Halp! Silkie crop impaction

[Phoenix77]

This morning I noticed our silkie Blanche was wheezing. I inspected her physically and confirmed her crop was much larger than normal. I isolated her to keep her from eating and have given her access to water with some oregano oil in it. There is no discharge from eyes or nose nor any sneezing. I massaged her through out the day and at the end I observed there were no poops in her ICU coop. She is freaking out that she has been separated from her flock mates but I must do what needs to be done. I’ll try to give her some coconut oil tomorrow and keep up with the massages. I believe she laid an egg this morning but can’t confirm. It is possible the egg is one of her silkie sisters who have yet to start laying. Anyone have any tips? Am I missing anything? I have keeping her away from everyone and hearing her wheeze

 

[nuthatched]

its likely just stridor [something in the airway] and her being a little piglet. the oregano oil will not help this and can be caustic.

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

I massaged her through out the day and at the end I observed there were no poops in her ICU coop

This is a bad sign. Between this and the fact that you said she was "freaking out" I'd guess she is egg bound. You know your chicken's personality, I don't, but I do know that my girls only go nuts when separated in the ICU if they feel the need to lay and insist on going back to the coop/nest.

I'd give her a calcium supplement and get some fluids in her and check for egg binding either by feeling for a lump near her vent on the outside or getting an exam glove and some vaseline and feeling up her vent for an egg. Sometimes eggs can be stuck farther up than you can feel, but if she is egg bound and that is why she hasn't pooped all day you should be able to feel an egg about an inch inside her vent.

 

[Phoenix77]

Thanks for the advise. I added the oregano oil when I thought it might be a RI issue. I’ll clean out her water tomorrow. Now that I know it’s a crop reissue, I read oil is supposed to help to break it up. What would be better: coconut oil or olive oil?

This is a bad sign. Between this and the fact that you said she was "freaking out" I'd guess she is egg bound. You know your chicken's personality, I don't, but I do know that my girls only go nuts when separated in the ICU if they feel the need to lay and insist on going back to the coop/nest.

I'd give her a calcium supplement and get some fluids in her and check for egg binding either by feeling for a lump near her vent on the outside or getting an exam glove and some vaseline and feeling up her vent for an egg. Sometimes eggs can be stuck farther up than you can feel, but if she is egg bound and that is why she hasn't pooped all day you should be able to feel an egg about an inch inside her vent.

Good call. I’ll check her vent in the morning in addition to her crop which still let hard but lumpy before sundown. She normally lays in the ICU coop which sits in the run. She was upset that everyone else was going into the main coop without her at sunset. They actually left her spot on the roost bar open for her

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

She was upset that everyone else was going into the main coop without her at sunset

Ah. That makes more sense. My ICU is in the house so they can't see the others and are generally calm, but they also refuse to lay eggs inside will make a huge ruckus until I bring them back out to the nest boxes in the coop

What would be better: coconut oil or olive oil?

I use solidified coconut oil for crop impaction so I don't worry about getting liquid down the airway. Just pop in a chunk, wait a couple minutes then massage away.

 

[Phoenix77]

Update: she stopped wheezing this morning. Crop is much smaller. We have her some applesauce with a hint of coconut oil. Not too long after, she has successfully laid and egg. All is well in our homestead again!