Distended crop

[Dubb]

I have two hens that have distended crops. In the mornings they do not seem to be so bad but by the end of the day their crops are bulging and heavy. I have tried isolating them and giving them only yogurt and canned pumpkin and that seemed to work, however when I let them back into the group they just wanted to eat (layer pellets) and their crops got large again. What can I do?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I would offer them olive oil- soaked bread bits. Then try some gentle crop massage (NOT to get them to throw up- very dangerous if that is attempted).

That's all I can suggest for now. Also check whether they are getting adequate grit- either in the soil or supplied by the feed store.

 

[remuda1]

You might also do a search for pendulous crop and sour crop. You may need to fast them until the crop is completely empty, then start them back out on small portions of soft foods until the crop is back to functioning properly. If the crop is not emptying completely overnight (you can check it first thing in the morning), I would fast them that day and check it again the next morning. Massaging the crop also seems to help. The unfortunate thing is that it can damage the muscles that support the crop and it may be an ongoing problem, so try to catch it early to minimize muscle damage.

I started seeing this with the extremely hot temps we had here in Texas. They were drinking and drinking until their crops looked like water balloons in the afternoon. Good luck with it and I hope you'll keep us posted on their progress.