Help! Chicken with possible slow crop/sour crop

[Frizzled-n-Sizzled]

Hi everyone and @dawg53 @Eggcessive that have been so helpful in the past!

I’m hoping for some more guidance or shared experiences. I have a 4‑year‑old hen who has always had egg‑laying issues — soft shells, internal laying, and the occasional broken egg inside her. She’s always managed to pull through with help making sure everything was cleared out.

Over the past month she’s lost weight and stopped laying completely. Her crop had been emptying normally and she was still eating and drinking. A couple of days ago I treated her for worms, thinking that might be contributing, and she actually perked up and ate well afterward.

Today things changed. She isn’t eating, her crop hasn’t emptied, and she has fluid coming out of her beak. I know how serious that can be, and I’m really worried.

If anyone has been through something similar or has general advice on what to watch for, I’d really appreciate hearing from you.

I looked into getting some Monistat … but I am at a lost as far as what to get! Hate for me to inadvertently poison her!

 

[Frizzled-n-Sizzled]

I also have thought because she has had a lot of reproductive issues over the years. This could be some form of cancer that is now slowly creeping up into a crop…

 

[SkyAJK]

The Educators will give you guidance on this.

You could gently massage her crop to help it moves a bit. I usually do this counting 20 massage, and repeated every 2 or 3 hours.

Does she still poop and what is her poop like?

 

[CloneFly]

Hi everyone and @dawg53 @Eggcessive that have been so helpful in the past!

I’m hoping for some more guidance or shared experiences. I have a 4‑year‑old hen who has always had egg‑laying issues — soft shells, internal laying, and the occasional broken egg inside her. She’s always managed to pull through with help making sure everything was cleared out.

Over the past month she’s lost weight and stopped laying completely. Her crop had been emptying normally and she was still eating and drinking. A couple of days ago I treated her for worms, thinking that might be contributing, and she actually perked up and ate well afterward.

Today things changed. She isn’t eating, her crop hasn’t emptied, and she has fluid coming out of her beak. I know how serious that can be, and I’m really worried.

If anyone has been through something similar or has general advice on what to watch for, I’d really appreciate hearing from you.

I looked into getting some Monistat … but I am at a lost as far as what to get! Hate for me to inadvertently poison her!

You'll want to get 2% monistat cream and give her a little less than an inch long squeeze from the tube. How does her breathing sound though? If fluid is coming back up, you might want to keep an eye out for upper respiratory infection. As for the lack of appetite and losing weight, plus the full crop, it may be worth trying to bring her to a vet to see if they could prescribe you some Dexamethazone. It'll help stimulate appetite and get things moving in her digestive system. If the vet is not an option, probably best to treat as normal impacted/sour crop and once that's cleared place her on a more specialized diet- maybe yogurt, oatmeal and eggs with a sprinkle of mealworms on top. Super gourmet! When my girls aren't eating, I usually plain scramble some eggs and force feed them one piece at a time. Best of luck with your feather baby!

 

[Frizzled-n-Sizzled]

You'll want to get 2% monistat cream and give her a little less than an inch long squeeze from the tube. How does her breathing sound though? If fluid is coming back up, you might want to keep an eye out for upper respiratory infection. As for the lack of appetite and losing weight, plus the full crop, it may be worth trying to bring her to a vet to see if they could prescribe you some Dexamethazone. It'll help stimulate appetite and get things moving in her digestive system. If the vet is not an option, probably best to treat as normal impacted/sour crop and once that's cleared place her on a more specialized diet- maybe yogurt, oatmeal and eggs with a sprinkle of mealworms on top. Super gourmet! When my girls aren't eating, I usually plain scramble some eggs and force feed them one piece at a time. Best of luck with your feather baby!

Breathing is fine, eyes and nose clear. All other birds are fine.

Last night she ate like a pig. Probably too much.

She just has been very thin and “weak” ever since our last cold snap. It seems like she is shutting down. But then she runs and interacts with me and the flock ok at times.

Today, seemed to be more of a rough day for her. But she still has a will to live. Only when I picked her up and gently squeezed her crop it “drained” and fluid came out.

 

[Frizzled-n-Sizzled]

The Educators will give you guidance on this.

You could gently massage her crop to help it moves a bit. I usually do this counting 20 massage, and repeated every 2 or 3 hours.

Does she still poop and what is her poop like?

Her poop is watery at times. White and brown/green color. Her poop has been a little greener since she was free ranging.

 

[SkyAJK]

If you know her poops look normal then that is a good sign.

Keep on massaging her crop here and there. If she continues to poops that means the digestive track is moving although slowly,but it is not stuck. Watch out for other signs.

When was the last time she poops an egg?

Might be no food for half a day,just water for her to drink. Once her crop clears, might give her some vitamin drinks to boost her health.

My Isa brown flock had reproductive issues...crop not emptying is one of those signs.

 

[Frizzled-n-Sizzled]

If you know her poops look normal then that is a good sign.

Keep on massaging her crop here and there. If she continues to poops that means the digestive track is moving although slowly,but it is not stuck. Watch out for other signs.

When was the last time she poops an egg?

Might be no food for half a day,just water for her to drink. Once her crop clears, might give her some vitamin drinks to boost her health.

My Isa brown flock had reproductive issues...crop not emptying is one of those signs.

She hasn’t passed an egg in over a month. All my hens slowed down because of the weird cold weather we were having in Florida. Most of my girls have returned to normal or now are broody monsters. This last cold snap she went down fast. I usually keep her and other more sensitive ones in my workshop but this last front caught me off guard.

I was able to reduce her crop a bit she is roosting for the night in her own pen. I’ll see how she is in the morning. I am wondering if the wormer I used is causing a bit of this too.

 

[SkyAJK]

She hasn’t passed an egg in over a month. All my hens slowed down because of the weird cold weather we were having in Florida. Most of my girls have returned to normal or now are broody monsters. This last cold snap she went down fast. I usually keep her and other more sensitive ones in my workshop but this last front caught me off guard.

I was able to reduce her crop a bit she is roosting for the night in her own pen. I’ll see how she is in the morning. I am wondering if the wormer I used is causing a bit of this too.

That is excellent that her crop eased!

I am not chicken expert so I don't know whether the wormer might cause crop issue, but I did read that overload of worms and suddenly too many being killed could cause an issue as those worms trying to get out....I don't know if this is fact or not.

Yes, too cold weather would cause issues with some hens. Keep her warm.

Currently I have 2 hens that are molting big time and having slow crops, one has liquid in it, and occasionally it spill out of her mouth, I massage it every few hours, it eased, a few days later all was good again. Then another week it was back again, I gave her a human enzyme tablet for 3 consecutive days, no more liquid spill out of her mouth, her crop emptied, then over a week later it had a bit liquid again so I massage it. I don't know the cause, I am only guessing that might be the heavy molting, she is on my watch list.

Keep a close eye on her as she previously had egg issue.

I wish your hen recovers well.