Smaller is good, could be the antibiotics taking care of something down the line, too, and maybe that is giving way for the crop to empty a bit.
Someone with more experience may have a better answer for you, but when I had hen who had a sour crop, she had it because of a reproductive issue. I think it was a reproductive infection which seemed to kind of back everything up and her crop just became overwhelmed and stopped draining. So it was more than just a sour crop. I think this was said before, but it usually is more than just a sour crop if it is going to kill them.
She was active the night before she passed, but not super lively, did eat a little bit here and there. At the time she was living inside because I knew her time was coming and it was too cold for a sick hen outside. I remember letting her walk around the house the night before she passed. I had hope because she was walking around, but I did notice it wasn’t as much as usual. I remember holding her for a few minutes and petting her and she let me that night, I thought she must be bonding with us more being inside because she usually doesn’t. Now I know it was probably just bc she wasn’t feeling up to fighting. Her crop hadn’t drained for about a week or so at this point.
The day she passed though, she did not want to come out of her kennel that morning and she just laid down. I don’t think she had gone up on her little roost the night before. She would not get up the rest of the day. She sat with her eyes closed and didn’t respond to my touch.
I tried to arrange for someone to put her down, but she passed away a few hours later before i could get it worked out. I can’t say if it was peaceful or not, bc I did not see it, but I came in and she was on her back stretched out. Looking back, I do wish I had done it sooner, but it’s always hard when they’re still active and alive.
