Crop questions please help.. **HEN PASSED - GROSS CROP FINDINDS PIC**

[chickenranchwife]

Sorry for your loss, it's always hard to loose one! Glad you figured out what it was afterwards though.

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

well I thought about not doing it - since she was such a great girl and so sweet the thought of cutting her open made me sick, but I had to know what she was eating so I could watch the others out there - they dont free range so I wanted to make sure someone was not throwing things in the yard -
it was very nasty and something I hope to never have to do again.


Julie

 

[raindrop]

Feather eating can be a sign of a methionine deficiency- may want to supplement the flock and make sure you aren't feeding too much scratch/corn.
Sorry for your loss, but it was good you did a little necropsy on her.

 

[ibpboo]

I'm so sorry to hear about your hen. Its very sad. Wow, I can't believe what you found in there, feathers, thats something.
My little girl seems to be responding to the tomato juice and massages. Her lump in very small now and just squishy, no more gritty feeling. She is still active too.

 

[hencackle]

I'm so sorry about your hen, Crazy4chicks. That looks nasty, I swear I can imagine how horrible it smelled just by looking at the photo. Were you able to detect a sour smell when you felt her crop the first time?
Thanks for sharing the photos...it may help save someone else's bird.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Sorry to hear you lost her. As stated feather eating is a sign of methione deficency. You can feed black oil sunflower seed to help with this. If you already are feeding it but, feeding corn the corn interferes with it. Feed more or lower/cut the corn depending on your situation.

 

[rooster-red]

Sorry you lost your hen Julie.

Thank you for doing the necropsy and posting the pics. I'm sure it will help someone in the future.

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

can I get the black sunflower seed oil at TS ? I am not sure what I would be looking for - I thought the feather eating was a something to do with lack of protein - so I was feeding dry kitten food and worms I would get at the fish counter at wal*mart also giving them feeder fish as a treat. they dont get alot of scratch/corn now that the weather is warming up - they got cracked corn every morning when it was really cold outside.

when we would hold her and feel her crop we never smelled anything sour or nasty - but now I know what the " crunchy " feeling was - it was all of the shafts of the feathers we were feeling.

I am glad I remembered to take that pic - I hope it is able to help someone else in case the need it.

I just feel badly that we did not get to her in time to help her, but at least from her death I will learn something that will help my other chickens and any I get in the future.

thank you all for the kind words and all your help - I will keep a closer eye on the crops from now on thats for sure.

you cant imagine how awful that smelled I wanted to empty her crop more but I was to the point of throwing up.

Julie

 

[CarriBrown]

I'm sorry you lost her. That must have been so awful. But it's good that you did that necropsy on her because personally, my first thought were your nasty neighbors. So, even though you lost her and had to cut her open, at least you know those trashy people aren't throwing things in your chicken run. :aww

 

[jjthink]

Julie, I'm so sorry about your hen - it's just so hard - as we know that to die they had to be feeling really awful....
You were very brave to explore to find out what the problem was.
Re: black oil sunflower seeds, any store that sells bird seed will have it. Mine go crazy for it and also adore the millet that is in most bird seed mixtures that have sunflower seed. Feed stores, Petsmarts or other well supplies pet stores, even most food stores now carry it.
JJ