Crop impaction

[hannahransom]

Please respond with any info!

My chicken, a 12 1/2 week old Rhode Island Red, has crop impaction from what I can tell. Her crop is huge, and was so last night (when I first noticed it). I decided to wait until this morning to see if it was still big, noticed it was (after she ate, dang!) and it's very hard as well. I'm hoping I caught it early but I'm not sure. I didn't even know what crop impaction was until I googled enlarged crop to see if it was a problem.
All I have is coconut oil in terms of oil... If I liquify it will that be ok? She isn't co-operating and letting me look in her beak, so I haven't seen if she smells or if I can see the hole to the lungs.
She is still eating, seems vital, and even pooped a bit, at least, so I can't imagine this is in late stages or anything.
I have no idea how to massage a crop or administer this oil, so any help asap would be good. Right now she is just in a crate with another crate on top with water. I put a towel down so she won't eat anything, poop on anything, and not have to walk on a crate.

Any words of wisdom would be helpful!

 

[hannahransom]

She has pooped at least three times. I'm terrified to do the oil thing because I don't know my way around a chickens mouth (I found sesame oil). I tried giving her oil with a bit of egg yolk but she wasn't having any of that (tried it and apparently I made it too oily because she immediately started wiping her beak off).

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I don't have experience with sour crop/impacted crop but have read that olive oil soaked into bread pieces is good for them.

I have not massaged a crop before so cannot tell you how. If it is truly impacted and nothing will move through there is a crop surgery thread you can ask for or search for later if needed.

 

[hannahransom]

Thanks. I'm hoping the lady I bought the chickens from calls me back as she knows a lot about chickens. I don't even know where to put the oil in the mouth to avoid the lungs, so haven't done anything but massage. Poor baby girl.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Thanks. I'm hoping the lady I bought the chickens from calls me back as she knows a lot about chickens. I don't even know where to put the oil in the mouth to avoid the lungs, so haven't done anything but massage. Poor baby girl.

I recommend placing oil in bread as it would be so easy for them to aspirate oil. Now for medications and other liquids like water, I recommend using a syringe and placing it alongside the beak, allowing them to drink it slowly.

I have done this carefully and it works well.

IMO it is not safe to pour liquids down the throat. Just my opinion!

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:

Me too. I do not want them to aspirate. I use bread.

 

[Charm1704]

I tried the oil...I tried the massage....it depends on what they ate...I had to do surgery on my Calico mille Fluer. you can read my post on it. ~Charm1704

 

[hannahransom]

Her crop has gone down a lot and she has pooped, but I don't know if there is something in there still (well, I will be checking in the morning). I massaged a lot today but nothing else. I really want someone more experienced in crop feeling to tell me whether she has passed everything. I feel so bad that she hasn't been able to eat since 9ish. I can definitely feel her keel bone like crazy, but I think that might be her age, too, she hasn't fattened up yet. I will be feeling the keel of the other RIR I have tomorrow as a comparison, I did feel the ok RIR's crop today to compare and I couldn't tell too much of a difference. Like I said, she was vital and eating up until I put her in the crates. She's still ok, but obviously can't move a whole bunch in the crates. I'm very new with the chickens, so this is my first for everything.

 

[seminolewind]

If you are feeling less and less food in the crop, and she is pooing well, I would let her go back to the flock, and just check her crop at night and in the morning.

 

[hannahransom]

I am giving her polenta, yogurt, and egg yolk this just so that i can make sure she doesn't gorge herself and then i will probably add her back in tonight. I don't think she likes the concoction I made her much, but she's picking at it (and then wiping beak immediately!). She's talkative and seems to be doing well this morning. I don't think I could feel her crop at all so I think she's good. Very happy if this was that easy!