Thank you DobieLover. His crop is not emptying. It does get smaller, but it never completely empties. His poop is very runny. The only foul smells I can smell are from his poop. He is still eating and drinking, but since his crop isn't emptying properly he's not getting many nutrients. He also regurgitates some of what he's eaten. He's a little on the thin side as a result. I'm focusing on keeping him hydrated. He walks slowly with his head tucked in. I've taken him to a vet and we're both pretty sure it is sour crop. Though the vet thinks there may be an underlying problem causing the sour crop. He's being taken care of as best we can afford. I've tried massaging his crop to no effect. His ladies exhibit no sympotms other than missing his presence. I feed them grower feed and they occasionally get chopped up watermelon. I'm worried about him and also what this is doing to my girls. Will they be okay without him? I've never had this problem with any of my chickens before.
Has he been free ranging? Do you have grit available?
I had a pullet about the age your cockerel is that had a slow crop and I got it to clear using the treatment below.
I would put him in a crate inside the coop with water but no food and start treating him to clear the crop.
You can get 100 mg softgels of stimulant free stool softener, Docusate, from
Walmart. Also get a jar or two of veggie based baby food and a 3-5 cc syringe with no needle.
Snip the end off one softgel and squeeze the contents into a small container then add about 1 tsp of baby food and mix it up. Draw the baby food up into the syringe. Carefully give him the Docusate in the baby food by squirting no more than 1/4 to 1/2 cc into his beak avoiding the choanal slit and letting him swallow. Repeat until he's taken it all. In order to ensure he is getting enough liquids and all the meds, I would then add about 10 cc's water to the container and maybe 1/4 cc poultry nutri-drench and mix that up and slowly give him that, again, a little at a time until he gets all 10 cc's of water. Then give him a crop massage to help loosen up the contents and put him back in the crate.
Every 60-90 minutes you will want to give him more fluids and crop massages. For these treatments I would dilute about 1 tsp of baby food with enough water to make 10 or 15 cc's and give him that followed by a crop massage. Continue throughout the day until roost time. At roost time, he should have another dose of 100 mg of Docusate and fluids followed by a crop massage.
Hopefully by morning, the crop will be much smaller. Repeat the same treatment all day tomorrow. Do not give him any food other than the baby food and a little PND to keep up some nutrition. If his crop is empty after two days of treatment, offer him a very wet mash made from his food.
What are you feeding him?
Hopefully the crop is just partially impacted and hasn't gone completely sour.
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