Defective crop/digestive tract?

[sixlittlechickens]

One of our 18-week silkie hens has been having crop issues since day 10. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bad-case-of-sour-crop-help.1410492/#post-23178642
Every time we clear her crop, it just gets impacted again. She currently has a bad sour crop. Her crop also seems to be 2 lobes at times, and always hangs down. She is super skinny. Is this just a defective crop/digestive tract? Or can this be treated? Thanks!

 

[azygous]

Sounds like pendulous crop. It's very rare in one so young, but not unheard of. Sour crop is almost impossible to treat successfully when the crop droops so much that the contents are lower than the crop "drain" which is about a third of the way from the bottom. Crop contents ferment and develop yeast when they sit too long in the crop, so you want to fix a crop support to help her crop drain.

This article talks about the different kinds of crop issues and how to treat them. It also shows how to make a quick and easy crop bra, a very basic pattern to get you started. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Crop bras may require several adjustments over several days to get the fit just right so the crop will drain overnight. Just keep tightening it up until the crop finally is empty when you inspect it in the morning. She may only need it at night, and only for as long as it takes to successfully treat the sour crop. But some chickens benefit from wearing it all the time.

 

[sixlittlechickens]

Thanks for all your advice! We finally got a crop bra to fit. The first night it emptied, the second night it didn't. We gave her soooo much food that day to get her weight up, so that might be why. Her crop is huge, and she's losing weight, but she's pooping fine. Are there any foods that would help? Still feeding her egg, softened feed, some dry feed, yogurt, water with ACV, and a bit of carrot.

 

[azygous]

Canned mackerel, tofu, beef liver all are good high protein foods that will put weight back on a chicken.

Fermenting feed is also a good way to improve digestion and maximize nutrients.

 

[sixlittlechickens]

Thanks so much! Will canned tuna work?