Damaged crop?

[John8404]

Hi everyone. Yesterday I had someone help me dusting the girls and today I noticed one of them with a crop that is kinda sideways. Not centered. She is eating but walks funny. She lifts her right leg real high like to push on her crop. I went to the feed store (I know, I know) for feed and the man said to keep an eye on her and let nature take its course. Tonight I will catch her and feel it and if it feels out of the norm I will post. What do ya'll think I shold do?

Thanks in advance
John

 

[Country4ever]

Hi John,
Their crops are normally to one side. (I think its the right). But I've noticed when one of my hens has a crop problem, they do lift their leg up high.
I think you should definitely feel her crop. If it feels hard, then message it fairly vigorously several times a day, trying to break up any mass of food/grass, etc. I would isolate her and not give her anything to eat for a day, but provide water. Then maybe give her small pieces of bread that are super soaked in olive oil. If she's got an impaction, you need to break it up for her so she can pass it.
But its important to assess how her crop feels. Is it hard or squishy?
Don't give her any scratch at all. Scratch can be hard to digest for some chickens. With her isolated, you can control things much better, and also see if she is pooping.

Just be sure to check her crop several times a day. You might just be catching her right after she's eaten, and a big crop is normal then.
If her crop is enlarged, its very important to take care of it as soon as possible. If it stays stretched out too long, it quits functioning altogether.
Good luck.

 

[John8404]

Oh boy... Well I felt her crop and it is hard. Whats harder is I have to go to work the rest of the week nd wont be able to do the massages. I can seperate her in the coop with water but it will be all day and night. I am in between a rock and a hard spot now. Thanks for your help though.

 

[LynneP]

If you separate her and leave diced tomatoes and bits of bread soaked in oil she may get this cleared by herself...

If you can fit in one massage it may clear that one time...

Water too of course. Apple cider vinegar in it if possible. About 1 tbsp per gallon.

 

[John8404]

To all. I massaged the crop this am and just got home from work and after I secured them in the coop I felt her crop and it is softer. this morning it felt like the inside of a stretch armstrong and this evening it is starting to feel like her coop mates but she still does the funky chicken walk. So maybe it's getting better??? Edited to add that I've been giving the ACV since I brought them home 1 month ago.

John

 

[Country4ever]

Hi John,
Like Lynne said, one massage a day is better than nothing. When you massage, grab the actual solid stuff through the skin, between your figures, and work it like you're breaking down a wad of grass/straw, etc. Sometimes you can actually feel it breaking down inside. And definitely be giving some oil with a little bread. Oil helps things slide through better.
Be sure to put grit in her crate. It does sound like maybe things are improving for her.
I realized in retrospect (after having my hens for 6 years) that I was not giving them enough grit. My girls are in a run, which means the soil they have is mostly years of poop and straw, so its unlikely for any natural grit to get in there. Recently I started putting a bowl of grit at all times in their coop, and its amazing how much of it they eat. That may have contributed to all the impacted crops I've had over the years............so be sure to always offer grit. Sometimes when a chicken is isolated from the others, its easy to forget about the grit.
Re-reading your post, I'm not sure you have her isolated. Its best to isolate an impacted crop, otherwise they'll eat too much and it gets worse.
Does she just continue to raise that one leg? Have you looked her over well to be sure there's nothing else going on?

 

[John8404]

Well, just to update everyone. I was working from 0600 till way after sundown and my bride went out to put the girls up for the night. One of them decided she was not ready for bed yet and was going out again and the door got loose from my bride at the same time. Well you know what comes next. So she calls the neighbor and he comes over and dispatches the suffering chook. When I got home around 9 pm we go out and look ant it was the chook with the impacted crop/ funky chicken walk. So thanks for all the advise and just to let you all know it WAS working.

 

[Country4ever]

Hi John,

Sorry for your loss.
I guess I'm sort of dense......how did the hen die? Did the door hit the hen?
Well, its possible that this hen had something worse than a crop problem, so if one of them were to die, it was probably best it was this one.
You did the best you could.

 

[John8404]

The sliding pop door got her.