Crop problems- looking for help

[kgardiner]

Hi, this afternoon I noticed my pullets chest was swollen and she was acting a little strange. She is 10 weeks. I've been reviewing posts on this forum and
I believe she has a sour crop. She has been eating fine although she is notably smaller than her 6 counterparts. She pooped solid (mostly black)when I was first checking her
out. I massaged her crop while holding her forward and got her to expell quite abit, although the crop is still swollen. I also gave her some bread soaked in olive
oil which she gobbled up quickly. I massaged her again and returned her with her friends. After feeding her the oiled bread, she pooped again, but this time it was
rather runny and white. I'm just wondering what else I need to do and if shes eating pellet food and drinking normally can I keep her in with the others??
Thanks!!

 

[Americana]

You can put some apple cider vinegar in her water- 1 tablespoon per gallon.

That has worked for me in the past. Good luck!

 

[top of the hill]

I just went through this with one of my pullets. She had eaten a clump of grass and it got stuck in her crop.

also, just want to add that I would wait until the morning because it may be as simple as she ate alot that day and her crop is full.

Here is what I did:

1. take the food out of the coop and in the morning feel her crop. Is it still swollen, is it squishy or hard? If squishy it is sour crop. My girls felt like a water ballon (tennis ball size) and her breath was awful.

2. You should seperate her (I put my girl in a large dog crate) for 24 hours and only give her water with apple cider vinegar (the kind with the "mother" - I use Braggs) Make sure to put this in a plastic container as metal will degrade.The acv water will help to kill the bad bacteria growing in her crop.

3. Massage her crop and pushing down so you help work whatever is stuck out.

4. day 2 feed her plain yogurt. The probiotics will help get good bacteria back in her crop.continue to massage her crop every few hours if you can.

5. day 3 make her a scrambled eggso she can get some protein.

for a couple days give her soft foods. I made my girl a mash with her food and warm water. she loved it! I also should mention that my girl did not like the yogurt so instead I broke open some probiotic capsules (you can get them in the vitamin isle) and added them to the mash.

Some people say you should "vomit" them, some people don't because you risk suffocating her. I did not, although while massaging her crop she did vomit on her own. it took almost 2 weeks before I let her back out with the others, so be patient.

good luck!

 

[kgardiner]

Thanks for the input... I massaged her crop again and this time a small leaf came out with the rest. I'm hoping that this was the problem!! I'm segregating her and I've given her some apple cider vinegar in her water. I will follow your directions and keep you posted!! Thanks again! ...keeping my fingers crossed

 

[top of the hill]

Quote:
Seems like you caught this early, and the leaf may have been the problem. Good that she got it out. Keep us posted on her status.

 

[kgardiner]

I'm really hoping the leaf was the problem. She drank alot of water last night and this morning her crop was still swollen. After massage this morning the water came up but it feels like her crop may be empty. It definitely has gone down further than any time previous. She also was pooping throughout the night. It was all water for the most part. Is this normal? Common sense would make me think it is since she took in nothing but water but I'm just checking. Is it common for the crop to refill because of the bacteria that was/is present? And should I wait until it no longer bloats before trying her on any yogurt? She was pooping all along and I don't want to withhold all substanance for longer than I need to. I am under the impression after the first 24 hrs I can start her on yogurt and work with soft food for awhile. Am I on the right track? I need to nurse my baby back to health! She's definitely more vocal now after I've emptied her crop. I'm hoping that is because now she's feeling a little better and is hungry... Thanks for the support and help!

 

[kgardiner]

I've been doing alot of reading and have decided to feed her some bread soaked with olive oil. I massaged her again and she expelled more water so I'm not sure if she still has a blockage. Although after massage her crop seems to feel pretty much completely empty. She has been drinking the acv vinegar fine and gobbled up a half of oil soaked broken up hot dog bun. She has been pooping water out alot. Is this a sign her blockage is gone or not? She was sure making alot of noise before feeding her the bread.. Now shes quieted down.
Shes looking for more but I dont want to overdo it.. Any comments?

 

[top of the hill]

Quote:
With my girl I started giving her soft foods when it was still slightly swollen. I kept her seperate for a few days after she was better and fed her layer mash mixed with warm water (made sort of an oatmeal), the key is the yogurt or the probiotics to fend off any bad bacteria still lingering.

Be careful on the olive oil, for some reason it was mentioned to me not to use with sour crop (only if crop is impacted) and remember, you have to be patient. My girl took almost 2 weeks to heal up. just keep doing what your doing, if she is pooping and acting more lively, it sounds like she is on the road to recovery!

Maybe someone can offer some more advice...

I'll try to look up what that olive oil thing was all about.

 

[top of the hill]

Here is the thread from when my girl was sick. Check out the post from twocrowsranch:

"And I would refrain from the oil also in the feed. Oil works well on impacted crops and she doesn't seem to be impacted. (squishy means slow or sour crop, hardened ball means impacted). Oil breaks down hardened contents of the crop with impactions, but after leaving the crop, the oil is very hard to digest in the stomach. And you don't want to slow the emptying of the crop with oil in the stomach."

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=600613

 

[kgardiner]

Thanks - I thought I saw somewhere here not to give yogurt and acv water at the same time. Is this true? Ive read so many different things I dont want screw up and lose my bird.