Help chicken puffed up feathers, head shaking, and being solitary

[LynneP]

My girl is struggling too, she will take the olive oil willingly and is drinking small amounts of water/ACV, but her feet are a little dark and tips of comb a bit dark too, so I'm wondering if I have another problem triggering the crop stasis, like liver or circulatory. Will have to decide in the morning what to do next- meanwhile I'm massaging her and she's trying to vomit, but no joy yet...she's very cooperative. But this gal has been broody on and off and is a self-plucker and I'm wondering if there are feathers in the crop. She's always been my 'odd duck', never quite as normal as I'd like. But so sweet...good weight, so I have a little time, I hope. No luck finding vet.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

My you do have a sick chicken

mix soda water and fill child's ear syringe
ut the chicken on a table
if you have some one to help do so

FLUSHING THE SOUR CROP OR IMPACTED CROP

(1 for sour crop after giving the oil
try this
1/2 cup of baking soda in 1 pint of warm water mix good

now take a child's ear syringe and fill with soda water
put syringe clear to back of throat and will not choke her
empty syringe into her crop

(2 now come up under the front of her( pushing easily on the crop) with your fingers

(3 bringing the sour feed out of her crop from her beak
will not choke her,now with that done

(4 take and flush her two more times doing so by forcing the spoiled feed out her beak after each filling with soda water

she should have it out
(5 now put her alone in cage. let her rest and DO NOT feed for the rest of the day

(6 provide her with 1 qt of water with 1 tbsp of apple cider vineager
the next day
(7 see if her crop is soft and okay

(8 now only feed her this
1 sliced of bread soaked in milk, add 2 tbsp of plain unflavored yoguart

feed her this twice a day for 5 days

(9 she should get better

(10 I would not feed corn any more as it may have been too big and closed the crop hole

(11 corn is not necessary as the protein is low, In commercial feed the first ingredient is Corn

(12 corn is only 9-10% protein at most

(13 did you feed her granite grit in feeder when feeding the whole corn or any grain?

Hopefully she will get better after you have flushed the crop good

 

[Sallyschickens]

Thanks Glenda,

This is good to know how to do in the future. I am going to print this for my paper references!

-Sally

 

[4thechicks]

Poppy is doing alot better. Took her to breeder and he sorted her and us out. She doing alot better, just looks a little sorry for herself. We so glad.

 

[LynneP]

Glad to hear Poppy is doing well, what did your breeder do?

Still working on Zpifi, breaking up mass at base with my fingers through feathers, skin and muscled crop. Unbelieveable how much pressure one can apply. Leery of flushing, afraid of aspirating her. She is more active and taking the oil and some applesauce (unweetened) to please me and to soften the mass. Learning a lot, and mostly that this sweet hen will allow me to treat her and is cooperating. Less gaping and 'choking'...getting there. Day 5. Yeesh.

 

[4thechicks]

He massaged her until she was sick, it didnt take him long, we were just being very gentle.

Hope Zpifi is better soon.

 

[chickenbike]

Oh my goodness!!!...so glad I have found this thread. After a month of my hen being under the weather, she seemed to do better. Then 2 days ago....everything began to go in reserve. Today her crop was almost the size of a tennis ball. I did massage out some lettuce bits and lots of fluid. As soon as I can get home again (had to go to work for 3 hours), I will be more diligent with the massaging and see if I can dislodge things. My husband has added the apple cider vinegar to her water, and removed the food. I will do the baking soda flush if I need to.

She went from very sick, to almost 100% normal 3 days ago (in 3.5 weeks), then 3 days ago started going downhill again. I feel awful as I didn't think it was her crop at all!

Now I'm praying I can make her feel better and get well. My god, I have cried often for her and not knowing what to do.....I am so happy to have another option. I did take her to the vet's in the beginning and he ran a course of antibiotics at the time. Now I wonder if the initial crop impaction, caused a fever and infection, which the antibiotics cured, but the original material causing the impaction was still in there. Here we are a few weeks later, and of course it's causing problems.

I can't wait to get home to her....god I hope she's okay.

LynneP...how is your girl?
4thechicks.....how is Poppy doing now?

 

[needmyzzz]

My 17 week old Rhodie x Sussex is behaving strange. This was our most confident bird, she was first to venture outside when we first let them out of their house, and always came running up first for her corn in the afternoon.

She is now not mixing with the rest and has puffed up her feathers, and is shaking her head fairly frequently.

She eats layers pellets and mixed corn. We have seen her eating and drinking.

We have checked her all over and cant see anything, no bubbles or froth around eyes or mouth, no injuries, no wheezing.

Have not noticed anything strange with poo.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as we are new to chickens and would have to travel a distance to get to a vet.

I know this is a very old post and chances are the reply may not get read. I am having same issues...head shaking, puffing up, not acting like herself. Seems to be eating. From early on she on/off had runny poop but I had posted and everyone thought it looked normal. Crop is down in a.m. Did you ever figure out what this was?