Help! Impacted crop in some of my flock members. Rock hard crops. What to do?

[Laura_BelgianBantams_63]

Hello. I recently noticed that some of my flock members had impacted crop (really hard crops). What should I do? Any advice appreciated greatly.

 

[Aapomp831]

A hard crop doesn’t necessarily mean sour crop. The crop first needs to be impacted for a period of time, causing the food to pile up and ferment - aka sour crop.
Withhold food and water overnight (they don’t eat or drink overnight anyway) and check their crops first thing in the morning before they’ve eaten or drank. If their crops are still full and squishy, you have an impacted crop issue. If they are flat and empty, then there is no problem.
To be sure they have sour crop, you will detect a horrific odor from their mouths. But like I said - impacted crop comes first and turns sour when not treated.
No matter what you read, do NOT turn the chicken upside down and try and vomit it. You can easily cause it to aspirate.

 

[Peoples]

Hello. I recently noticed that some of my flock members had sour crop (really hard crops). What should I do? Any advice appreciated greatly.

Agreed with Aapomp831. Sour crop will display stink and liquid coming from mouth. Hard crop doesn't necessarily mean impacted. When they eat that is where food is broken down. So check em first thing in morning.

 

[Laura_BelgianBantams_63]

Ok. I will see if they are hard still in the morning. I will also check their breath. Thanks everyone.

 

[1720BlueBell]

When our birds have had impacted crops that don't empty by morning, we've had success by squirting a dropperful of olive oil into their mouths, then gently massaging the crop for 10 or 15 minutes. I try to work the crop contents up away from the wishbone area. It could be that whatever might be lodged at the exit point of the crop then gets rearranged allowing the normal emptying process to begin.
I've read that a long blade of grass, a wad of feathers, some other object could be responsible for the plug. I've never determined what exactly was the offending object.
Most often this has worked. A few times the whole digestive system had shut down. Understandably, that's not a good thing.
Good luck. Please let us know what happens.

 

[Shezadandy]

Here's my favorite resource on all things crop related. Hopefully you find them all flat and empty tomorrow morning. A good thing to learn about and a great guide for simple cost effective items to have on hand to help if there is a problem.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...d-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments.67194/

 

[Aapomp831]

When our birds have had impacted crops that don't empty by morning, we've had success by squirting a dropperful of olive oil into their mouths, then gently massaging the crop for 10 or 15 minutes. I try to work the crop contents up away from the wishbone area. It could be that whatever might be lodged at the exit point of the crop then gets rearranged allowing the normal emptying process to begin.
I've read that a long blade of grass, a wad of feathers, some other object could be responsible for the plug. I've never determined what exactly was the offending object.
Most often this has worked. A few times the whole digestive system had shut down. Understandably, that's not a good thing.
Good luck. Please let us know what happens.

While I agree with this treatment, just be aware that you should not massage the crop if it has soured. Only at the impacted stage does this work.