foul smelling green liquid pouring out of beak

[stephleblancnh]

I am new to this website and forum. I need advice.

Two weeks ago, I one of my chickens 8 month-old chickens was dead in the coop, she was showing now signs of illness.

Yesterday, my Buff Orpington was hanging out alone in the corner of the coop, not interested in "normal chicken ADL's" (activities of daily living)

Today I found her laying in a mud puddle clearly sick. I picked her up and as I went to turn her over and examine her, this foul-smelling greenish liquid came pouring out of her beak.

Any ideas?

Stephanie
Wilton, NH

 

[speckledhen]

Sounds like a fungus may have set up in her crop and it soured.

 

[strawberryfields]

Yes, it sounds like sour crop. May not be related at all to the other chickens death, but I don't know enough to say for sure.

There is a lot of good information here about sour crop.

Good luck!

 

[Robin'sBrood]

That sounds terrible. What can you do for that, speckledhen? Anything? Should she check her chicken food to be sure it isn't moldy?

 

[Gazinga]

 

[FlaChickenMan]

Sour crop sure sounds like it. I had it in one of my RIR's (I think cause of too much bread products). Turned her upside down pushed on her crop....out came a lot of nasty yellow green junk! Nauseated me. Fed her plain yogurt and cottage cheese with scrambled eggs for a time and all water then and now has vinegar in it. Rarely give bread products. Never had a problem since!

 

[stephleblancnh]

Thank you for the replies.

I am going to assume it is sour crop.

Can someone explain the exact steps of how to treat this? I am ambarrased to say I don't know how to "massage her crop"

I fear for Goldie and want to help her right away.

With tears,
Stephanie

 

[speckledhen]

If you suspect sour crop, first withdraw all food for at least 24 hours. Give fresh water with organic, unfiltered ACV (if you can't find that, just regular ACV will do in a pinch), about 2 tablespoons to a gallon. Massaging may or may not help, but do NOT push upward or she can regurgitate and choke. Just knead it like dough, but very gently, trying to break up anything that may be fermenting in there. A hen died in my arms when she began throwing up on the way to the house to deal with her problem, so gently! After about 24 hours, maybe just offer a couple tablespoons of plain yogurt, no sugar at all. Hopefully, with gentle crop massage and a rest from feed, plus the ACV, after the second day, the crop will feel less gassy and you can offer scrambled eggs, just a bit. Just feed her soft food, no pellets and no grains, for a few days and see if that helps. A vet may be able to give you an anti-fungal tablet for her, but I forgot the name of it, starts with an "M"...metrodia-something.

 

[chickenlittle32]

What is the cause of sour crop?

 

[speckledhen]

Some sort of fungus can set up in there, for instance, if they get hold of moldy feed. Mine stuck their heads through the fence around the compost pile and got into pockets chicken feed that were tossed in with the shavings and molded in the rain.