fuzzi's Chicken Journal

[fuzzi]

How old is she? I forget.

What's her poop like?

I'd make sure she's drinking. If the crop is still firm in the morning (check before she's ate/drank), then give the coconut oil, but then I'd also start treating as Sour Crop. Miconazole or Clotrimazole can be given. Give her 1/2 inch of the cream twice a day for a full seven days, even if she gets better, finish the treatment.

Hydration and then offer food. IF the crop feels impacted. Give 1 (one) stool softener (stimulant free), just pop the gel pill right into the beak. This can sometimes help break material up.

It all sounds like a lot, and maybe it is. I've done all of this with mine before and things have worked well. Sometimes there is very often an underlying condition that still needs to be addressed in order to resolve the crop problem. Worms, Coccidiosis and infection are the 3 more treatable underlying conditions. Reproductive disorders, not so much.

So start there, check her crop in the morning, if it's still full and hard, give the coconut oil, but work your way through the other treatment options. Try to get a really good look at her poop too.

You can have an impacted/slow and/or doughy crop and it be Sour too. Think of it this way - an impacted crop is relatively slow (or sometimes not moving much at all). Food/water can make it a bit doughy, but if it's not moving (slow) very well, then it's going to eventually turn Sour. SO! Just saying, some feel like they can only treat as "just impacted" then they move on to "just doughy", work on it as a whole. Does that make sense?

She's only 16 months old. I don't know if she's drinking. I don't know what her poop looks like. I thought about containing/caging her but felt it might upset her more. Plus I work, so that would have been confinement without any observation for 11 hours. I wasn't comfortable with it.

I'll check her in a couple hours and provide an update.

Thank you for all the information.

 

[fuzzi]

Update 8am

I brought eggs/oil mixture, watermelon slices, and a can of cat food with me to the coop. I didn't see Lydia in the first wave, then located her, coming slowly at the rear. I distracted the flock with watermelon while I examined Lydia. Her crop was softer, and I saw some evidence of poop around her vent. She took exception to being on my lap, struggled, and wouldn't eat any eggs. She took one peck of watermelon, two pecks of cat food. I let her jump down, she was a little unsteady on the landing, then walked back under the A-frame roost. I put a bowl of water, a dish with some of the eggs and watermelon (no seeds!), and the open can of cat food inside. I blocked the opening so the others don't bother her or eat her food.

I have Nystatin on hand, but prescription strength (100,000 usp per gram), not sure if it's too strong. I'm headed out to the store and will look for stool softener.

 

[NanaK]

Update 8am

I brought eggs/oil mixture, watermelon slices, and a can of cat food with me to the coop. I didn't see Lydia in the first wave, then located her, coming slowly at the rear. I distracted the flock with watermelon while I examined Lydia. Her crop was softer, and I saw some evidence of poop around her vent. She took exception to being on my lap, struggled, and wouldn't eat any eggs. She took one peck of watermelon, two pecks of cat food. I let her jump down, she was a little unsteady on the landing, then walked back under the A-frame roost. I put a bowl of water, a dish with some of the eggs and watermelon (no seeds!), and the open can of cat food inside. I blocked the opening so the others don't bother her or eat her food.

I have Nystatin on hand, but prescription strength (100,000 usp per gram), not sure if it's too strong. I'm headed out to the store and will look for stool softener.

Sorry Lydia is having problems.
I had a hen with a stubborn slow crop. I first used some olive oil with massage. Helped but did not resolve the issue. When I added the stool softener (collace), it really helped clear it up. I also increased the massage to 3 times per day.

As @Wyorp Rock said sometimes there is an underlying condition. With all the rain we have had from Debby, I would consider treating for coccidiosis.

Hope she shows improvement quickly.

 

[fuzzi]

This what I need?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have Nystatin on hand, but prescription strength (100,000 usp per gram), not sure if it's too strong. I'm headed out to the store and will look for stool softener.

This what I need?
View attachment 3914140

If you have Nystatin on hand, you can use that, dosing is below.

But yes, the Miconazole and the stool softener in the photos will work. I usually use Clotrimazole (Athlete's foot cream) because it's cheaper, but I've used both.

Good point from @NanaK I was thinking Coccidiosis and/or worms, that's one reason why I was asking her age. In youngsters, I'd give a round of Corid too since you've had a lot of rain.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...medistatin-nystatin-under-construction.74105/

 

[fuzzi]

If you have Nystatin on hand, you can use that, dosing is below.

But yes, the Miconazole and the stool softener in the photos will work. I usually use Clotrimazole (Athlete's foot cream) because it's cheaper, but I've used both.

Good point from @NanaK I was thinking Coccidiosis and/or worms, that's one reason why I was asking her age. In youngsters, I'd give a round of Corid too since you've had a lot of rain.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...medistatin-nystatin-under-construction.74105/

I have Corid, bought it before I got my first chicks.

I'm in uncharted waters here, SO appreciate the help. I love BYC but can't find a comprehensive list for treatments in the forums.

 

[fuzzi]

1. Would it be too much to dose Lydia with both stool softener and anti-fungal and Corid at the same time?

2. Should I just dose the main water and treat the entire flock with Corid?

 

[fuzzi]

Quick Reference for Me

Dosing Information for Flock:

Individual Dosing:

 

[fuzzi]

Lydia dosed at 12pm with stool softener and anti-fungal (Nystatin).

Flock's water dosed with Corid at the same time.

I hope that was correct.

Lydia's crop felt hard, but as I massaged it started to feel squishy.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm in uncharted waters here, SO appreciate the help. I love BYC but can't find a comprehensive list for treatments in the forums.

1. Would it be too much to dose Lydia with both stool softener and anti-fungal and Corid at the same time?

2. Should I just dose the main water and treat the entire flock with Corid?

Lydia dosed at 12pm with stool softener and anti-fungal (Nystatin).

Flock's water dosed with Corid at the same time.

I hope that was correct.

Lydia's crop felt hard, but as I massaged it started to feel squishy.

Yes, I have treated with Corid, Anti-fungal, Stool softener and dewormer all together before.

For Lydia, I'd also direct oral drench her with undiluted liquid Corid at a rate of 0.10ml per pound of weight 1-2times a day for 3 days. This is in addition her to drinking the mixed corid water with the flock.

Flock's water with Corid is fine. It won't hurt them, there's no withdrawal period for Amprolium, so you don't have to toss eggs if you don't want to.

Just go slow with her, let the meds work. A crop problem isn't resolved in a day. I know you are concerned, hopefully she'll pull out of this.

Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive list of treatments or even protocols. There's SO many things that can affect poultry, it would be a huge project to tackle and many years in the making.

You have a PFM, so you can make bookmarks for things you want to save to refer back to. I also save different info in notepad/word docs and store it on my pc. It's hard to remember it all unless you type of a lot of the same info over and over like I do LOL.