Hello,
I am new to BYC. I've read lots, but there is so much to go through that I thought I might try my question directly.
History in a nutshell: Speckled sussex hen 4 months in early August. While bathing her and her flock-mates for the fair I noticed her spitting up. Didn't think much of it. She vetted in at the fair and got a blue ribbon all the while over-eating and spitting up food. The response I got from most people I asked was that we probably handled her right after she ate so I continued to ignore it. By the end of the fair I showed her to another person who took the time to handle her and was told I should cull her. She was thin and probably had sour crop.
Took her home and watched her. Her crop became increasingly larger. Took her to the vet to the tune of $200. Most people thought I was crazy. She gave me antibiotics and an oil to move things along. Vet also cleared crop out and didn't think it was sour. We brought her in 5 times a day for meds and we very gently massaged crop. It did seem to go down some, but I was also limiting her food. In the long run not much changed. I added organic apple cider vinegar to water in case she needed good bacteria.
Currently she is about 5 1/2 months. After putting her in flock on her own again, I have noticed she has an enormous crop. She attacks food when I feed them. It is like she is starved. She is very social. Could fly onto my shoulder when I entered yard up to a week ago. Seems to have energy but crop gets larger all the time. It drags on the ground when she pecks. She makes a squeaking sound now and looks so uncomfortable. I am at a loss. She is my nicest hen but I do not want what she has to spread(the entire flock is very nice), nor do I want her to live uncomfortably. I plan to kennel her as a last resort and keep her in the garage. But that isn't much of a life and doesn't fix her problem.
Do I do another round of antibiotics?
Do I ask the vet to treat her for sour crop?
Do I hold food back til it works through her system?
Add more probiotics? And how much is too much?
Do I cull her?
I have no problem helping my husband put cornish in the freezer. They are meat birds with no personality. But I hate to put this one down. I will if it is the right thing to do though.
I am new to BYC. I've read lots, but there is so much to go through that I thought I might try my question directly.
History in a nutshell: Speckled sussex hen 4 months in early August. While bathing her and her flock-mates for the fair I noticed her spitting up. Didn't think much of it. She vetted in at the fair and got a blue ribbon all the while over-eating and spitting up food. The response I got from most people I asked was that we probably handled her right after she ate so I continued to ignore it. By the end of the fair I showed her to another person who took the time to handle her and was told I should cull her. She was thin and probably had sour crop.
Took her home and watched her. Her crop became increasingly larger. Took her to the vet to the tune of $200. Most people thought I was crazy. She gave me antibiotics and an oil to move things along. Vet also cleared crop out and didn't think it was sour. We brought her in 5 times a day for meds and we very gently massaged crop. It did seem to go down some, but I was also limiting her food. In the long run not much changed. I added organic apple cider vinegar to water in case she needed good bacteria.
Currently she is about 5 1/2 months. After putting her in flock on her own again, I have noticed she has an enormous crop. She attacks food when I feed them. It is like she is starved. She is very social. Could fly onto my shoulder when I entered yard up to a week ago. Seems to have energy but crop gets larger all the time. It drags on the ground when she pecks. She makes a squeaking sound now and looks so uncomfortable. I am at a loss. She is my nicest hen but I do not want what she has to spread(the entire flock is very nice), nor do I want her to live uncomfortably. I plan to kennel her as a last resort and keep her in the garage. But that isn't much of a life and doesn't fix her problem.
Do I do another round of antibiotics?
Do I ask the vet to treat her for sour crop?
Do I hold food back til it works through her system?
Add more probiotics? And how much is too much?
Do I cull her?
I have no problem helping my husband put cornish in the freezer. They are meat birds with no personality. But I hate to put this one down. I will if it is the right thing to do though.
