Help! Hens with sour crop, they are getting THINNER!

[micstrachan]

@rebrascora, can you answer the question about poultry grade acidified copper sulfate in the UK?

To OP: I recently treated a girl for doughy crop. I really wasn’t sure if it was impacted, sour, slow, or doughy. I finally agreed with @TwoCrows that it was a doughy, based on how the hard mass felt. The crop would get squishy late in the day when she filled up with fluid, but then drain overnight leaving a bit of a mass. The mass itself was kind of hard, but actually a bit pliable. I have been treating aggressively for yeast infection, and she’s made amazing progress.

Anyway, my opinion is that you are dealing with a yeast infection. As @Texas Kiki pointed out, it may be caused by something else, but I would still treat it. Just my 2¢.

Edited for typos.

 

[andreanar]

When I dealt with sour crop, it was undeniable....the putrid smell coming from my hens mouth..eek. And when I picked her up, fluid would run out of her beak.

 

[Aerliss]

I searched for Poultry grade Acidified Copper Sulfate and I couldn't find any results for UK delivery (I live in the UK) but I came across this, please let me know if this is suitable:
https://www.viovet.co.uk/Battles-Co...R3j5JeG8VFxgfWh-dT0Ldzi1P6XjaTI4aAqHAEALw_wcB

Thanks

Hi, I know this is from a couple of weeks ago. I hope your girls are doing well now. Just wanted to add for anyone else looking up copper sulphate/sulfate, or for your own future references; Battles copper sulphate is pure copper sulphate, with a little water (CuSO45H2O). It's the stuff you're looking for. You can also find smaller amounts for sale on Amazon, but the purity of these is questioned by some of the reviews. To treat sour crop with it you only need 1g per 2ltr of water. Teeny, tiny amounts. This is really important, so make sure you have good scales. Your other 449g won't go to waste, as it can be used as a disinfectant at higher concentrations.

As far as I can tell "acidified copper sulphate" is an American thing as I don't think we're supposed to use it (water source pollution issues). Citric acid is added at a rate of about 15% of the final mix to the copper sulphate. It's not really "acidified", as copper sulphate is pretty acidic already. It's a chemical reaction between the two that makes the copper sulphate more soluble (hence the water source pollution issues... but that's all just me guessing). It's similar to our human "chelated" copper supplements, just at different concentrations.

All the stuff I've read on treating candida infections (my girl has on going vent gleet, rather than sour crop) says to use plain old copper sulphate. So go with the Battles stuff.