Crop issue- two days after other hens died

[Wyorp Rock]

Crop problems can take a long time to treat. I would just continue doing what you are doing, and check the crop each morning before she eats.

I agree, just give it some time - see how she's doing in a few days.

 

[picklestheduck]

Thank you. Will do. She’s been eating, but probably not enough, she feels thin, breastbone quite prominent, and she’s always been a thinner bird since she gets picked on some of the most, but I’m worried for her. For now she seems to not want the normal pellet feed idk if it’s because it’s soaked or not, and would rather eat wet cat food and scrambled egg. I mixed the two together and she went wild for it and devoured a whole scrambled egg and half the cat food.

 

[picklestheduck]

Ok so we’ve been doing the same thing this entire time, and we are at the point where instead of a big glob of food stuck in there in the morning, it’s only a little ball of something, about the size of a grape. It’s been like that for 3 mornings in a row now. I’m trying to taper this hen back to regular food, but she’s now become accustomed to having a wet cat food-mixed with everything slurry. To be honest I don’t know how much this hen even used to eat when she was living full time with the rest of thr flock, she’s skittish of the others and would rather dig for worms etc. I’ve been giving her food with high protein because she feels underweight, but now when I put a bowl of her layer pellets in there, she turns her beak up. There’s two bowls, one of the soaked mash pellets, one of the dry. She’s only shown interest in the water bowl, and the empty cat food container this morning. Do I just leave her and when she gets hungry enough she can just deal with it? Or since there’s that little bit of food that has refused to empty out of the crop should I still give her scrambled egg, cat food, yogurt etc

 

[Eggcessive]

I would use mostly chicken feed mixed with a little water, and for a day or two, you could mix in just a bit of cat food or egg for interest. Then taper it off. They do like to have some dry available. Definitely don’t just let her make a choice whether to have cat food or chicken. Massage the grape-sized part of the crop several times a day.

 

[picklestheduck]

whatever was in there finally seemed gone today, so after half a day in her crate with her egg mash etc I put her back with the flock and yes there was a bit of squabbling as usual but they did well. I’ll see if that crop continues to function well in the morning

 

[picklestheduck]

Now again she seems to still have a bit of something in there every morning. I give her drinks if water on the roost now at night and massage her crop but it feels like a small pretty solid something once the other food drains out overnight. Almost wondering if it’s a whole grape that she got the other day when I threw some in. I always smash and break them up but I missed like 3 and of course she was one to get one. Should I give her some stool softener again? I’m taking another hen for a recheck at the vet in about a week, do I see if I can squeeze her in or do I wait and keep trying at home? The little bit in there isn’t very big, just frustrating and I’m afraid it’ll eventually hurt her if it goes sour or something.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Now again she seems to still have a bit of something in there every morning. I give her drinks if water on the roost now at night and massage her crop but it feels like a small pretty solid something once the other food drains out overnight. Almost wondering if it’s a whole grape that she got the other day when I threw some in. I always smash and break them up but I missed like 3 and of course she was one to get one. Should I give her some stool softener again? I’m taking another hen for a recheck at the vet in about a week, do I see if I can squeeze her in or do I wait and keep trying at home? The little bit in there isn’t very big, just frustrating and I’m afraid it’ll eventually hurt her if it goes sour or something.

How is she doing now?

If it's a grape that you are feeling, then likely it should have passed on through her system with no problems.

Re-check the crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks and see what it's like.

 

[picklestheduck]

How is she doing now?

If it's a grape that you are feeling, then likely it should have passed on through her system with no problems.

Re-check the crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks and see what it's like.

It feels a bit squishy this morning, and less stuff in there. I definitely felt that lump for a few days but it seems gone this morning. She’s happy as can be and doesn’t act any different

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It feels a bit squishy this morning, and less stuff in there. I definitely felt that lump for a few days but it seems gone this morning. She’s happy as can be and doesn’t act any different

You checked her before she'd had anything to eat/drink? If so, then re-check one more time tomorrow, if her crop's not emptying, then I'd start with giving coconut oil and a light massage.

Being happy is a good thing!

 

[picklestheduck]

You checked her before she'd had anything to eat/drink? If so, then re-check one more time tomorrow, if her crop's not emptying, then I'd start with giving coconut oil and a light massage.

Being happy is a good thing!

Not quite, I realized that someone else had let them out so I booked it out there but she probably got something. I’ll check again tomorrow.
I am currently giving her a drink of water on the roost every night and a light massage since it seems quite dry and hard most nights, after a massage after water it usually breaks up though. She loves coconut oil so starting that again should be no problem