Hen ate a snake and now has impacted crop

[Crazy for eggs]

My hen ate a snake about 3 days ago and yesterday I noticed she had a huge impacted crop. I tried massaging it and could feel a lot of food in there. Its very hard and about the size of a softball. I separated her last night and cut her off from food for the whole day. It is evening time now and it is still the same size. The snake was about a foot long and she swallowed it whole by the way. I will try vegetable oil next as I've seen suggested and more massaging tonight but I'm new to chickens (6 months) and raised her from a chick.

 

[Blue Raptor]

My hen ate a snake about 3 days ago and yesterday I noticed she had a huge impacted crop. I tried massaging it and could feel a lot of food in there. Its very hard and about the size of a softball. I separated her last night and cut her off from food for the whole day. It is evening time now and it is still the same size. The snake was about a foot long and she swallowed it whole by the way. I will try vegetable oil next as I've seen suggested and more massaging tonight but I'm new to chickens (6 months) and raised her from a chick.

Wow, impressive. I’d take some layer pellets and mix them in water to make a mash, adding some olive or vegetable oil to it might help. Massaging helps too. If none of these work, and she seems to be declining, then you might try surgery. After that, if they still don’t work, there’s nothing that you can do, but hopefully the first option works.

 

[Crazy for eggs]

Thank you. Will try

 

[Crazy for eggs]

Ended up having to do surgery and remove everything from the crop. There was tons of stones some metal and a good amount of glass in there. She is doing great now!

 

[Crazy60spetlover]

Ended up having to do surgery and remove everything from the crop. There was tons of stones some metal and a good amount of glass in there. She is doing great now!

How is your poor girl doing ? I am new to chickens and had no idea they would eat anything just as goats will.

 

[EggWalrus]

Did you do the surgery yourself?

 

[Crazy for eggs]

How is your poor girl doing ? I am new to chickens and had no idea they would eat anything just as goats will.

She’s doing great! Went back to laying just a few days after surgery. I check her every night because her crop is still stretched out towards the end of the day but in the morning it’s empty again. I’ve been thinking of using a crop bra to help support it.

 

[Crazy for eggs]

Did you do the surgery yourself?

Yes

 

[EggWalrus]

Yes

It's not that hard after a few. I've had to sew up dogs cattle chickens and others after scraps with other animals. Main thing with crops is to make sure it's not gonna leak into the abdominal cavity, then stich the skin back. Even if you leave a "weep" hole, skin will gradulate back together.
Ps. I'm no vet. But I stayed at a holiday inn once.