Here I go again. Same song, different verse. I am getting my fair share of experience here lately.
Patient is a Speckled Sussex hen, 13 months old, decent layer of small eggs (do not know when last egg was laid), free ranger, no swelling in abdomen, no foul smell on breath or vent, everything seems normal except her crop.
At least for two days and nights (could have been longer, I just noticed Monday at roost) Gabby has had a rock hard crop, the size of a baseball. Yesterday morning when I realized her crop didn’t go down overnight I gave her some coconut oil and massaged her crop and got the contents loosened. My mistake was that I didn’t confine her then. I was able to give her a dose of Nutri Drench, as well. I had my grandson all day and didn’t check on her during the day like I should have. Last night, I brought her inside. Her crop was much larger than it was, now almost softball size.
The crop does not contain feed or anything soft. Just full of grit galore. It feels as though she found a mound full of diamonds and couldn’t quit eating them. When I massage (I hold her with her head facing away from me, so her right side is on my right side) I reach around in front of her and I am able to loosen the left side of her crop fairly easily. However, the right side of the crop almost feels like concrete. And when I concentrate on massaging the right side she acts like it hurts her. I fear the contents may be hurting as I try to massage over them.
As I was working with her late yesterday she had one watery poop that had a very minimal amount of normal poop in it and then later she had two poops that were literally pure water. Before I went to bed she had two very small normal, firm poops. Overnight it appears as though she had another watery poop with a little normal poop in it.
She is absolutely the worst chicken patient I’ve had. She will not eat or drink anything (no water at all) and does not want me wicking coconut oil into her beak. Last night I was able to give her coconut oil by putting just a tad bit of scrambled eggs in it. She gobbled it up and finished drinking the oil. This morning, nothing! No eggs, not even a few bits of oil soaked bread.
I have my own suspicions, but I really want a few suggestions from those with more experience and wisdom.
Her crop is back to being completely hard again this morning. I do have small hands, but it is hard for me to cup her crop in my hand, with fingers spread out.
First of all, would tubing oil and/or water into her crop be what is needed? Or would that be the wrong thing?
Am I possibly doing more damage by gently massaging? I am not forceful or rough while doing so.
Is crop surgery most likely my only way to fix this? (This is what I’m leaning towards. I wish I could take her to the vet and watch him do the surgery, but I don’t even know if he works on chickens or not. I am gonna call in a few minutes.)
If anyone could please tell me what your thoughts are I would be most appreciative and grateful.
I am tagging a few of you who have been so helpful in the past.
@casportpony @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @staceyj @azygous
I thank you bunches, in advance.
Patient is a Speckled Sussex hen, 13 months old, decent layer of small eggs (do not know when last egg was laid), free ranger, no swelling in abdomen, no foul smell on breath or vent, everything seems normal except her crop.
At least for two days and nights (could have been longer, I just noticed Monday at roost) Gabby has had a rock hard crop, the size of a baseball. Yesterday morning when I realized her crop didn’t go down overnight I gave her some coconut oil and massaged her crop and got the contents loosened. My mistake was that I didn’t confine her then. I was able to give her a dose of Nutri Drench, as well. I had my grandson all day and didn’t check on her during the day like I should have. Last night, I brought her inside. Her crop was much larger than it was, now almost softball size.
The crop does not contain feed or anything soft. Just full of grit galore. It feels as though she found a mound full of diamonds and couldn’t quit eating them. When I massage (I hold her with her head facing away from me, so her right side is on my right side) I reach around in front of her and I am able to loosen the left side of her crop fairly easily. However, the right side of the crop almost feels like concrete. And when I concentrate on massaging the right side she acts like it hurts her. I fear the contents may be hurting as I try to massage over them.
As I was working with her late yesterday she had one watery poop that had a very minimal amount of normal poop in it and then later she had two poops that were literally pure water. Before I went to bed she had two very small normal, firm poops. Overnight it appears as though she had another watery poop with a little normal poop in it.
She is absolutely the worst chicken patient I’ve had. She will not eat or drink anything (no water at all) and does not want me wicking coconut oil into her beak. Last night I was able to give her coconut oil by putting just a tad bit of scrambled eggs in it. She gobbled it up and finished drinking the oil. This morning, nothing! No eggs, not even a few bits of oil soaked bread.
I have my own suspicions, but I really want a few suggestions from those with more experience and wisdom.
Her crop is back to being completely hard again this morning. I do have small hands, but it is hard for me to cup her crop in my hand, with fingers spread out.
First of all, would tubing oil and/or water into her crop be what is needed? Or would that be the wrong thing?
Am I possibly doing more damage by gently massaging? I am not forceful or rough while doing so.
Is crop surgery most likely my only way to fix this? (This is what I’m leaning towards. I wish I could take her to the vet and watch him do the surgery, but I don’t even know if he works on chickens or not. I am gonna call in a few minutes.)
If anyone could please tell me what your thoughts are I would be most appreciative and grateful.
I am tagging a few of you who have been so helpful in the past.
@casportpony @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @staceyj @azygous
I thank you bunches, in advance.