Crop issue in old cock

[chickenmomma16]

Frankie is an 8 yr old large Blue Wheaten Ameraucana
About a month ago I noticed he had really soft stool. Like chicken poop color but cow pie consistency. I have treated for external parasites (Elector PSP a couple months ago) and internal parasites (Valbazen 2weeks ago) recently, his crop is overly full and hard. He keeps making that crop readjusting movement with his neck. I do not notice any foul smell. He is loosing weight.



He has been very healthy his whole life up until this summer when he had fly strike near his vent. This was caught very early and he recovered quickly.

All the other birds seem to be fine and have great poops. (As seen on the poop board during daily clean up) grit is always available as well as free range time daily. He goes out with all the girl but I notice him roosting and napping more. He is also not grooming himself as he normally does and his new feather still have their casing on. He is just finishing up his molt.

Any idea what I could be dealing with?

I know he is old. Any number of things could take him out. If it’s just his time then I’m at peace with that. He has lived a good little chicken life and I’ve been able to hatch chicks from him so he will live on in his progeny.


I had a crop issue earlier this year with another cock and did all the things to try and save him but when I did a necropsy he had intestinal cancer that blocked things from moving through his intestines. Hopefully this isn’t something similar.

 

[picklestheduck]

I would definitely give this boy some chilled coconut oil chunks. You can gently open his beak and slide it down his throat like a pill, or offer it to him, he may just gobble it up like my hen who has issues. Definitely try to get him to drink some more fluids, and gently massage the crop in a downward motion. Could he have gotten some string or something that is blocking it up in there? It could just be grass as well. Is it completely hard or pliable at all?

 

[chickenmomma16]

I would definitely give this boy some chilled coconut oil chunks. You can gently open his beak and slide it down his throat like a pill, or offer it to him, he may just gobble it up like my hen who has issues. Definitely try to get him to drink some more fluids, and gently massage the crop in a downward motion. Could he have gotten some string or something that is blocking it up in there? It could just be grass as well. Is it completely hard or pliable at all?

His crop feels like a balloon filled to the brim with maybe with dried rice and beans. It’s pretty hard but I can leave an imprint in it if pressed. It’s huge though. And pear shaped, not round like normal. It’s been large like this maybe a week-week and a half. It did go down some briefly but filled back up. I’ve been massaging it 1x a day when I go out to check on things.

 

[picklestheduck]

His crop feels like a balloon filled to the brim with maybe with dried rice and beans. It’s pretty hard but I can leave an imprint in it if pressed. It’s huge though. And pear shaped, not round like normal. It’s been large like this maybe a week-week and a half. It did go down some briefly but filled back up. I’ve been massaging it 1x a day when I go out to check on things.

I would massage as many times a day as possible. I would also consider trying a stool softener and or an epsom salt flush.

 

[picklestheduck]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/