Crop Issues Again

[happyhencamper]

3.5 year old easter egger not running towards food thrown with other hens. Standing by herself. Roosting in nest box. Drinking lots of water but not as much as I have seen others do in the past. Feathers puffed at neck and head area. Beak area does not have any smell.

Separated from others checked crop in am not completely empty. I was able to massage and move around. Squishy. Wiping beak on things. Other hen pecked at beak as if eating something off of it. She moves beak around as we would smack our lips. Not sure how to describe.
All 10 are molting excessively.

In quarantine coop now I remove food at night. First night squishy now hard. Massaging seems move it down but it fills right up again. Now it is hard for 2 days. I am thinking this is something lower as it just comes back up. Perhaps the blockage is lower. she is starting to get skinny. I gave her water with probiotics yesterday and will give just plain fresh water today. Gave yogurt (they all love it) she won't eat it, gave hard boiled egg won't eat it. Today took layer crumble and tuna. a few bites of tuna and eating layer crumble.

I massage several times a day and give her coconut oil and nystatin 2x per day. No smell and no longer squishy but will continue just in case as she also had liquid diarrhea. Today for the first time I saw formed small white caps (2), I get my feed from a local feed store and always have. can't think of brand. I feed crumble and throw same brand in pellets for treats. Some (little bit) of scratch mostly black oil sunflowers. Very few table scraps after reading some articles here. Grass is a problem. Our grass gets very long in summer when we cut it and I saw poop in regular coop today was very long grass for one hen. I look at it this way if they were grazing on a farm hay is cut farmers don't worry about that. Am I supposed to not let them free range? This is happening often this is the 3rd with crop issues in last year. Same clutch. Maybe it is something congenital?

 

[Eggcessive]

Is her crop ever empty in the early morning as it should be? Do you provide granite poultry grit for helping the gizzard grind up grasses and other foods? Is her tail lowered or is she having trouble laying eggs? Here is an article on crop problems:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[happyhencamper]

Is her crop ever empty in the early morning as it should be? Do you provide granite poultry grit for helping the gizzard grind up grasses and other foods? Is her tail lowered or is she having trouble laying eggs? Here is an article on crop problems:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

I have read this article more than once. I am doing all the things it says. It was squishy at first that is why I went the yeast route and she had diarrhea. The crop is never empty and is now firm not squishy. Yes I always provide grit and oyster shell. None of them are laying eggs. They are going through a very bad molt. I get at best 2 eggs a day from 10 hens. She has not laid since quarantine. I haven't notice her tail lowered. Yes I am massaging several times a day. She is not lethargic. She fights me on the meds and tries to escape. Moving around quarantine coop from roost to floor, scratching in the hay. Thank you so much for responding. You have helped me in the past

 

[Eggcessive]

Crop issues are difficult, and most of those I have seen were due to other problems. Molting is hard on them, and that is the time we may see illnesses. I prefer to keep my chickens in with the others even when ill. Taking them off the roost just before dawn is a good time to examine them, and medicate them. If separation is needed, a dog crate within the coop or run is preferred.

 

[happyhencamper]

She is scratching around in the coop but not really eating anything. I sprinkled some crumble around in the coop hoping she may eat what she finds. puffed up feathers around neck. I will give it a few more days and then I will have to consider euthanizing. It is so hard to know what to do. Because this is the 3rd one with similar symptoms this year, I am really wondering if there is something in the flock causing this. I rescued 4 18 month old girls and have had them for a year now. Maybe I didn't quarantine them long enough. They are not showing any symptoms of anything other than 2 with bald butts and one may have diarrhea since I have her. Just so frustrating. I have wormed and treated with corid this year. I really didn't think it was appropriate to do anything else to the flock when they are having such a hard time with the molt this year.Chicken Chic article says flush with water. If impaction is suspected. I haven't had any mention of that here.