Emaciated hen with possible sour crop. Please help!

[VaultGirl27]

My girl is completely emaciated to skin and bones. I noticed she was really skinny when I picked her up on Friday. I brought her inside and checked her over. She had a small amount of food in her crop, so I offered her some tuna to see if she'd eat. She did eat a bit. Saturday I noticed she wasn't really eating her pellets but her crop had some food in it still. She has also been moving her neck in an S pattern, but is otherwise active. I removed food over night to see if her crop would empty. Sunday morning, her crop wasn't empty and felt like a water balloon. She's still doing the neck movements. I also noticed a gurgling sound coming from her crop. I read up on sour crop and was relatively sure that's what im dealing with. Started her on clomitrazole twice daily for the last 3 days. Monday morning, her crop wasn't empty but was smaller than the night before. So I figured the treatment was working. I offered her only water for the first 12 hours. After that, I offered her raw scrambled eggs, but she wasn't interested. I then offered her mash, but still she's not interested. I used a syringe to feed her a bit of chicken broth because I'm afraid she's starving to death. This morning, her crop is still not emptying and I can still hear the gurgling sound. What else can I do for her? Should I be forcing her to eat? Do I make her vomit? I know that is supposed to be a last resort, but I feel like we're at that point right now. She can't possibly hold on much longer without food and with very little water. I feel like she's dying. Please help!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would continue with the crop treatment, but often a crop problem is a symptom of an underlying condition. You don't mention whether she's laying eggs or not. Feel her abdomen for bloat/fluid, check her for lice/mites and consider getting a fecal float to see if worms are a contributor of her decline.

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

 

[VaultGirl27]

I would continue with the crop treatment, but often a crop problem is a symptom of an underlying condition. You don't mention whether she's laying eggs or not. Feel her abdomen for bloat/fluid, check her for lice/mites and consider getting a fecal float to see if worms are a contributor of her decline.

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

When I got her, she was a POL pullet and laid 2 eggs. She was then attacked by a predator and her neck skin was ripped off. I healed her inside and then introduced to the flock after 6 weeks. During the time she was inside, I noticed roundworms in her droppings, so I wormed her with equimax. She never started laying again. I noticed after introductions for 2 weeks that when she went full time with the flock, my rooster was being mean to her so she was hiding and not eating. I separated him and she was acting more normal, but then she started doing the neck movements. I picked her up and her crop was full so I thought that was why, but then I saw her doing it again and her comb was a little dark so that's when I brought her in. She was bought, quarantined, wormed, and introduced with another pullet who is laying and perfectly healthy

 

[Wyorp Rock]

When I got her, she was a POL pullet and laid 2 eggs. She was then attacked by a predator and her neck skin was ripped off. I healed her inside and then introduced to the flock after 6 weeks. During the time she was inside, I noticed roundworms in her droppings, so I wormed her with equimax. She never started laying again. I noticed after introductions for 2 weeks that when she went full time with the flock, my rooster was being mean to her so she was hiding and not eating. I separated him and she was acting more normal, but then she started doing the neck movements. I picked her up and her crop was full so I thought that was why, but then I saw her doing it again and her comb was a little dark so that's when I brought her in. She was bought, quarantined, wormed, and introduced with another pullet who is laying and perfectly healthy

I would worm her with Safeguard at 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once a day for 5 days. This is more effective for treating roundworms.

I would look inside her beak to make sure there's no canker or white/yellow lesions/pasty material.
Often birds that have reproductive issues can have a symptom of crop problems. Since she stopped laying eggs this may be part of her problem - hard to know unless you lose her and perform a necropsy yourself or send the body to your state lab.

 

[VaultGirl27]

I would worm her with Safeguard at 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once a day for 5 days. This is more effective for treating roundworms.

I would look inside her beak to make sure there's no canker or white/yellow lesions/pasty material.
Often birds that have reproductive issues can have a symptom of crop problems. Since she stopped laying eggs this may be part of her problem - hard to know unless you lose her and perform a necropsy yourself or send the body to your state lab.

I assumed she stopped laying due to the stress of the attack and the fact that I kept her in a dim room. Don't see any evidence of canker. I'll have to get some safeguard then. Thank you. Do you think I should be syringe feeding her?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If she's not drinking on her own, then yes I would do what's needed to get fluids into her.