Crop issue- two days after other hens died

[picklestheduck]

Long story short I just had two hens pass away, from possibly different ailments, so I have been watching and feeling my remaining birds like a hawk. I have now 27 chickens and 12 ducks. The first two birds had different symptoms, and one seemed to have sever sour crop, and although I expressed most of it, I found her dead in the crate the next morning, and the other suffered from lethargy and stopped eating and drinking, and despite my efforts of giving water and egg, and antibiotics, she too passed. Fast forward two days, and I’ve been super careful to watch my birds, and I’ve been feeling everyone’s crops, and just this morning I noticed my absolute favorite hen has a half ball sized hard knob of food in her crop. But I can reshape it and massage it around, but it’s quite difficult. She hasn’t had anything to drink yet since I locked her inside to post on hwre before I let her get anything. She’s acting totally normal, and was quite upset I locked her inside. What do I do? I can give her coconut oil and water or I can go buy something, I have acv but don’t want to throw everything at her if it’s not needed. Advice appreciated

 

[DLA]

Coconut oil and massage and see if you can get that knob to break up and pass. Is there any smell like sour crop, if so you may need some miconazole.

 

[picklestheduck]

Coconut oil and massage and see if you can get that knob to break up and pass. Is there any smell like sour crop, if so you may need some miconazole.

Ok thank you so so so much for the quick response! If it does pass, do I give her food or wait? And if it doesn’t pass do I leave her without anything in like a crate?

 

[picklestheduck]

Ok good news, she loves coconut oil and DEVOURED probably between 1-2 tablespoons. I’ve been massaging quite a bit and it’s softened considerably, but there is still a good amount in there. How long does it take to pass? Do I put her in a crate with nothing? Or do I offer her water?

 

[DLA]

Ok good news, she loves coconut oil and DEVOURED probably between 1-2 tablespoons. I’ve been massaging quite a bit and it’s softened considerably, but there is still a good amount in there. How long does it take to pass? Do I put her in a crate with nothing? Or do I offer her water?

I'm sorry you lost the other chickens. That's difficult to deal with
I would give her food and water and separate her so you can monitor her poop and behavior easier. It can sometimes pass very quickly, some crop issues take a while to resolve, depends on severity.
This article should help - https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[picklestheduck]

I’ve got her in a crate under a lean to with savings in it, and she is NOT happy I’m afraid to give her food in case she fills it all up again, it never emptied, it’s soft and squishy now from coconut oil and water but definitely still full, so holding off on the food. She is trying to eat and pick at shavings tho

 

[picklestheduck]

@Eggcessive should I just call and schedule a vet appointment? Still seems like the same amount of food in the crop just soft now. And she hasn’t pooped at all today. She’s quite hungry and upset she’s separated with no food but since I just had two hens die I’m nervous to loose any more. I also have antibiotics that I had bought from the vet for the original sick hens since they didn’t have an appointment right away, but if she’s not even passing what’s in her crop

 

[Eggcessive]

Did you get a necropsy or contact the state vet? Did you examine the crop at daylight before she had taken any food or water? When you said that you expressed the crop of the one who died, did you mean that you made her vomit? I would never do that since it can make them choke to death. It is up to you about seeing a vet. I don’t go to the vets with my chickens. Are the ones with the full squishy crops active and alert? Are they acting normal or are they sick? I would let them out and feed them. Then check them again in early morning before they eat or drink to see what the crop feels like.

 

[picklestheduck]

Did you get a necropsy or contact the state vet? Did you examine the crop at daylight before she had taken any food or water? When you said that you expressed the crop of the one who died, did you mean that you made her vomit? I would never do that since it can make them choke to death. It is up to you about seeing a vet. I don’t go to the vets with my chickens. Are the ones with the full squishy crops active and alert? Are they acting normal or are they sick? I would let them out and feed them. Then check them again in early morning before they eat or drink to see what the crop feels like.

I did not get a necropsy, I don’t know it was a lot of money and I was in a bad space, and both chickens died from different things. Yes, I made her vomit since the crop was the size of a soft ball of fluid and I literally had no other idea. I feel awful now, but she had been breathing fine after doing so, but I just feel sick about this all. I don’t know how to help them more than I’ve been doing and I feel like they are all just coming down with different symptoms. Yes I checked her early this morning before I let her out, and it had been big hard knob, after coconut oil and a lot of massaging it has softened now to become squishy and pliable, and I put her in a crate with just water. A few hours later and no difference in the crop, no poop.

 

[Eggcessive]

Well, I would use some electrolytes and vitamins in her water. She needs some food also, so some egg and very watery feed might be good. Could she have eaten some grasses that have gotten balled up in her crop? Continue to offer the chilled coconut oil. Hopefully, this will sort itself out.