fair share

I got her at 11 weeks old and when I picked her up from the previous owner she was in a dirt floor type pen, so having all this sand is new to all my birds

Thanks,

 

[Wyorp Rock]

ok I will get some proper commercial grit

she is not being kept away from the food at all ....... she eats well

The feeder I have is made so 2 can eat at a time and she gets her fair share in there , and on occasion I throw in a handful of grass clippings / clover , all under 1" long and again she gets her fair share

I got her at 11 weeks old and when I picked her up from the previous owner she was in a dirt floor type pen, so having all this sand is new to all my birds

Thanks,

Let us know if she improves.

If she was kept on dirt, most chickens will scratch and find small stones that are the appropriate size they need, sometimes sand may be too fine to act as proper grit.