Early stages sour crop?

[DianeB]

My 8 year old hen has a swishy crop. She moves her neck around from time to time to adjust it. Her appetite and activity level is still good. Poops are loose but normal. However, she has lost some weight. Is this the early stages of sour crop?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My 8 year old hen has a swishy crop. She moves her neck around from time to time to adjust it. Her appetite and activity level is still good. Poops are loose but normal. However, she has lost some weight. Is this the early stages of sour crop?

How does her breath smell?
What type of foods/treats do you feed?

Neck movement can be normal adjusting food in the crop. Check her crop when she goes to "bed" and then first thing in the morning (before she eats/drinks). She should have a full crop at night and it should be empty or flat in the morning.

Has she ever been wormed? If not, then you may want to take a fecal sample to your vet for a fecal float test, this will let you know if the problem is parasitic.

Age may also be a factor in losing weight, if her crop is functioning properly and testing comes back no worms. You can increase her protein intake by giving some scrambled/hard boiled egg, tuna, mackerel or meat. Also provide some poultry vitamins in her water a couple of times a week.

Here is a very good article by @TwoCrows
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments

 

[DianeB]

Thank you so much. Her crop did empty out overnight and her breath is fine. I gave her some yogurt yesterday. It seems to have helped (no neck movement and crop is smaller, less gooshy.

She's never had problems like this before. Also, lost one to cancer last year that had severe crop issues as her disease progressed.

She had a fecal test in August. In which, she had roundworms that were treated. Could they have returned? She has been nibbling newly planted winter greens. Wondering if this could also be the problem?

 

[DianeB]

I'll be adding more protein to her diet. Thanks again.

 

[TwoCrows]

@DianeB I am sorry about your hen.

8 years old is getting up in age for a hen. Anything could be going on in her body to cause her crop to become slow to empty. The slower it gets, the more yeast builds up and hence the sour crop begins.

Many things can cause a crop to become slow from something as simple as too much sweet stuff, to a worm impaction in the gut, coccidiosis is famous for causing a slow crop, internal tumors that block the path of the intestines, liver disease, egg binding, just about anything that squeezes off the intestinal tract will slow the crop down.

Make sure she is kept wormed and has no cocci outbreaks. If you are seeing a lot of white urates in the poop along with diarrhea, the chances are good that she has an over load of cocci. I have had hens with cocci that will on and off empty the crop, but it does return. I get them on Corid for 5 to 7 days. If her backside has a lot of white urates stuck to her feathers, this can be another sign of cocci.

Get her wormed if you haven't done so. I use Safeguard Liquid Goat wormer. Kills pretty much everything. 1/2 ml for the standard sized bird, orally down the throat once a day for 3 to 5 days depending on worm over load severity. Repeat in 10 days.

Other than this, make sure she gets her greens. Greens are wonderful for the liver to help keep it clean. Go easy on anything sweet or illiimate it all together. (fruits, raisins, sweet breads).

And just keep up with all you are doing! 8 years old shows she gets the best of care.

Keep us posted!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Having her re-tested for worms may be a good idea.

If by winter greens you mean Kale, Mustard Greens, etc., I see nothing wrong with those. Mine think they will fall over dead if they don't have greens (Kale) daily.

As @TwoCrows has given good experienced advice. 8years old, your girl has been well taken care of.

 

[TwoCrows]

Having her re-tested for worms may be a good idea.

If by winter greens you mean Kale, Mustard Greens, etc., I see nothing wrong with those. Mine think they will fall over dead if they don't have greens (Kale) daily.

As @TwoCrows has given good experienced advice. 8years old, your girl has been well taken care of.

X2 on the Mustard Greens, Butter Lettuce, Endive, Romaine, Kale, Spinach and other such healthy greens. Older chickens can be subject to fatty liver disease and greens have the right enzymes and minerals to help combat this condition.

Also with older hens, they may not be absorbing all the nutrients they used to, so you might supplement older birds with vitamins. I am a huge fan of Poly Vi Sol (without the iron)..baby vitamins. It only take a few drops a day of this stuff and you can really perk and healthy up a sick or aging bird. Nutri-Drench is also an excellent supplement to give to them. I don't add these to the water but go directly down the throat. Hits fast and makes a difference quick.

 

[TwoCrows]

Also....as for worms....Capillary worms can be horribly stubborn to get rid of. I mean even after a good treatment they can still have these things, which will slowly drain the life right out of them. If you do get a test done for worms, use the best wormer possible.

 

[DianeB]

Thanks so much for your responses. Her crop has gone back to normal and she's very perky since eating yogurt. I'm definitely going to add a nutrient blend to her diet.

She only lays a few months a year. Maybe, that has helped her live so long.

 

[DianeB]

I'm also going to get her fecal test redone.