Does this look familiar to anyone

[chitownhens]

This hen had lost most of her feathers about 2 years ago and was very skittish. With some care she became much easier to handle while also growing all her feathers back. At some point about 6 months latter she stopped producing eggs and has always had a constant wiggling of the neck as if trying to adjust in order for her food to go done. She does this high step thing and her crop always seems to be full. Just a little worried that maybe she is getting worse. Any thoughts...........thank you.

She seems very happy and content.

I brought her in for the video

 

[Wyorp Rock]

This hen had lost most of her feathers about 2 years ago and was very skittish. With some care she became much easier to handle while also growing all her feathers back. At some point about 6 months latter she stopped producing eggs and has always had a constant wiggling of the neck as if trying to adjust in order for her food to go done. She does this high step thing and her crop always seems to be full. Just a little worried that maybe she is getting worse. Any thoughts...........thank you.

She seems very happy and content.

Good video - hopefully someone has some ideas about the high stepping.

It looks like she may have Pendulous crop, you mention that the crop always seems full. Does it empty overnight?

If it is not emptying overnight, then you may want to treat her for crop issues or try a crop bra first to see if that helps. I would think that if she has been like this for a while and it was impacted or sour she would be very ill by now.

The stepping is not normal, to me anyway. How does her abdomen feel - any indication of bloat/swelling or water belly?

The first article is by @TwoCrows which is very detailed in crop disorders so you may want to look that one over first.

Keep us posted on her progress.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/06/chicken-anatomy-crop-impacted-crop-sour.html
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/answers-from-chicken-vet-on-impacted.html

 

[TwoCrows]

I am so sorry about your hen!

Ahh...the high step...I have seen this often in hens with chronic sour crop. Yeast infections itch and it is my "theory" they are trying to itch the crop lining by high stepping.

I would first get her on some Acidified Copper Sulfate. It will knock out all yeast infections from the crop to the vent. https://www.twincitypoultrysupplies.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=340

Crops can become yeasty or soured for many reasons from an overload of worms in the gut slowing the crop down, cocci doing the same thing as the worms, Enteritis will swell the gut enough to slow the crop down, egg binding will prevent the waste from emptying quickly or completely, Cankers in the stomach or gizzard will slow it all down as will basic yeast infections in the crop or intestines, (Vent Gleet.) And the beauty of Acidified Copper Sulfate is that it takes care of nearly all of these issues with one fell swoop! (not EVERY time, but generally most of the time)

She could also have an impaction in her gizzard or stomach from too much long grass. Usually this is evident with grass in the poop or vomit.

Speaking of vomit, definititely read the article link that Wyorp Rock left for you on Crops and I would definitely vomit her first thing in the morning. Please read that section carefully on how to vomit without aspirating the bird....only leaning them forward for a second or two when the liquid is coming up. The gunk in the crop can be toxic and only make yeast infections worse. So if you can get it out of there, do so in the mornings only.

Good luck with your girl!

 

[chitownhens]

She has been like this for almost 2 years and I will have to check her crop in the morning. It always looks full even early but I will make a point of checking it. She seems very happy and content I'm just a little concerned. Here is the neck wringing which she has also been doing for the last 2 years. She only does it once in this video but usually she is constantly doing it especially after eating.

 

[chitownhens]

hmmm................copper sulfate...............okay I will give it a try.

They don't have access to long grass but plenty of salad greens (spinach, kale, etc) cutting from the local fruit and vegetable store which I cut into very small pieces.

 

[TwoCrows]

Is her crop always full each morning? If this has been going on for 2 years, she will need to wear a crop bra, no doubt for the rest of her days. Her crop will be too stretched out to ever return to it's normal elasticity and ability to empty out her crop. You can order one from here.... http://www.hensaver.com/Crop-Bra.html

I have found a 4x4 inch fits most standard sized birds breast.

Once a crop has been sagging for this long, they become what is called a Pendulous Crop.

 

[chitownhens]

Quote:



A crop bra..............lol....................I can't help but laugh but maybe that is what has happened. She seems to be a bottomless pit when it comes to eating. I will definitely check her crop in the morning.............thank you. She does seem to be moving slower then usual.

 

[chitownhens]

Quote:
Thank you...........yes the crop bra seems to make sense because she had been like this for such a long time just seems to becoming more difficult for her to move around yet she is the first to jump into the food............

I'm going to check the crop first thing in the morning an go from there. If it feels full I will bring her inside and try the copper sulfate and maybe empsom salt treatment. I also have plenty of fermented vegetables since I eat them myself. I was fermenting the feed in the past but not in the winter as it would freeze so maybe I will prepare some for after the treatment if the treatment is necessary.

Thank you for sending me in the right direction

 

[chitownhens]

Her crop was not fully empty this morning and after reading the links posted here I'm almost sure she has pendulous crop. She has been like this for almost 2 years now and she does gorge. I can purchase the acidfied copper sulfate tomorrow so I will start there and then she might need the bra. I was thinking maybe the bra with a change of diet for a short period of time less feed and just adding some organ meats. I could be completely wrong here but just from my own experience as a human organ meats are nutrient dense without the effect of distending the gut like grains but of course hens are not the same. Just thinking she would need less food with the nutrient density being so much higher.

Any thoughts.................maybe an experiment for a few weeks with a very small amount of fermented grains............thanks,

Of course over the years I have had hens expire which is not easy but I always like to try. I actually had a hen recently that I was sure passed. I brought her in the house and then one day she just flapped her wings, rolled over on her side feet up in the air gasped and closed her eyes. She wasn't completely gone but almost there. I decided to pick her up and put her in my lap until she passed but she sat there and somehow managed to stay alive. I immediately gave her antibiotics and the next 3 days were touch and go and you could hear her coughing and gasping for breath but she made it so always good to try.

 

[TwoCrows]

Yes, that crop is pendulous. See how it is hanging down so low? Crops are designed to retract to push the food through the system as digestion takes place. However similar to a rubber band, once it is overly stretched for very long periods of time, they lose their elasticity and never function as they should.

So all this being said, the Copper Sulfate will help with any yeast infections she no doubt has from not being able to empty her crop fully, however it will not cure a pendulous crop. She will probably need to wear a crop bra the rest of her days.

Some birds don't care for wearing articles of clothing, some don't mind. Start out loose with the bra for a day or two and tighten it up after a few days. The bra will do the work that the crop can no longer do.