Hen acts healthy, but crop feels impacted

[Annabella]

Okay. The hen has lost a lot of weight, comb has fallen over to the side now pale in colour. She wants to eat - runs out with the others and appears interested in the food but doesnt eat any.

Nothing caught in her beak. Crop is very hard. I have tried oil and massage. Now it would appear that I am keeping her alive by giving her milk morning and night. She drinks a cupful at each sitting.

I am thinking I need to cull her, but because she is so full of life I want to give her a chance but it is cruel to allow her to starve to death too.

This has been going on for at least a fortnight. I am at a loss, any ideas.

 

[fiberart57]

There was a post on crop surgery somewhere not too long ago, but it seems drastic. Have you tried giving a weak apple cider vinegar mixture in between milk doses? Sometimes the acid in the crop will get things going.

Another way that I have read about, but not ever done, was someone tried to bring out the crop stuff through their chicken's mouth by filling her with warm water and oil and holding her upside down on their lap and trying to get her to regurgitate the stuff. Once again, it sounds drastic.

I personally will try almost anything for my girls but I have yet to have an impacted crop (Knock on wood, I hope I don't). Culling her is not a decision I would envy you for having to make.

Also, I don't think milk has the nutrition she needs. You can get electrolytes from the feed store or some poly-vi-sol vitamins in the baby food section of a grocery store, get the ones without iron and use those. Blenderizing and making a gruel out of cereal and/or scrambled eggs is another option.

You can do a search for impacted crop. Lots and lots has been written about it.

Good luck,
Mary

 

[CMV]

Since chickens are lactose intolerant you probably need to explore other options.

Sorry I can't offer anything more than this info, and my best wishes for you and your bird. I have never dealt directly with crop issues. Knock on wood. I hope it works out for all involved.

 

[Annabella]

Thanks guys for your replies.
I also started giving her raw egg.
She used to be the biggest of the girls and now is just skeleton and feather beside them. Sad to see.

I have delayed the cull because she is appears so full of life and wants to live.

The good news is this morning when I went out to them I saw her take up some pellets when I threw them on the ground.
She only took the occassional and walked around looking at the other girls pecking at the food.
When I put the container in front of her - she absolutely guts out on them.

I am wondering now whether she has a vision issue - can she see the food on the ground well enough to pin point it to peck up??

Its all a mystery but for now she survives.

Edited to add: RIP little Lotty.

I found her dead on the morning of 22/12. I wish I could have helped her more.