Feeling defeated on this crop

[Beaker99]

These are my first chicks. Ten weeks old.
We've done a full 7 days of treatment for impacted crop. I have done everything but surgery (not an option). You name it, I've done it. Even vomiting (and I know what the feeling is on that).
Massaging got it small..I thought it was gone and then today found the crop was huge again.
I work full time so massaging it every hour isn't going to happen except on weekends.
I need advice or encouragement. Thanks.

 

[Earthdale]

What are they eating?

 

[Beaker99]

I've been giving only soft food.. Yogurt, soaked feed, scrambled egg and very sparingly.

 

[Earthdale]

It seems odd that it is impacting then, are you sure it isn't just full?

 

[Beaker99]

It didn't empty overnight. I know it was impacted last week as I could feel the grass mass. She passed some of it. I didn't feel it after my weekend of massage with oil. So I feed a little more than usual and then this morning I found the crop very large (nothing offered overnight).

 

[Aunt Angus]

So I'm assuming you've given coconut oil.

Have you withheld food for 24 hrs?

 

[Beaker99]

Yes. The first day she went 36 hours without food.
And so much coconut oil. It does help more than ducolax.

I can't feel the mass anymore. But she's obviously not moving things along as she should.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Yes. The first day she went 36 hours without food.
And so much coconut oil. It does help more than ducolax.

Have you dewormed them? I'm beginning to think crop surgery might be necessary...

 

[Beaker99]

No. I have only tossed some DE in the food. I have no tools with which to operate and no helper.

 

[Aunt Angus]

No. I have only tossed some DE in the food. I have no tools with which to operate and no helper.

I'm sure they have access to grit, too. Try deworming. If you're running out of options, might as well. Worm overloads can cause crop issues.

Oh - maybe a round of antibiotics, too? Inflammation can slow everything down and make it hard for chickens to pass food through their crops.

Just throwing out ideas.