Crop issue?

[clairhoffman]

I have a 16 week old chicken that I’m suspecting has a crop issue but I can’t narrow it down. It doesn’t sound like true sour crop or impaction.

She has access to chick starter and grit all day.
She eats and drinks just fine and behavior seems normal despite a large crop.

I first noticed a full crop about a week ago when I picked her up and it felt watery - not impacted or hard but more like a water balloon. She also opened her mouth and acted as though she needed to throw up. She expelled some fluid/food but no foul smell or gurgle sound.
I’ve tried withholding food for 24 hours and it went down enough that I felt comfortable reintroducing so we did scrambled eggs and a small bit of yogurt. I couldn’t withhold water with the heat we’re experiencing.
I felt she was doing better so I reintroduced typical food/grit and its back.
She’s also had access to water with a splash of apple cider vinegar.

What do I do now? I can feel the grit in her crop after she expels some “barf”. It’s like there’s a blockage beyond her crop and I don’t know what to do from here. Please help! I feel awful for her.

 

[DobieLover]

I would confine her in a large dog crate in the run so she is still near the other birds and treat her with acidified copper sulfate (ACS).

To dilute the ACS, using a kitchen scale, you would weigh out 1/2 pound (227 g) of the ACS and dissolve it in a gallon of clean water. This is the CONCENTRATED STOCK solution.

To treat the bird, you would use 1 ounce of the STOCK solution and dilute that into 1 gallon of clean water to make a gallon of treated water. Use this water in a non-metal drinker as the sole source of water for her for 5 days. I would also make a mash out of her feed using the treated drinking water so she is certain to take it in.
After 5 days, remove all of the treated water/feed and give her only fresh water/feed. Check her crop function after a day with normal water and feed and if it's functioning correctly, release her.

 

[clairhoffman]

I would confine her in a large dog crate in the run so she is still near the other birds and treat her with acidified copper sulfate (ACS).

To dilute the ACS, using a kitchen scale, you would weigh out 1/2 pound (227 g) of the ACS and dissolve it in a gallon of clean water. This is the CONCENTRATED STOCK solution.

To treat the bird, you would use 1 ounce of the STOCK solution and dilute that into 1 gallon of clean water to make a gallon of treated water. Use this water in a non-metal drinker as the sole source of water for her for 5 days. I would also make a mash out of her feed using the treated drinking water so she is certain to take it in.
After 5 days, remove all of the treated water/feed and give her only fresh water/feed. Check her crop function after a day with normal water and feed and if it's functioning correctly, release her.

Thank you!! Make a mash with her chick starter/grit for food?

 

[DobieLover]

Thank you!! Make a mash with her chick starter/grit for food?

Just the chick starter. No grit. Grit is never mixed with feed. It should only ever be offered on the side for free choice feeding but your hen does not need it when only each starter and being treated. Just give her the treated water and the mash you make of her chick starter. Nothing else. For 5 days.

 

[awagnon]

@dobbieLover, where would one get the acidified copper sulfate? I have a 3 yo hen going through the same thing. She went into molt right after winter, hasn't laid for almost 9 months. Crop is full but less than last night. Doing the miconazole at the moment and sequestered in a crate inside.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

@dobbieLover, where would one get the acidified copper sulfate? I have a 3 yo hen going through the same thing. She went into molt right after winter, hasn't laid for almost 9 months. Crop is full but less than last night. Doing the miconazole at the moment and sequestered in a crate inside.

I bought it from this hatchery:
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/acidified_copper_sulfate.html

I did miconazole for a while with my impacted/sour crop hen, but it was the ACS that cured her. Just be sure to get your doses exactly right.

Good luck!

 

[DobieLover]

@dobbieLover, where would one get the acidified copper sulfate? I have a 3 yo hen going through the same thing. She went into molt right after winter, hasn't laid for almost 9 months. Crop is full but less than last night. Doing the miconazole at the moment and sequestered in a crate inside.

There are many places online you can get it. Here is one place.

 

[awagnon]

There are many places online you can get it. Here is one place.

Ok thanks! I wish Amazon had it. I need to get it pretty quickly.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

Ok thanks! I wish Amazon had it. I need to get it pretty quickly.

Ours came in 5 days.