Crop Surgery Performed - More pics & How To Steps posted - Pg 10

[ruth]

Quote:
Thank you for the kinds words and I'm sorry you lost your hen. At least you were trying to save her. I don't think the incision killed her in any way. She was probably just too far gone. I wasn't sure mine would make it through the surgery and if it ever happens again I won't hesitate to do it much sooner.

I think the trick was to turn her upside down first and let the cup of black foul-smelling liquid drain out because when I first laid her down it was pouring out her mouth and I think she would have aspirated on it if I hadn't drained it first. Just hold them upside down and keep the neck stretched out with the head down so they can't lift their head and choke or aspirate on the fluid.

By the way, Patience is still alive and well and has been with her flock ever since and I can't tell which one she is unless I pick them each up and feel their chest. Her's has a small line of hard scar tissue where I made my incision. Can't be seen, only felt through the feathers. She's had no further impaction issue.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Wow! That's not a bad as what I expected. Thanks for the pictures!

 

[Orpstralope]

Blown away - I've just recently has a young cornish bantam (maybe? strange bird that was adopted) that turned gray and "old" looking and sure enough if it didn't turn out to be a swollen crop. Being a med student I took it upon myself to let the chicken pass out and perform the surgery myself - and it turned out well. Thanks - and by the way ruth you did a wonderful job overcoming a problem if not inventing a solution to an existing problem!

 

[speckledhen]

Add me to the list of home surgeons, or really, my DH. Kate, my poufy headed girl, one of three look-alike sisters, has been in hard molt. She lost weight, but about a week ago, she squeezed into the compost pile (fenced) due to being so thin and we caught her eating in there. Her crop stopped working, apparently, or was going sour and full of stuff that felt doughy, not responding to massage. We just lost a hen a month ago to the same thing during her molt, but that hen's crop had always been pendulous. Kate's never had. Today, we realized that she was in really bad shape and to save her, decided to do surgery. Figured it was better than just letting her waste away and starve. There was so much mushy stuff in the crop, there was no way it would ever have been eased on down the proventriculus. It was not actually impacted, per se, not like ruth's hen's was, just static. She did well, laying and sleeping during most of it. Sewed her up with my invisible nylon quilting thread, which was all we had. So, now we wait and see if she recovers. Will give her antibiotics, but wanted to let her rest a bit. She is in the greatroom in Zane's playpen and I have a quilt on a frame, trying to cut out and piece another, all in the same, now crowded room. So, please think good thoughts for my sweet little angel of a hen, will you? Here's our Katie, the first chick to ever hatch out of an egg here:

 

[gumpsgirl]

Fingers and toes are crossed here that she will re-coop quickly Cyn!

 

[Kittymomma]

Happy healing hen thoughts from WA too.

 

[CoopCrazy]

Good Luck SpekledHen

Sending healing vibes your way !!

 

[Cetawin]

Wow...I get sick for a couple of days and all heck breaks loose in GA...

Fern is laying and trying to get out and now Kate...WTH? I will not get sick anymore I guess. Saying a prayer for your girl Cyn...I sure hope she does okay and recovers quickly.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Healing thoughts, vibes and wishes for Katie.

 

[ruth]

Hi Cyn- I'll say a little prayer for your girl. I'm sure she will be fine. They are amazing creatures. What was in the crop? Patience has done great - no further impaction/blockage but I make sure they are all well fed and don't feel the need to eat hay as she had apparently been doing before I got her. I actually don't know which one she is - they are all double the weight of when I got them.

Maybe the molt has something to do with the crop issues because in all the cases I'm reading about the hens seem to be in molt at the time. Maybe it really weakens their system or, like a pregnant woman, causes her to crave and eat things she wouldn't normally eat or shouldn't eat.

Kate is a cutie - looks like a Polish/Black Sex Link cross. Keep us posted as to how she does. I always like to let others know that if need be, they can perform these surgeries and save their birds.

Monique