crop/intestinal blockage

[scooter147]

I have a 18 month old Sussex that I believe to have a inpacted crop or intestinal tract. I noticed she wasn't acting like herself yesterday, she is alway very curious and very active.
Her crop looked extremely full to me, unusual in this heat as the hens don't eat to "full capacity" in this heat.
Anyway, I picked her up and lightly felt the crop and she promptly threw up, nothing but water. She continued to drink during the day and quite a bit actually and had a huge crop when she went to roost last night.
This morning when I picked her up off the roost the crop had gone down to about 75%. So it seems like some of the water passed.

Am I dealing with an impaction or something else.

Besides an operation any other treatments?

I hate to lose this hen she is quite the charcater.

 

[arlee453]

Hmmm.... sounds like potentially a crop issue.

Here's what I would do:

I'd isolate her in a small coop or dog crate. Give water, but no food for 24 hours and see what happens with the crop.

You can also give small amounts of bread SOAKED in olive oil and then massage the crop area to see if you can get whatever is in there to break up and move on down.

Anyone else?

 

[Break an Egg]

I've operated on one of my girls who had an impacted crop, only because everything else didn't work. She was throwing up and getting sick from the blockage. She is much better now.

I bought a suture kit from the feed store and some terramycin and the operation was successful. The hard part is getting all the stuff out of her crop. And then getting the smell of the stuff off your hands.

 

[goldensunriseranch]

I would also use any oil with flavor, like olive oil, just not mineral oil which is tasteless and they can aspirate it. But I would just squirt it in her mouth directly to make sure it gets in there. And also see if there are any droppings.

 

[blue90292]

Quote:
texas star, i sent you an email. i'm contemplating surgery on my hen tonight and could really use some advice on the procedure.

i've been giving her via seringe some olive oil but her crop is still very big. i tried the epsom salt but she won't throw it up. just took the solution like it was no big deal. she's pooping fine but i can feel that her breast is getting skinny while her crop is peach size and wont go down even though i've left her with no food for over 24 hours.

right now i put her back on yogurt hoping she'll get some kind of nutrition. anyway, i'm figuring i need to do something soon before she starts fading, although she acts as if nothing is wrong, just eats away, rarely drinks water though. but she's had this crop for over a week now.

so....

i'm planning on restraining her and then i understand there's the skin and then the crop to cut? how big a cut did you make? did you just cut the center or side?? when you cleaned it out, did you clean it out with saline solution? and when you stiched her back, i'm figuring you stick the crop then the skin. i bought the suture kit from the feed store. the needle seems huge for me. did you use a different needle?

sorry for all the questions. i really like this hen and am scared to do this but i don't want to lose her and i don't have the money to take her to a vet for sugery. thanks.