Crop Surgery is inevitable this weekend - Help

[Feathers n Fur]

I've been working on Sweetie, my Dark Brahma, trying to massage her impacted crop so it breaks up and passes to no avail. It is inevitable that I must do surgery this weekend. I want to gather all of my supplies first plus I need to mentally prepare.

I've read many posts on it and watched a few you tube videos on the process and I am really upset about not being able to use some form of numbing agent. I know they feel pain and I would feel so much more comfortable if there was some form of numbing agent to dull the pain.

Does anyone know of anything that will dull the pain for her when I cut into her?

Second question....do I cut into her at the top of the crop, middle or base?

Thanks for any opinions/observations/tips or even well wishes.

 

[Angiebubs]

I would highly recoomend trying papaya enzymes (helps break down food) and sprinkling with a little lactobacillus acidophilus (helps with yeast growth-adds good bacteria) both available in vitamin section. I used to raise exotic birds and I dealt with a lot of impacted crops or yeast infections....and never cut in to their crop. IMHO

 

[Feathers n Fur]

I will try the enzymes and give her plain yogurt for the acidophilus. Will it break down hay which is most likely the culprit for the blockage. I use hay in the coop/run and my 13 other chickens don't bother with it aside from scratching at it to find hidden treats but her. I also removed the two dust basins I had full of sand for their dust baths because she was eating that as well.

She thinks she is part goat I guess.

 

[Angiebubs]

I am not sure with the hay how long it would take to break down. The biggest thing is to get some food into her somehow...which the yogur(with live culture) would probably help somewhat. Crazy lil chick! Just never know what you will run into next with these lil ones. I would think the sand would be ok (kind of like grit?) You could also try adding a little of the starter food to the water...just to get some nutrition into her? Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Feathers n Fur]

Figures - Yogurt is the only thing she won't eat. All 13 others devoured the yogurt as if it were the best thing on earth but Sweetie turned her beak to it. Nugget had yogurt all over her beak and face - she looked like a chiken on crack as she yelled at the others to move away from her coveted blob of yumminess.

I did make her eat some but I guess plain yogurt is not her thing. I am not giving up! She ate oatmeal this winter so I plan to make some when I get home from work and see if she'll eat that watered down a bit.

 

[Amastacia]

I am not sure with the hay how long it would take to break down. The biggest thing is to get some food into her somehow...which the yogur(with live culture) would probably help somewhat. Crazy lil chick! Just never know what you will run into next with these lil ones. I would think the sand would be ok (kind of like grit?) You could also try adding a little of the starter food to the water...just to get some nutrition into her? Good luck and keep us posted.

the way i understand it, grit is necessary for the crop to work and sand is a perfectly good grit. i know store bought grit is bigger, but my hens get sand all the time when free ranging (we have really sandy soil here). i would put the sand back in. if she was eating it, she might have needed the extra grit. animals often know what they need, something humans aren't very good at.

 

[KBG204]

I did surgery on my Langshan a month or so ago. She did fine and healed up, of course it was a last resort. I tried everything and nothing helped...so I did surgery. She is completely normal now, happy, perky and EATING! Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Best of luck with Sweetie.

 

[Feathers n Fur]

I massaged her crop again and this time she burped. She is still eating grit and pooped a piece of oyster shell this morning but I don't think she's laid an egg in a few days. She is not egg bound - I checked. Lump seems smaller but not by much. The mass is still there. I'm closely monitoring and massaging hoping to help break it up and move it along. Mush to be fed in the am then more massaging. If any improvement I'll hold off but if not then she gets surgery this weekend.

Thanks for the well wishes and insight. I'll keep you posted on her outcome.