Help; chick with possible sour crop

[murphynhazel12]

One of my silkie chicks who is 10-12 weeks old, is acting sick. She isn't eating much and has a very large crop. She did this weird thing with her neck and stretched it for a bit. She also threw up some water. What should I do? What is wrong with her? Thanks for any help.

 

[Pullet Press]

Here, I'll post to keep your thread along. I hope that your Silkie will be okay.

 

[Pullet Press]

@aart
@sourland

 

[aart]

Is she pooping?
What all and how exactly are you feeding?

When I have a bird that is acting off I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor their intake of food and water, crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed), and their poops. Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling. Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

 

[murphynhazel12]

Is she pooping?
What all and how exactly are you feeding?

When I have a bird that is acting off I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor their intake of food and water, crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed), and their poops. Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling. Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

She is pooping, but not a lot. I don't have a crate readily available, but I might be able to borrow one of the dog's crates. Her crop is large, and I have tried to massage it, but I am not sure if it is doing anything.

 

[murphynhazel12]

Here, I'll post to keep your thread along. I hope that your Silkie will be okay.

Thank you.

 

[mommiesrcool]

i found these article's i hope this helps
https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/sour-crop/

https://ourinspiredroots.com/how-to-treat-impacted-crop-sour-crop-and-pendulous-crop

 

[Mike bird nerd]

Have her under a heat lamp too!

 

[aart]

I don't have a crate readily available, but I might be able to borrow one of the dog's crates.

Would be good to get one, or borrow the dogs at least for overnight as I described above..

She is pooping, but not a lot. I don't have a crate readily available, but I might be able to borrow one of the dog's crates. Her crop is large, and I have tried to massage it, but I am not sure if it is doing anything.

Be careful with the massage.

Sounds like it might be impacted.
Check out this article by @TwoCrows :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

and this one by @azygous :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[TwoCrows]

Has she gone off her food and water? Is she standing around fluffed up? Are her butt feathers really stained with white urates? She is at the age she could have Coccidiosis which will cause a lot of urate stained butt feathers. Coccidiosis will cause a slow crop.

Do her butt feathers have a strong odor? This would indicate possible yeast infection somewhere between the crop and vent, causing a slow crop.

What color AND consistency is the poop? Diarrhea? Do you see bits of grass in the poop? This would indicate possible impaction of the gizzard or crop.