Crop Impaction - Looking for Advice

[GardeningGrl]

I have a one year old Buff Orpington.

Yesterday, when I went out to the coop, she was super lethargic, lolling on her feet near the water bowl. When I scooped her up, I noticed that her crop was very hard and about the size of two golf balls (she's a fairly small bird). She had watery droppings on her hind feathers and was docile as could be.

I brought her inside and got her to drink some water with olive oil in it. I massaged her crop repeatedly throughout the day.

Over the course of the days, she produced some normal droppings, as she did last night, but her crop is still hard and she's still a bit groggy.

Are the droppings a sign of her starting to come out of it? I'm continuing with the olive oil water, and I've been giving her tiny bits of yogurt when she'll take it.

Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks!
Jess

 

[CMV]

No advice because you are doing everything you should be doing. I hope things turn around soon. The droppings are a good sign. At least something is making it through.

Keep us posted on her progress.

 

[gallusdomesticus]

You're doing the right thing. Keep up putting olive oil in her crop and messaging it. Don't worry about being too gentle, you need to be vigorous in order to break up what is likely vegetation in her crop. A chicken that passes only fluid in her droppings has an obstruction in her digestive system, the fact that she has some solid droppings is a good sign. Don't lose patience. It's taken me up to two weeks working with a bird with an impacted crop to finally get it through her.
Good luck.

 

[GardeningGrl]

Henrietta's crop was totally clear when I got home from work tonight!

She was alert and clearly hungry. I mixed up a very small portion of warm water, yogurt, layer crumbles, and ACV (adding water until I had a very soft consistency) and brought some out to her. She tucked in but didn't eat all of it (I hadn't anticipated letting her - I just wanted to see where her appetite was.

I'll continue to keep you updated.

 

[CMV]

Nice work, GardeningGrl. It sounds like she may be on the mend. Keep up with the probiotics and don't let her overeat for the first couple weeks. Hopefully, this was just a fluke and will never have a repeat.

Good luck.

 

[GardeningGrl]

Since we keep a flock of Buff Orpingtons, and I - admittedly - struggle to tell some of our larger girls apart, I tagged her (with a loose zip tie on one foot), so I can track her once she's back in the flock.

 

[aoxa]

Since we keep a flock of Buff Orpingtons, and I - admittedly - struggle to tell some of our larger girls apart, I tagged her (with a loose zip tie on one foot), so I can track her once she's back in the flock.

Good idea

I have a hen with sour crop and though she is eating normally, she throws up if she bends over and her crop is too full. She's passing some of it through, but it is worrying :/

Glad to hear your girl is doing better