enlarged crop or crop bound?

[ranchorobinson]

Hi, can you help?

my three year old Isa Brown hen has a large swollen lump the size of a golf ball just lower than her throat - it came up yesterday afternoon. It's in her breast bone area.

I don't know if this means she is 'crop bound' as I don't know what crop bound looks like?

She's still eating and scartching around as normal, howver I'm concerned about this lump.

I've tried massaging it, it's very warm to touch.

What should I do? Please help if you can

thanks jen

 

[justusnak]

Sounds like an impacted crop.....how is she doing today? Is she pooping normal? You might have to get some mineral oil, and with a syrenge..no needle...put it in her crop, and then try to message it out. Be carefull to get the oil past the little hole in her tongue...air hole. Good luck, and keep us posted on her!

 

[wynedot55]

wheres wes when you need him.ill try to help if i can.you need some mineral oil.an plastic sureng.suck the mineral oil in the surenge open then hens mouth an inject it down her thoat.if memory is correct it should soften the impaction up.so she can pass it.

 

[robin416]

Put her somewhere you can keep an eye on her. Watch for droppings, are they normal in appearance, are there any? Take her food and water away at night, did the crop go down to where its next to impossible to feel it? If its gone then she's not crop bound.

 

[Wes in Tx]

Just because a bird has a big crop during the day doesn't mean it is impacted. She could have gorged herself on her food and drunken lots of water. The birds process the food from the crop to the gizzard and on through their systems mainly at night. Do as Robin suggested and let us know what the outcome is.

 

[ranchorobinson]

thanks for your help everyone

I've checked Delaware (my chooky) this monring and the crop has reduced signifcantly in size - so both and her and I are feeling much better

I will watch her diet over he coming days. Perhaps I gave her too much food and that's what led to her crop becoming enlarged.... I didn't think this was the case as the other two hens were fine.

I'll let you know if it flares up today. Thanks again for your help

jen

 

[Wes in Tx]

Jen you need to have food available for her 24 hours a day so she can self regulate how much she eats at a time. By feeding her only at certain times of the day you can have things happen like you saw with the hen.