Help! Slow crop/sour crop or something else?!

[BigBlueHen53]

Hi thanks for your message. I will double check when I go out but i think it’s a mixture of oyster shell and grit. I got it from an animal shop, they recommended for hens and ducks. Should it be both or just oyster shell? They have access to semi-free range (a large enclosure) and I assumed they’d pick up bits of grit/small stones/insects along the way too. Interestingly, I changed some of their feed recently as the usual supplier didn’t have any available. I’m wondering if that’s added towards this issue. Although I do definitely need to worm them as well. I’ve purchased Flubenvet and it’s delivery is imminent!

Thanks, @Lola1609 . I don't know what your soil is like, and many people just let their chickens get whatever grit they need from the earth. But I do provide oyster shell in one container and chicken grit in another, just to be on the safe side and guarantee they get everything they need. Roosters and non-laying chickens do not need the extra calcium that layers do, so I feed an all-flock formula that does not contain calcium. If you mix the grit and oyster shell, it seems to me your non-layers, if you have any, are likely to get more calcium than they need. I don't know if this might be contributing to this hen's problem, but grit might help her and IMO is worth a try. Good luck with her, you have excellent people advising you here!

 

[Lola1609]

If you mix the grit and oyster shell, it seems to me your non-layers, if you have any, are likely to get more calcium than they need.

Luckily all my girls are laying, and I only have a small rescued flock of 2 ducks and 1 hen. They’re gorgeous and so loving, I hate that there’s anything wrong with them. The advice I’m receiving here is really amazing and I’m very grateful. Thanks for taking the time to jump on the thread. I’m a novice and just trying to keep my girls happy so any advice is welcome!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Lola, I may have missed it - where do you live (US or another country)?

 

[Lola1609]

Lola, I may have missed it - where do you live (US or another country)?

I live in England

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I live in England

I thought so! For some reason that's what I was thinking, sometimes you can tell by the words people use.
https://poultrykeeper.com/general-chickens/types-of-poultry-grit/

 

[Lola1609]

I thought so! For some reason that's what I was thinking, sometimes you can tell by the words people use.
https://poultrykeeper.com/general-chickens/types-of-poultry-grit/

Yes that’s true! We seem to add more pointless letters into words ... and I said shop earlier which I thought American users might think store

thanks for all the top tips. She’s off her food this evening but the crop feels normal. Will see how things are in the morning... fingers crossed!

 

[Lola1609]

Good morning to everyone from where I am!

Still a full crop this morning despite no food overnight. When we picked her up this morning to dose her with Nystatin, some liquid poured out without any massage or much pressure from us.
On a good note, we’ve perfected getting the medicine down her, thanks @Wyorp Rock for the advice on that!

Just another query- the Flubenvet wormer has arrived and reading the instructions I’m to mix 6g with every 2kg of food. Is this enough for all 3 girls? Even more worrisome is that Henny is totally off food right now so how can I worm her if she’s got sour crop?

Thanks in advance for any help or advice!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you get a photo of the package instructions?

I've never use Flubenvet, that seems to be what's used in the UK. @casportpony may be more familiar with it.
I would follow the package directions and mix as you go. I do know you need to feed for 7 days. It's based on the birds eating their normal rate of food (I think) so...

I'm not sure what you do if they are not eating though! Do you have a vet that can give you any oral dosing of worm medications just for her? Something like Fenbendazole, Levamisole or Valbazen?

 

[casportpony]

I haven't used it either.

Question for @Lola1609, how much nystatin are you giving? The bird dose is 300,000 IU per kilogram of bodyweight 3 times a day, and I think most nystatin liquids are 100,000 IU per one ml.

here is the math for a 5 pound bird dose:
5 / 2.2 x 300,000 / 100,000 = 6.81 ml 3 times a day.

 

[Lola1609]

I haven't used it either.

Question for @Lola1609, how much nystatin are you giving? The bird dose is 300,000 IU per kilogram of bodyweight 3 times a day, and I think most nystatin liquids are 100,000 IU per one ml.

here is the math for a 5 pound bird dose:
5 / 2.2 x 300,000 / 100,000 = 6.81 ml 3 times a day.

Hi @casportpony thanks for that info! I found the dosage on another thread for the nystatin and when I weighed my hen she is only tiny at 1lb (this in itself worried me, I’ve no idea how much a hen should weigh, although she has always been small since I got her.)

So your maths (by her weight) would be to give her approx 1.23ml 3 x a day. That’s right isn’t it? We’ve been giving her 1.5ml 2x a day. Do I need to up a dose? Thanks and sorry I sound so useless!