Crop issues can be very stubborn sometimes. It really helps if you can figure out which issue you're dealing with - sour crop or impacted crop.
Sour crop doesn't always smell sour, but it is soft and very full and spongy. Impacted crop feels very different. It's hard and lumpy and often will smell. You can have an impacted crop that's going yeasty and then the brown liquid will leak out of the beak.
If you think the crop may be impacted, if you feel solid material in the crop, then give coconut oil, wait a bit, then massage the lumpiness until you feel it break up and go down. If you have to give more oil, it won't hurt. Repeat the massage. A stool softener can be given if the oil isn't doing the job.
Be aware that the blockage can extend down into the gizzard. This will likely cause the crop to only partially empty. Keep doing the oil and massage until the crop empties. Then switch to treating sour crop if the hen doesn't feel better and her crop is still not emptying. Be very careful when massaging a crop that has mostly liquid in it. It can back up into the airway and choke the chicken. Some will die immediately. It's very risky.
Sour crop doesn't always smell sour, but it is soft and very full and spongy. Impacted crop feels very different. It's hard and lumpy and often will smell. You can have an impacted crop that's going yeasty and then the brown liquid will leak out of the beak.
If you think the crop may be impacted, if you feel solid material in the crop, then give coconut oil, wait a bit, then massage the lumpiness until you feel it break up and go down. If you have to give more oil, it won't hurt. Repeat the massage. A stool softener can be given if the oil isn't doing the job.
Be aware that the blockage can extend down into the gizzard. This will likely cause the crop to only partially empty. Keep doing the oil and massage until the crop empties. Then switch to treating sour crop if the hen doesn't feel better and her crop is still not emptying. Be very careful when massaging a crop that has mostly liquid in it. It can back up into the airway and choke the chicken. Some will die immediately. It's very risky.
Thank you!! I think WE pulled her through!!!!
