Freedom Ranger with bulging crop...I mean BULGING!

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I have 40, 6 week old Freedom Rangers. One of the pullets has a HUGE bulging water balloon of crop that does not go down after a night without access to food. I had one of these two years ago and on butchering day, she was only about 2 lb, compared to her 4 - 5 lb flock mates. Already, after only a few days with this enlarged crop, I can tell that this one is falling behing on weight gain.

I am familiar with the idea of sour crop, because I had a hen who developed it a few years back. Any idea what could be causeing this in my broiler pullet and if there is anything I can do to help her?

 

[iwiw60]

Here's what to do:

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/search?q=sour+crop
Chicken Anatomy: The Crop, Impacted Crop & Sour Crop


Scroll on down and you'll find the section on IMPACTED CROP....keep us updated!

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

FYI, I decided to put the pullet in question "down" last Friday. I had her isolated and was trying to follow the advice of the article shared above, but I had to go out of town for the weekend from Friday morning until noon Monday, leaving my 18 year old and 20 year old in charge of all my chickens and turkeys and I just didn't want to saddle them with the extra work and the possibility that she might worsen or die while I was gone. So...nothing good to report.

 

[iwiw60]

Sorry for the loss of your hen...always so sad.