Does my hen have a blockage in her gizzard?

[kit-e-kate]

Hi,
Anyone got and ideas about this?

Shirley is an ex-battery hen, probably about 2 and a half years old. A month ago, whilst she was our last remaining hen, she developed some real mouse catching skills. She embarrassed us when we had friends round by swallowing (a dead) one whole in front of them!

My husband has been working on his car, and although I've picked up all the bits of rubbish i can see, I'm worried Shirkey has eaten something that has got stuck somewhere in her system, either a bit of mouse or a bit of plastic or something.

Also, we got some new hens at the end of September, 4 new ex-batts and one elderly retired lady who was the last remaining hen of a friend. All of them have the full run of the garden, which has plenty space to run around in and I put out multiple feeding stations to minimise squabbling. Even so, poor Shirley has fond herself near the bottom of the pecking order. (as she was when we had our previous set of hens.)

Over the past few weeks her poop has been small, watery and with tiny dark green lumps in it, which from reading online I understand to be bile, and a sign that she isn't eating enough.
I tried feeding her separately, but she seems to just peck at food and not actually swallow anything. She is keen enough to come for food but, for example, I offered her some lettuce yesterday and she enthusiastically bit it, but just dropped the bits she'd bitten off without trying to swallow.

The last few days I have been feeding her with a pipette. She will drink water from it happily, and initally happily ate pureed egg. Even biting drops of it from the back of my hand where they splashed. But she will not eat anything for herself. She just comes over, looks and wanders off. Yesterday she did have a good try at some grapes though, but rather than munch them down, she just pecked at bit at the juicy insides.

She is always happy to drink the water I offer, and this morning had some Natural yoghurt too.

Concerned that she wasn't taking on enough food, I made up some little balls of mushy mix (pinhead oatmeal, egg, olive oil, and a little fine bird grit) and just popped them into her mouth. She ate them, and even had a wee peck at them beforehand.

I gave her plenty of water with a little added ACV alongside these, alternating and with plenty of rest breaks. Maybe 6 balls about the size of a pinky nail at each "sitting". 4 sittings over two days.

Now this morning her crop still feels full, but not huge and soft. This is a new development. She doesn't smell bad, but if I massage it and can make her burp a little it does smell a little sour. I can't help but wonder if the balls are just sitting there doing nothing. Her tummy feels firm, but not too big. Could there be a blockage further down her system? In her gizzard maybe?

She is now beginning to shed feathers, which I think might be cause she's starving.

I wormed her two weeks ago, when I first noticed the green poop. I have also been giving her nutridrops to try and help keep her nourished.

Throughout all of this, her poop has stayed exactly the same. More quantity of water after she's been given lots to drink, but nothing else.
She is still pretty sprightly and active, and is happy to hang out with the others.

What on earth is going on? How can I help my lovely Shirley?
Thanks all, sorry for the long post!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

A month ago, whilst she was our last remaining hen, she developed some real mouse catching skills. She embarrassed us when we had friends round by swallowing (a dead) one whole in front of them!

I'm worried Shirkey has eaten something that has got stuck somewhere in her system, either a bit of mouse or a bit of plastic or something.

poor Shirley has fond herself near the bottom of the pecking order. (as she was when we had our previous set of hens.)

past few weeks her poop has been small, watery and with tiny dark green lumps in it, which from reading online I understand to be bile, and a sign that she isn't eating enough.
I tried feeding her separately, but she seems to just peck at food and not actually swallow anything. She is keen enough to come for food but, for example, I offered her some lettuce yesterday and she enthusiastically bit it, but just dropped the bits she'd bitten off without trying to swallow.

Now this morning her crop still feels full, but not huge and soft.

if I massage it and can make her burp a little it does smell a little sour. I can't help but wonder if the balls are just sitting there doing nothing.

She is now beginning to shed feathers, which I think might be cause she's starving.

I wormed her two weeks ago, when I first noticed the green poop. I have also been giving her nutridrops to try and help keep her nourished.

Can you post some photos of her and her poop?
When did she last lay an egg?

It sounds like she has a crop issue going on. I would try to get some water into her along with some coconut oil. Massage the crop 3-4times a day to see if you can get what's in there broken up.

What did you worm her with?

Loss of feathers may be annual molt, do you see new feather growth coming in.

I can't help but get a little tickled over your description of her embarrassing you in front of company, animals have a way of doing these these things, you have to wonder if it's planned LOL


https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[kit-e-kate]

Hi, thanks for your reply.

Although i was uncertain about her having sour crop,when i picked her up to give her an epsom salts bath after posting my message a little water splashed from her beak. I helped her to vomit up the contents of her crop, it smelled bad and there was quite a lot of grass in there. It may not be the root cause but it certainly wouldn't have been helping. I've given her some more yoghurt to nibble at and she's relaxing under the kitchen table now.

No poop photo at the mo, will post one next time she delivers!
She was wormed with flubenvet.

 

[kit-e-kate]

This was from today, after I'd helped her to vomit and given her some yoghurt. It has been weeks since there was that much white her poop, it's just usually the watery bits and the dark green lumps.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you take a sample of that to your vet for testing?

I would work still continue to work on the crop.