Help! My hen has stopped drinking any water and has barely eaten for 3 weeks.

[amyduck]

Also, I wouldn't try the surgery or molasses, if it doesn't seem to work, sometimes the more watery crops take longer. I think I let them soak overnight, and they were smaller the next morning, with soapy droppings, and got smaller through the day, though they kept drinking. Magnesium is hard to dose properly with a full crop, and trying to flush a liquid crop might cause aspiration.

I assume she has grit, in case she is working on some fibrous plant. Sometimes fungal infections will cause them to lose grit. I don't know if it would help to try feeding her a few pieces. I expect she would eat them if she needed to.

I hadn't heard about the magnesium... but I'm glad you mention grit, because I've wondered about it as well. Although she does seem to pick up grit outside, I haven't seen her eat what we put out lately, but it's a little larger. At any rate, just this afternoon I put out two piles of sand on the deck in the hopes that she'd have some... and I will force feed a few pieces of grit tonight.

 

[amyduck]

I thought it was intestinal lining when I first looked at it, but I'm not sure. It might help to post another topic asking what it is for more opinions, or tag some poop inspectors...

Yeah, I wondered about intestinal lining as well, but it didn't seem quite right for that...good idea to post. Thanks.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

By any chance does her crop hang down, like she could have pendulous crop? Do you have some scales that you can start keeping track of her weight or any weight loss? It's best to weigh them at the same time everyday, first thing in the morning before they eat or drink.

 

[amyduck]

By any chance does her crop hang down, like she could have pendulous crop? Do you have some scales that you can start keeping track of her weight or any weight loss? It's best to weigh them at the same time everyday, first thing in the morning before they eat or drink.

Her crop is big, but I don't *think* it's at the level where it needs a bra.... I've weighed her before, but don't remember where i have that info! However, I did weigh her today and she came up just short of 4.5 lbs... but then her crop was totally full! If it happens to empty tonight, or even if it doesn't I'll weigh her in the morning.

 

[amyduck]

tag some poop inspectors...

do you happen to know who they are?

 

[BugStalker]

I accidentally clicked on https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...crop-pendulous-crop-underlying-issue.1525592/ which mentions a motility drug. I don't know about it, but maybe could ask a vet...

 

[BugStalker]

do you happen to know who they are?

I guess I would look up people who have responded to other inquiries, um, I'll look really quick...

 

[amyduck]

I guess I would look up people who have responded to other inquiries, um, I'll look really quick...

I already got one answer and they say it is a worm... that could have been dead for a while... but I guess it wouldn't hurt to tag some others just to make sure....

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Looks like intestinal shedding.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

The only worm I know of shaped like that is a round worm and it's not a round worm, even if it's been out of the body for a while. I'm in the middle of treating for round worms here

Edited to add: I know that my birds probably eat some of the worms that are pooped out but it drives me crazy and turns my stomach a bit. I try to get as many as I can before the birds grab them up so I've had some to shrivel and dry up and some in a Ziploc bag. In the various states, they don't look like that.