Help please~

[R3M1X]

I have a 24 week old Speckled Sussex pullet, whom I noticed a couple days ago getting really lethargic, and I couldnt find out what could have been causing her to act like that. Last night, I noticed her crop felt like a small squishy balloon. I looked up stuff on the internet and it said that it could be sour cropland I could help gently massage it to make her regurgitate the build up and yeasts. The only problem is that she doesnt smell sour. I did see if she still needed to regurgitate anything but nothing happened. I set her down to rest so she wouldnt get stressed out. Then suddenly, I noticed that she was straining to poop and made a wheezing type of noise, so I picked her up again and examined her butt. She had diarrhea type poop on her feathers that I had washed off, but when I lifted her tail her butt didn't move and pucker like my healthy chickens'. I cannot tell if it's the skin itself that have black spots on it or if it is poop reallly stuck to the outer rim/opening of her butt. Since this area is sensitive I didnt want to mess with it more than I had to. I tried looking inside as best as I could but either it doesnt stretch open or I wasn't doing it right. Like i said i didnt want to hurt her any further so I was just lifting her tail and gently pressed on the bottom area below her butt. What i could see looked a little red, but mostly like there was poop or something in it. I cannot really tell though.
She is very slightly smaller than her two same breed and aged sisters and her comb is small and pink compared to her sisters' slightly larger and red combs. She is the only one not laying of the three and the pointy bones are reallllly close together, like a finger or finger and a half apart. Which I am no expert but seems unusually close, but I could be wrong and it may be normal for her breed before they start laying.
I had something similar happen to a chick a few weeks to a month ago and she ended up dying. This is not exactly like her condition, but I thought as a preventive measure to give her the same care regimen I was given for my previous chick. Other than that I am new to illnesses involving chickens and need advice on what to do.

 

[azygous]

Read this article on crop disorders. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/ Your hen could have sour crop caused by another underlying condition.

I would wash her butt by backing her up to a basin of warm water. Use baby shampoo and rinse well. Pat dry, don't rub the feathers. This will not hurt her. It will help you see better what could be going on.

You can start by treating the yeast infection. Do not try to make her vomit or try to massage the crop. It's too risky that fluid from the crop could back up into the airway, choking her.

If she doesn't start feeling better after two days of yeast treatment, then she could have a reproductive issue.

 

[cass85]

I have a 24 week old Speckled Sussex pullet, whom I noticed a couple days ago getting really lethargic, and I couldnt find out what could have been causing her to act like that. Last night, I noticed her crop felt like a small squishy balloon. I looked up stuff on the internet and it said that it could be sour cropland I could help gently massage it to make her regurgitate the build up and yeasts. The only problem is that she doesnt smell sour. I did see if she still needed to regurgitate anything but nothing happened. I set her down to rest so she wouldnt get stressed out. Then suddenly, I noticed that she was straining to poop and made a wheezing type of noise, so I picked her up again and examined her butt. She had diarrhea type poop on her feathers that I had washed off, but when I lifted her tail her butt didn't move and pucker like my healthy chickens'. I cannot tell if it's the skin itself that have black spots on it or if it is poop reallly stuck to the outer rim/opening of her butt. Since this area is sensitive I didnt want to mess with it more than I had to. I tried looking inside as best as I could but either it doesnt stretch open or I wasn't doing it right. Like i said i didnt want to hurt her any further so I was just lifting her tail and gently pressed on the bottom area below her butt. What i could see looked a little red, but mostly like there was poop or something in it. I cannot really tell though.
She is very slightly smaller than her two same breed and aged sisters and her comb is small and pink compared to her sisters' slightly larger and red combs. She is the only one not laying of the three and the pointy bones are reallllly close together, like a finger or finger and a half apart. Which I am no expert but seems unusually close, but I could be wrong and it may be normal for her breed before they start laying.
I had something similar happen to a chick a few weeks to a month ago and she ended up dying. This is not exactly like her condition, but I thought as a preventive measure to give her the same care regimen I was given for my previous chick. Other than that I am new to illnesses involving chickens and need advice on what to do.

I too suggested that you wash her butt, it could be life threatening if left unclean.

 

[R3M1X]

I wonder if it could be Pendulous Crop? It feels squishy but like I said her mouth doesn't smell sour like it describes Sour Crop to be. But there is definitely something else because she does seem pained or struggles to poop and wheezes when she tries, but nothing seems to happen.

 

[azygous]

Sour crop proceeds from pendulous crop, if that condition exists. You will be able to determine if pendulous crop is an issue with your hen if, after a course of sour crop treatment, the crop still refuses to empty overnight. Then a crop bra can be employed to help raise and support the crop during the night so it can empty.

If you believe your hen is straining to poop, it's possible she has an impacted gizzard. You can give her some oil to see if that could relieve the blockage.

Sour crop doesn't always have a sour smell in it's early stages. If this hen has an impaction any where in her digestive track, the crop will ferment and nothing will empty, causing a very sour and putrid odor.

 

[R3M1X]

This is what her butt looks like after I tried washing it. I cant get the poop off the rim of her butt at all. Should I put vaseline on it to help soften the skin or something?

 

[azygous]

Have you tried giving her a teaspoon of oil yet? I chill a teaspoon of coconut oil to make it solid and pop it into the beak. Simple, quick and easy.

 

[R3M1X]

Have you tried giving her a teaspoon of oil yet? I chill a teaspoon of coconut oil to make it solid and pop it into the beak. Simple, quick and easy.

I have. She doesnt like me opening her beak and is a little stubborn about it. How often should I give her the oil?

 

[azygous]

All chickens hate having their beaks forced open. We don't like anyone forcing our beaks open either.

I'd give the oil a chance to work. If there is a blockage, you should see a change in amount and consistency of poop by later today.

 

[R3M1X]

Update: Vier seems to be doing a little better she is walking around more and pecking rather than sleeping. She actually tried to run away from me when I went to pick her up today, which to me is a good sign she is alert and has energy. I do not see any poop stuck to her feathers today either.