Crop still Impacted after 3 days

[ChookieG]

Hi BYCers!

My girl is a chronic sufferer of sour crop since I got her as a pullet in March. And she's been a frequent victim of impacted crop for the past couple of months or so. The first couple of times I treated her as suggested by a BYCer has worked well. The procedure involves isolating her, administering 10 mL (10ccs) vegetable oil every 30 min with 10 min massage in an upward circular motion each time per session. This has been repeated twice so a total of 3 times and the crop has cleared overnight.

I've also installed a crop bra and it has worked for a while however I haven't been so lucky this time round. She's been isolated for 3 days now. I've treated her in a similar manner albeit every 2-3 hours as I've been too busy. Her impaction didn't clear the first couple of mornings. I've just given her 2 sessions this morning (30 min later for the 2nd dose) and will repeat it again for another couple of times today. My concern is the clump won't pass through her crop. It's a clump averaging about the size of a pingpong ball and it feels like grass-like material with some scratch grains. I can also feel a piece of stick bark/mulch (approx 0.12 x 0.4 inches in size) in the clump.

Do you suggest I try and invert her to get her to vomit out the clump? I've tried to dislodge the clump by massaging it but it has reformed into the same sized clump every time. I'm worried that she'll choke and die when I try to force it out of her mouth.

Any suggestion is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[casportpony]

Have you tried tubing fluids to her yet?

 

[ChookieG]

Have you tried tubing fluids to her yet?

Can you elaborate on that? Do you mean inserting a tube into her esophagus and then pumping water through it??

 

[casportpony]

Can you elaborate on that? Do you mean inserting a tube into her esophagus and then pumping water through it??

Yes, that is how I deal with impacted crops.

 

[ChookieG]

Yes, that is how I deal with impacted crops.

Do you have any reference I can refer to for instructions? Thanks!

 

[Buffy Brahma Mama]

Hi BYCers!

My girl is a chronic sufferer of sour crop since I got her as a pullet in March. And she's been a frequent victim of impacted crop for the past couple of months or so. The first couple of times I treated her as suggested by a BYCer has worked well. The procedure involves isolating her, administering 10 mL (10ccs) vegetable oil every 30 min with 10 min massage in an upward circular motion each time per session. This has been repeated twice so a total of 3 times and the crop has cleared overnight.

I've also installed a crop bra and it has worked for a while however I haven't been so lucky this time round. She's been isolated for 3 days now. I've treated her in a similar manner albeit every 2-3 hours as I've been too busy. Her impaction didn't clear the first couple of mornings. I've just given her 2 sessions this morning (30 min later for the 2nd dose) and will repeat it again for another couple of times today. My concern is the clump won't pass through her crop. It's a clump averaging about the size of a pingpong ball and it feels like grass-like material with some scratch grains. I can also feel a piece of stick bark/mulch (approx 0.12 x 0.4 inches in size) in the clump.

Do you suggest I try and invert her to get her to vomit out the clump? I've tried to dislodge the clump by massaging it but it has reformed into the same sized clump every time. I'm worried that she'll choke and die when I try to force it out of her mouth.

Any suggestion is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Hello! Aww sorry to hear your girl isn't feeling well.

Hopefully it will clear this time around, but after it does, she may need some changes to her habitat and diet. Is she in an area with very tall grass that could keep causing impaction? If so, perhaps keeping it mowed shorter for her may help. That way new tender grass is coming up more often that will hopefully break down more easily.

Has she had an xray on the crop before? There may be a partial obstruction there causing things to keep getting stuck. If you have more advanced vets in your area, it may be worth doing an ultrasound (if an xray results in non conclusive findings), to see how things look. It may be that things did not form correctly for her when she was growing and she may always have an issue. Hopefully it is something simple that can be addressed.

Is she still currently eating and drinking on her own? Is she still pooping? You could try to keep her on very fine crumble (no seeds) mixed with water and some Emeraid Omnivore IC or maintenance, as this will allow things to pass through her system once the block is cleared.
How much grit do you normally give and what size?

I would NOT suggest inverting her, as she could aspirate easily.

There may be some connection with the sour crop and the impaction. There could be other things going on in her system that continuously cause stasis in the crop.

Some more info may help - What is her current and past diet and are you aware of other conditions she has? Does she have or has she had any other symptoms such as respiratory or eye issues, issues with abnormal poop stuck on her bottom, parasites etc? Has she been on medicated feed? Has she been treated with Nystatin for sour crop previously?

Her immune health will be very important going forward and I can provide some suggestions once I know more : )

 

[ChookieG]

Hello! Aww sorry to hear your girl isn't feeling well.

Hey there! Thanks so much for the info and replying back so soon.

Hopefully it will clear this time around, but after it does, she may need some changes to her habitat and diet. Is she in an area with very tall grass that could keep causing impaction? If so, perhaps keeping it mowed shorter for her may help. That way new tender grass is coming up more often that will hopefully break down more easily.

She's in an enclosed run and I do harvest grasses for them everyday. She's the only one that has this issue the rest of my girls and my Roo are fine.

Is she still currently eating and drinking on her own? Is she still pooping? You could try to keep her on very fine crumble (no seeds) mixed with water and some Emeraid Omnivore IC or maintenance, as this will allow things to pass through her system once the block is cleared.
How much grit do you normally give and what size?

She was very active this morning - squawking like mad as usual. I took her out of her roosting box (I keep her indoors at night) to clean her poo but kept her in the coop and when I went back to retrieve her she was dust-bathing. She is pooing normally though - nice firm round poo and wanting to eat. I've only given her 1/2 cup of yoghurt yesterday morning and nothing else except for the vegetable oil treatment.

I provide my chooks with lots of grit too in various sizes ranging from half pea sizes to river sand size.

I would NOT suggest inverting her, as she could aspirate easily.

Yes I do feel uneasy doing so.

There may be some connection with the sour crop and the impaction. There could be other things going on in her system that continuously cause stasis in the crop.

Some more info may help - What is her current and past diet and are you aware of other conditions she has? Does she have or has she had any other symptoms such as respiratory or eye issues, issues with abnormal poop stuck on her bottom, parasites etc? Has she been on medicated feed? Has she been treated with Nystatin for sour crop previously?

Her immune health will be very important going forward and I can provide some suggestions once I know more : )

I definitely agree on the sour impacted crop connection. Her poo has been abnormal about the time I switched the brand of scratch mix. I have about 20 kg (44 lb) of that brand left but will go back to my initial brand once that's finished. I find alot of undigested grains and grass material in her poo and it's often unformed when she passes it out so she definitely has a digestive issue. There's an old thread that I posted months ago regarding that issue and I haven't been able to resolve that.

Haven't treated her with Nystatin before. Have tried oregano and thyme essential oils as an alternative anti-fungal treatment. She did present with sour crop and and I believe it has cleared but she's left with this impaction now.

Do you think I should give her some yoghurt today? She seems very perky and ready to roll. She doesn't seem to think her impaction is a problem at all!

 

[Buffy Brahma Mama]

Hello!

Yogurt should be ok, perhaps 1/8th cup plain and some applesauce. You can do this regularly.

I would suggest trying crumble for her at the same time, ground up and mixed with water to start. If you can get a hold of the Emeraid omnivore, it does work well as it is very fine grained and will generally pass through easier, especially is there is a partial obstruction. It may be difficult to switch to the crumble if she is used to a grain diet though. But that way you can see how much material is passing through and if the impaction resolves. It definitely sounds like she has some digestive issues.

Here are some things you may wish to try:

The yogurt and applesauce above.

Apple cider vinegar - 1 Tbsp per gallon of water for 3 or 4 days and then periodically, 5ml/liter of water.

You can also try orego stim liquid by Anpario - 1/8th tsp per gallon. It is approved for organic use.

I would give her periodic vitamin mix for chickens in her water (perhaps one day per week or one day per every other week) regularly to reduce the possibility of deficiency.

Offer periodic treats of cantaloupe and finely chopped kale.

Also for her perhaps offer chick grit, though it sounds like you have various sizes. Sometimes there are different natural colors of grit that may be more appealing to her.

Clean and disinfect the waterers daily.

I have also read that pomegranate peel powder inhibits yeast, but do not know of dosage.

If you have a vet that is good and deals with birds, I would suggest a basic xray of the crop if it persists, but definitely a parasite analysis of her poop to make sure there are no issues. Try to bring the sample in within 4 hrs of her pooping. They may also be able to do a swab for the fungal infection and test for canker, which is a protazoan infection.

The difficulty is resolving her apparent crop stasis, which may be caused by a partial obstruction, or the yeast issues (or something we are not aware of in her digestive tract). Because she is eating and drinking, it appears that some food is making it through, even if at a reduced or slower rate, which is a good sign. For now, try to make it as easy as possible for her, by giving the crumble mash with water and other things mentioned and see if the crop empties.

Best wishes! : )

 

[ChookieG]

Hello!

Yogurt should be ok, perhaps 1/8th cup plain and some applesauce. You can do this regularly.

I would suggest trying crumble for her at the same time, ground up and mixed with water to start. If you can get a hold of the Emeraid omnivore, it does work well as it is very fine grained and will generally pass through easier, especially is there is a partial obstruction. It may be difficult to switch to the crumble if she is used to a grain diet though. But that way you can see how much material is passing through and if the impaction resolves. It definitely sounds like she has some digestive issues.

Here are some things you may wish to try:

The yogurt and applesauce above.

Apple cider vinegar - 1 Tbsp per gallon of water for 3 or 4 days and then periodically, 5ml/liter of water.

You can also try orego stim liquid by Anpario - 1/8th tsp per gallon. It is approved for organic use.

I would give her periodic vitamin mix for chickens in her water (perhaps one day per week or one day per every other week) regularly to reduce the possibility of deficiency.

Offer periodic treats of cantaloupe and finely chopped kale.

Also for her perhaps offer chick grit, though it sounds like you have various sizes. Sometimes there are different natural colors of grit that may be more appealing to her.

Clean and disinfect the waterers daily.

I have also read that pomegranate peel powder inhibits yeast, but do not know of dosage.

If you have a vet that is good and deals with birds, I would suggest a basic xray of the crop if it persists, but definitely a parasite analysis of her poop to make sure there are no issues. Try to bring the sample in within 4 hrs of her pooping. They may also be able to do a swab for the fungal infection and test for canker, which is a protazoan infection.

The difficulty is resolving her apparent crop stasis, which may be caused by a partial obstruction, or the yeast issues (or something we are not aware of in her digestive tract). Because she is eating and drinking, it appears that some food is making it through, even if at a reduced or slower rate, which is a good sign. For now, try to make it as easy as possible for her, by giving the crumble mash with water and other things mentioned and see if the crop empties.

Best wishes! : )

Hey @Buffy Brahma Mama! Wow that's such great info! Thanks so much for taking the time to help out. Really appreciate it!

I gave her 1/2 cup of plain yoghurt yesterday and she passed out nice firm stools overnight and is very perky today. She still has an impaction but I've let her out of the run and she's eating and drinking well. She's behaving like her cocky little self once again - pecking on another hen to get to the food and squawking loudly like usual.

I'll keep an eye on her for the next few days. The chooks are not going to have any greens for the next few days till I'm satisfied she's ok. I've cleared all the grass in the run this morning. I feed them fermented pullet crumbles and some scratch everyday as a treat but I'll take the scratch out of her diet for now.

 

[Buffy Brahma Mama]

Hey @Buffy Brahma Mama! Wow that's such great info! Thanks so much for taking the time to help out. Really appreciate it!

I gave her 1/2 cup of plain yoghurt yesterday and she passed out nice firm stools overnight and is very perky today. She still has an impaction but I've let her out of the run and she's eating and drinking well. She's behaving like her cocky little self once again - pecking on another hen to get to the food and squawking loudly like usual.

I'll keep an eye on her for the next few days. The chooks are not going to have any greens for the next few days till I'm satisfied she's ok. I've cleared all the grass in the run this morning. I feed them fermented pullet crumbles and some scratch everyday as a treat but I'll take the scratch out of her diet for now.

Glad she is doing well and no problem! : )