getting a chicken to throw up safe?

[LilyLovesBugs]

This is the link to my sick chicken topic https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=613320&p=1 someone suggested I get her to throw up. Is this safe? I think i've heard that you're not supposed to, but what should I do?

 

[LilyLovesBugs]

Please help!

 

[artsyrobin]

is it a sour crop issue?? haven't checked the thread yet- here is what i do, i have them in the tub on a towel, feed them oil and bread if they will eat, then throughout the day i periodically gently massage the crop, very gently, after doing this a bit they will spit up a little, i tilt them forward, not upside down, but enough to let gravity kick in and as you gently press the crop they will spit up- its hard on them so be very gentle- here is a write up i had saved on my hard drive

Sour crop info

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=414908
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=265740
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=284227

sour crop

Yes, it is sour crop. The food that is in there has dissolved into a toxic slush. If the crop is still full, you would want to cleanse it and then treat her with probiotics and give her organic apple cider vinegar water for two weeks if she's showing no other symptoms. You also will want to determine the cause of the problem in the first place and fix that.

You will want to do this as soon as possible because the liquid in that crop will grow bacteria and yeast and make your bird sick(er).

The probiotics are to replace the bacteria that have been damaged by the toxic contents and pH of the crop dribbling into the rest of her digestive tract. They will also help fight against whatever bad bacteria and yeast make it to that part of the system. The organic apple cider vinegar (1 ounce ACV to one gallon of water) will help correct the digestive tract pH, provide more good bacteria, break down the feedstuff that are in the crop waiting to go through, and also provide more digestive enzymes to break down solid particles in the digestive tract. The pH of ACV at this solution is that of a healthy digestive tract which is unfriendly to good bacteria. the pH of the crop (and thus the digestive tract) now is unfortunately friendly to bad bacteria, so we must change that.

If you see runniness of droppings after four days of treatment after the cleaned crop, let the board know. Let us know in any case, please.

By the way - no more solid foods until she's over this for two weeks. No grains, no grit, nothing but crumbles, probiotics (plain yogurt, acidophilis tablets, etc), maybe the bread if it's soaked in something useful - BUT - it's too friendly for yeast infections, sooooo maybe not. Boiled egg yolks are a good healthy treat and will help her gut. You can also mix the yogurt in a small amount of unsweetened applesauce. The pectin is small, helps clean out the digestive tract of sludge from this, the pH is like ACV (can be used with it), and chickens like the taste so it's a good way to hide probiotics.​

 

[Pele]

If you are posting about sour crop, you should always try the other methods before resorting to forcing the bird to throw up. Due to the way that their throats are constructed, it's entirely possible for the bird to breathe in the results, and die. I use it only if all other methods have failed, and it's clear the bird will die anyway if no intervention is done.

 

[artsyrobin]

Quote:
i second that- in that i have done it twice in desperation.....

 

[LilyLovesBugs]

She's not eating now. I think I am going to separate her tomorrow. I'm not going to force her to throw up yet, but I am going to try more methods for sour crop, it seems like the only thing it can be.