death from impacted crop?

[bcbug1]

So, sadly I just finished burying my first chicken (and hopefully last) that died - my only Cuckoo Marans. She was hatched late Feb. and had been laying for about 6 weeks. She stopped eating a couple days ago and looked lethargic, was isolating herself and had a big squishy crop. She drank a lot yesterday morning. I vomitted her and it was mostly water that came out with just a bit of feed. Her crop went down and I could feel grit in it. No sour smell. She didn't pass much - just twice some totally brown liquid with a bit of white foam. Nothing solid. I put a syringe of olive oil in yesterday and she massaged too. She didn't drink much yesterday after all that. I had her in the house. This morning I put another syringe of olive oil in because even though her crop wasn't big since she vomitted the water I thought she must still be impacted because not eating and getting weaker. I found her dead a few hours later. I fear I may have done her in myself - I tried to put the syringe way back, but maybe I got some oil in her lungs. I'm still not sure if she was impacted or not as I didn't feel anything other than grit in her crop; however, she wasn't passing stool. Any suggestions? I had changed feed lately to something that is more powdery than crumbly. My other chickens seem fine now. So sad, my first chook loss.

 

[arkansaschicks]

So sorry for your loss!! I am so devastated when I lose one of my girls. What color was her poop? I am going through the same thing with one of my girls. She has had very watery neon green and yellow poop. She also had a big squishy crop so I did all the same things you have done - vomit and oil. On Friday I took a poop sample to my vet and he said she had a good amount of bacteria in her sample. He started her on 5 days of Baytril- antibiotic. Possibly e-coli. All chickens have a level of good and bad bacteria and when the bad bacteria gets high then they can get sick. I have my girl on yogurt and crumbles and also vitamin e. Hope no one else gets sick. Again so sorry for your loss!!

 

[speckledhen]

If it was squishy, she was not impacted. That would be hard like a baseball. You never should try to make her vomit-that can make her aspirate and choke to death. In the future, don't do that.

Could have been sour crop, which means NO oil should be given, however, sometimes the crop is only a symptom of what the real issue is, not the main problem. When systems shut down, the crop is the first thing we see.


For future reference:

Same protocol or all sour crop issues (not impacted, which is different). Separate the hen, 24 hours with no food, only water with 1/4 teaspoon of acidified copper sulfate (comes in powder form usually at the feed store) in a gallon in plastic waterer only. If you can't find that, use 2 tablespoons of organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar in the plastic gallon waterer, changed daily. Day 2, add only plain yogurt. Day 3, add plain scrambled egg to the yogurt. Each day, massage the crop, several times each day, pushing toward the back of the crop, not upward. Day 4, maybe some soupy oatmeal added to the eggs and yogurt, but NO grains. Hopefully, that will clear it up.

 

[arkansaschicks]

Speckled Hen- Thank you so much for your information!! Very helpful! Does sour crop cause watery yellow green poop? I am confused if I have just an e-coli issue or sour crop. I just can't get rid of the watery poop.

 

[speckledhen]

If there is sour crop, probably no to little nutrition is getting through. Green poop means excess bile will show in the poop, as in the case of a very ill bird or impacted crop where nothing is coming through the crop, so no, sour crop doesn't cause any particular poop color, but poop color can change with the condition of the bird.


ETA: I just saw your other thread. Unfortunately, your hen's systems are shutting down and I'm sorry to tell you that you will be unable to help her.