Help please

[Jeanetteknott]

We’ve only had our chickens since July and one is sick. She was 16 weeks bought and so now approx 32 weeks, a Legbar and has looked amazingly healthy up til now. They’re fed good quality food and kept very clean.

We noticed yesterday she wasn’t responding to being called in, we free range for around 4 hours a day. Today she kept herself separate from the group. I went to check her and noticed the comb was dry and shrivelled and had white patches. When I picked her up water dripped from her beak. I put her away separately and went out to buy a hospital coop and when I came back picked her up and massaged her crop. A large amount of liquid was vomited up. It was smelling badly. A few hours later I massaged again but nothing came up. We’ve put her in her own coop with some apple cider vinegar in the water. Her crop feels less full. Would opinion suggest this is impacted or slow or sour crop. We free range in a field in the Uk. We wormed in August. Oyster grit always available. We do soak bread and break it up as treats plus carrot tops etc.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Sounds like sour crop for sure. Its a yeast infection in her crop. Treat with Monistat. Shouldnt be contagious but keep her seperate until she recovers as she will be weaker

 

[Wyorp Rock]

noticed the comb was dry and shrivelled and had white patches. When I picked her up water dripped from her beak.

picked her up and massaged her crop. A large amount of liquid was vomited up. It was smelling badly. A few hours later I massaged again but nothing came up.

Welcome To BYC
Sounds like she has sour crop which can be a result of impacted or slow crop or blockage.
Make sure she has water available. I would not give the bread since it can be gummy.
Start with giving her about 1tsp of coconut oil and massage the crop several times a day.
If it is soured, then she may need an anti-fungal. If you have a vet nystatin would be good, if not, then otc yeast creams can be used-read the link below and report back to us your findings.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/


Oyster shell is a soluble source of calcium, so it's not hard enough to act as grit. Your birds may find suitable grit while ranging, but it's always a good idea to make poultry grit (crushed granite) available free choice.

Keep in mind that crop issues can often be a symptom of an underlying cause - worms, coccidiosis, infection and reproductive problems, so getting a fecal test is a good idea if the crop problem does not clear up in several days.

Photos of your pullet and her poop are always welcome.

 

[Jeanetteknott]

Thank you hopefully she’s ok in the morning and we start treating her. I’ll post pics then.

 

[micstrachan]

You can also treat sour crop with acidified copper sulfate (poultry safe variety). 1/4 tsp per gallon of water for 7-10 days. I am currently treating a hen (who refused the copper sulfate water) for doughy crop with Clotrimazole (vaginal yeast infection cream) and sheseems to be responding well.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you hopefully she’s ok in the morning and we start treating her. I’ll post pics then.

How is she doing?

 

[Jeanetteknott]

No better really. I’ve spent all day in and out massaging her. Tried to but coconut oil near us but not available but got Dulcoease and gave her 2 x 100mg in yoghurt ..... didn’t get all the dose in. She’s drank loads of water with ACV in. Crop still feels swollen . Tried some mashed pellets with yoghurt but she didn’t touch it. Last try of the day was around 1mg of baby oral thrush gel syringed. By that time she’d had enough of me.

 

[micstrachan]

Poor girl. Is her crop mushy in the morning before she eats or drinks anything? I think you need to treat for sour crop by taking anti-yeast measures.

 

[Jeanetteknott]

Ok I’ll work on syringing the gel in today. She’s just stood by her water constantly sipping. I left some finely mashed pellets in olive oil last night but she’s not taken any. Would anyone recommend letting her out for a wander around as feel inactivity might not help. I’m thinking she must be egg bound by now as the Legbars have been laying most days or would that just stop as she’s unwell?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

No better really. I’ve spent all day in and out massaging her. Tried to but coconut oil near us but not available but got Dulcoease and gave her 2 x 100mg in yoghurt ..... didn’t get all the dose in. She’s drank loads of water with ACV in. Crop still feels swollen . Tried some mashed pellets with yoghurt but she didn’t touch it. Last try of the day was around 1mg of baby oral thrush gel syringed. By that time she’d had enough of me.

Ok I’ll work on syringing the gel in today. She’s just stood by her water constantly sipping. I left some finely mashed pellets in olive oil last night but she’s not taken any. Would anyone recommend letting her out for a wander around as feel inactivity might not help. I’m thinking she must be egg bound by now as the Legbars have been laying most days or would that just stop as she’s unwell?

Is she pooping? What does that look like?

If she is able to poop, then she is not "egg bound", she may have an egg in the works, but it's not far enough down to cause a blockage at this point.
Keep working on the crop - it takes time to get the crop to clear and moving. Sometimes days to a week or so.

Let us know how she's doing.