Help with sour crop

[Chicken12367]

Hi so one of my chickens has a very enlarged crop, its been about 3 days and it doesn't seem to be getting any smaller. When I first noticed that there was something wrong with her she was moving slowly and her crop compared to the rest of the flock was very large. I didn't think much of it and let her go up to roost for the night. When I went out in the morning to let the chickens out of their coop I noticed that her crop was still full, I immediately separated her from the flock and took her inside. After doing abit of reading online and on BYC I concluded that she has sour crop. When I feel her crop is enlarged but not firm, it feels like a water balloon. After reading some more I decided to remove all food from her and only give her water with garlic in it. After 24 hours she was hungry so I gave her some Greek yogurt in attempt to re-balance the bacteria in her crop. I also bought some Daktarin which contains miconazole which I've read can be effective for treating fungal infections in humans and sour crop in chickens. It helped a little, her poops weren't as watery and were more of a solid, her crop also shrunk a little, now day 3 and her crop is very big, I've been giving her some layers pellets mixed with water and Greek yogurt 2-3 times a day and a small dose of Daktarin in the morning and evenings. Shes still drinking and eating and is walking around happily in the kitchen. But her crop is very large it covers most of her chest and seems to be weighing her down. Is there anything else I can do to help her because I don't want to lose her. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance

 

[nchls school]

I got this online from, "The Happy Chicken Coop".

How Do You Treat It?
A point to remember here is that unlike humans chickens cannot vomit. Any fluid that you see coming from the beak is basically ‘overflow’.

If the sour crop is noticed early on it may be possible to massage the crop frequently through the day to encourage movement.

To do this effectively the hen will need to be isolated without food and water for the first 12 hours. Try gentle massage of the crop every couple of hours if feasible. This can help move the food along to the gut. Massage at this point should be from top to bottom.

After 12 hours she can have plain clear water to drink, but still no food. Hopefully this resting period will help the digestive system clear up.

If the crop appears to be flat and empty after this fasting period, you can start her on some scrambled eggs and/or plain yoghurt mixed with her pellets. Feed her frugally for the first day or two – 3-4 small meals will suffice. Give as much water as she will drink – no additives at this time.

If she is leaking fluid from her beak you will have to help her get the fluid out of the crop. This measure is not to be undertaken lightly – there is a very real possibility of the hen aspirating fluid into her lungs if this is done incorrectly.

You will be more comfortable sitting or kneeling to do this and wear old pants – just in case. Wrap her in a towel so you can hold and control her. This is better done with two people but it can be done by one person.

Leaning her over with her head towards the ground, massage her crop from bottom to top until she expels the fluid. Do not do this for long (15-20 seconds at most) and then bring her back to normal position.

You can repeat this 3 or 4 times before you put her back into the ‘hospital’. Repeat the sequence no more than 4 times a day. If no fluid comes out she probably doesn’t have any to get rid of, but if some does be prepared for a lot of foul smelling liquid to be evacuated.

This maneuver should really be used as a last resort and if you cannot afford a veterinarians visit.

If none of the above appears to be helping you need to take her to a veterinarian for assessment and, probably a course of Nystatin or other anti-fungal medication.

How to Prevent Sour Crop

As always, prevention is much better than cure, but hens are intensely curious creatures and can get themselves into trouble by sampling things they shouldn’t. Whilst you can’t guarantee prevention there are some things you can do:

• Clean, fresh water is a must have – you can add ACV to the water to help keep acidity levels stable in the gut.
• Herbal additives such as oregano, fennel seeds and parsley are all good digestive aids, as is garlic.
• Limit the intake of starchy foods such as pasta, pizza and bread.
• Mix some natural, sugar free yoghurt (with probiotic) in with their feed occasionally.
• Try to ensure they don’t eat long fibrous weeds and grasses.
• Ensure they have access to grit.
• Regular health checks – important for monitoring general health.