Thanks for your response. Her neck is almost all healed she still has a quarter sized scab on top of her head. Her feathers are very thin on her head. So i switched to the miconazole yesterday and she had a good poop. Before they were very small and dry. She still has mucous or saliva coming up. She shakes her head and scratches her beak with her feet or in the floor of the box. But she seems to be eating more. Is it safe to do the anti fungal and the tylan50. I switched because i wasn’t sure. What do you think? I can give her yogurt but i didn’t know if i should wait until I’m done with the anti fungal. I also have ape cider
QUOTE="Hen Pen Jem, post: 19622800, member: 493148"]
Greetings mar,
My goodness, what a struggle for you and your hen.
I have read your posts, and you have been doing a good job of caring for the hen's injury.
You may be correct, that there is a problem with the crop.
A sluggish crop can cause the contents to sit too long, and then souring will begin. Feeling full and uncomfortable, the chicken will start to drink water to try and move the contents along. But now the contents are like sludge sitting in the crop, they may or may not smell yet. So then, the water will come back up or get thrown out when the hen swings her head. You may hear gurgling or gaseous sounds in when you pick her up and hold her close to your ear.
The crop is a muscle, and can lose it's tone during long periods of inactivity, such as confinement during illness recovery. It doesn't happen to all chickens, some are just more prone to this. You can definitely offer some fennel tea, it is good for the reproductive system of the hen. But, if you want to use herbal remedy, oregano oil is a better choice for crop issues. Oregano oil, is very potent, it is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. I have found this effective in mild crop issues.
Here is my recipe for Crop Tonic.
Crop Tonic:
1 tsp. thick yogurt with at least 3 bacteria cultures in it.
1 drop, Oregano Oil (not essential oil)
4 drops Coconut Oil, melted or Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil
4 drops water
Mix in a shot glass, stir well, and administer 1 mL, orally with syringe.
Give the crop a gentle, but good massage 2-3 times a day.
Then,
first thing in the morning check her crop. If it doesn't feel flat, then you know it didn't empty.
Her injuries were serious, without your care she would not have made it this far. But, as
Wyorp Rock and
getaclue, mentioned, a dog crate offers: protection, is more sanitary, has better ventilation, cage cups and feeders can be used to prevent spillage, and the hen can see out. The crate can also be covered with a sheet for night time or to prevent drafts, and a heat lamp can be set on top to provide warmth when needed. I hate to say it, but there will be chickens in need of the hospital crate, so it is a good investment. I use butcher paper and two artificial turf mats (which I switch out), for easier clean up.
Here is Ginger recovering from a bad crop impaction.
View attachment 1279701
You can also use a more aggressive treatment on you hen for sour crop or crop impaction.
Nystatin or Oznystatin liquid, .5 mL, every 12 hours, orally
Lactulose 1.5 mL, every 12 hours, orally
The Nystatin will kill any fungus/yeast, and the Lactulose will break down solid food. Massage is still needed, to support the crop during healing. Here in California, we can no longer purchase many medications without a prescription from a vet. This is the case for the Nystatin, but the Lactulose is sold at some pet stores for dogs.
Now that we have discussed the possible crop issue, as
coach723, mentioned...respiratory infections, are a definite possibility. In an effort for the BYC members to try and assist you, we must rely on your eyes, nose, ears and touch. Ultimately you must evaluate the symptoms and make a judgement as to what is the cause and what treatment is best. Secondary infection is possible when caring for a sick chicken. If you use Tylan, which is a broad spectrum antibiotic, be sure to provide a three day course of probiotics for poultry. Repeat in a week.
Because the hen has been inside so long, she will need to be re-acclimated to the outside temperatures. A hen saddle will cover her lungs and prevent heat loss. As for her exposed neck, fresh air is good for healing. But, you will have to take precautions when reintroducing her to the flock. As,
there will be some pecking. She may benefit from a bit of Genetian Violet, painted over the exposed neck. Gentian violet is an antiseptic dye. It is anti-fungal and also has weak antibacterial properties. It will color the skin purple and make it less attractive to pecking. Or, you can use Blu-kote at that time. Her feathers will grow back, but it will take much time. And some may never regrow, if the follicle was damaged.
This kind of incident takes a lot of time. First, is the healing process, then the re-acclimation to the outside temps (extreme heat or cold), and finally the return to the flock. It is tiring for the keeper, and you will get frustrated at times. But if you hurry things and rush the hen, then all your good work can end in tragedy. A complete timeline for an injury like this, can take anywhere from 6 to 10 weeks. It all depends on proper care, feeding, environment and exercise, during the healing process.
Having a Veterinarian is always a good thing for the hen, certainly, but also - for the keeper. I have been fortunate to have found my vet, as he has taught me so much about chicken health and healing!
These are my thoughts on you hens health issue, I hope they are helpful.
God's Blessings to you and your little hen.
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