Do broody hens get squishy crops?

[TheBirdBabe]

I have a silkie hen (who is about 8-10 months old) that's broody. She refuses to get off her nest, mind you that's in the floor in a corner where everyone sleeps.

Yesterday while trying to move her to a less messy area, I noticed her chest area felt squishy. Now, I know this usually means sour crop, but she's been on this "nest" for awhile. Wouldn't she have shown some issues if that was the case? She doesn't smell weird.. I've even made her open her beak to try & investigate further, but nothing.

Is this something broody hens do to survive sitting on the nest? Or do I have a problem on my hands?

Sorry for the terrible pictures!

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes, in my experience, mine would tend to have a squishy slow crop. Since she is so broody, I would remove her from her nest in the morning and afternoon, and place her near food and water. Make sure that she is pooping. Sometimes they will go grab a quick dust bath as well.

Is she sitting on eggs? If not, I would break her immediately. Silkies in my experience will go broody very often. If you don’t break them in a wire dog crate without bedding, they may get so weak that they will become ill or die. I

 

[TheBirdBabe]

Yes, in my experience, mine would tend to have a squishy slow crop. Since she is so broody, I would remove her from her nest in the morning and afternoon, and place her near food and water. Make sure that she is pooping. Sometimes they will go grab a quick dust bath as well.

Believe it or not, this is great news!
I have tried to break her a few times (she's pulled this act before) but in the end, I just resorted to giving her mash in her nest. we just rode it out before.. at least she was fed.

 

[eoneill2k]

i think my broody bantam hen might have sour crop? i brought her in to get her food and water and there seemed to be trapped gas in her crop, there was this gurgling noise coming from her crop like an upset stomach might sound. massaged it gently and something seemed to shift because her crop sort of (???) deflated?? i don't quite know how to explain it.

there doesn't seem to be a smell, and she's bright eyed and alert (and fast as anything when she wants to get back to her nest!). might it just be a slow digestion because she's broody? she's been broody many times before and hatched two clutches, but this is the first i've noticed anything like this

 

[Eggcessive]

I would think that it is just a slowdown of digestion, but I would check her often. Is she sitting on eggs or do you need to break her broody spell?

 

[eoneill2k]

I would think that it is just a slowdown of digestion, but I would check her often. Is she sitting on eggs or do you need to break her broody spell?

the other hens lay in the box next to her and she tucks the eggs in under her until we take them away - typically once we keep taking the eggs she gives up brooding, but i am considering shutting her away from the nest box to get her out of it quicker. i do make sure to check her regularly and lift her out of the box to bring her up to the house for a check over and a feed/drink.

what's been confusing me is that she's still bright eyed and alert, she'll run at top speed over to where the others are being fed and then skedaddle right back to her nest afterwards. she's also still perfectly fine letting me handle her, she perches on my hands and shoulders like normal (i hand reared her) - behaviour-wise nothing is out of the ordinary, which is why i think it might just be a slowdown. i'll check her crop again tomorrow and see

 

[eoneill2k]

I would think that it is just a slowdown of digestion, but I would check her often. Is she sitting on eggs or do you need to break her broody spell?

Checked her crop again and it's soft and squishy - almost malleable? It doesn't feel like there's any food in there. She's eating some yoghurt and honey right now, getting some antibacterial stuff into her. Eating happily and still bright and alert and passing normal waste.

It's quite perplexing I feel like I'm missing something

 

[eoneill2k]

the other hens lay in the box next to her and she tucks the eggs in under her until we take them away - typically once we keep taking the eggs she gives up brooding, but i am considering shutting her away from the nest box to get her out of it quicker. i do make sure to check her regularly and lift her out of the box to bring her up to the house for a check over and a feed/drink.

what's been confusing me is that she's still bright eyed and alert, she'll run at top speed over to where the others are being fed and then skedaddle right back to her nest afterwards. she's also still perfectly fine letting me handle her, she perches on my hands and shoulders like normal (i hand reared her) - behaviour-wise nothing is out of the ordinary, which is why i think it might just be a slowdown. i'll check her crop again tomorrow and see

Kept her isolated for a day and a night, crop went down completely and she's no longer broody. Seems to have just been another case of broody hens delighting in stressing me out