Frantic hen, I’m at a loss

[Emrosenagel]

For starters, no she doesn’t need to lay. I know how she behaves when she needs to lay, and this is not it.

I’ve asked about this before on here but it’s been about a year now, and this behavior comes and goes. It makes me feel terrible because she looks so hungry, willing to eat everything she can get her beak on (except chicken food, of course). She has chronic crop problems, and right now her crop is huge and watery. She went to the vet last week and we checked for yeast, but there was none in her crop. Her breath isn’t bad either. It’s like she just can’t process her food fast enough for her body. Does anyone have any suggestions to help her? I’m at a loss and I feel hopeless. She laid an egg yesterday, is a bantam Cochin about 2.10 lbs, 2 years old.

 

[SkyAJK]

Please don't stress out. I gathered from your post your little hen is healthy, she just eat like starving, food are available for her.

Might be massage her crop gently here and there throughout the day/before bed time for 5 or 10 minutes, it will help emptying her crop.

What are you feeding your flock? Pellet/whole grains/crumble?
Protein %?

What did the vet say about her condition?

This is my experience with my few hens now:
2 of my laying hens that are around +/- 1 year old, healthy.
They eat like they have been starving since the dawn of time.
I give them extra protein sardine twice/three times a week, poultry nutri drink and I had wormed them, crop is good and still they eat like they are have been starving. I don't know what cause al that.

My Plymouth Rock hen came to me with a swinging watery crop, non stop diarrhea, and any grass she ate, they came out undigested. She poop a lot of what I google to be intestinal shredding.
I wormed her, gave her AVC, flush her crop a few times, nothing work.

She is healthy, not laying egg, eat like a starving pig, except for the issues above so I just let her be as I don't know what else to do. This went on for almost 2 years.

Just a few month ago, out of the blue all that stopped, no more diarrhea, crop no longer watery & swinging about, quietly eating like a lady, no undigested food & intestinal shredding in her poop. I don't know what bring about this good outcome.

I am not a chicken expert, I only know what I know from my flock. I think that the crumble grains feed has better digestive process, it helps the gizzard doing its job better. I am only guessing.

Other will know more than me will help you. Please don't stress, you have come to the right place for help.

All the best.