Hen has Sour Crop Help me understand how to treat

[TerriL]

I have read almost all the post on Sour Crop. I am trying to help a hen who in the last 3 weeks has gotten extremely thin. Reading the Sour Crop post helped me figure out that that was the problem. What I do not understand is I see several post that say to take a syringe full of water and baking soda or epson salts or vinigar and flush the crop. So I am squiting this syringe full of water and whatever down her throat how do I keep from drowning her. She coughs and weezes like I am drowning her.

She is so thin I dont know how long she can wait for some nutrition. I am working with an illness that I have never dealt with before so any help would be great. I need to get something in her that will help her hold on while I try and save her.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Terri

 

[PunkinPeep]

I have never done this, so i will just share with you my understanding.

First, i think that flushing the crop is almost the last resort option. But if you do it, you need to make sure your tube goes all the way down to the crop so that the water doesn't get diverted to her lungs.

You can start by putting ACV in her water and feeding her boiled egg yolks and plain yogurt to help her absorb nutrition.

I know you said that you've read a lot about sour crop, but i'm going to include a few links to lengthy threads about this, in case they'll be helpful to you.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=224315&p=2
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=3097930#p3097930
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=378303&p=1

 

[TerriL]

I appreciate your comments and links I will read them right away. The more I read and the more I did gave me the feeling that my understanding was wrong. She is so weak and so thin I know I need to get some nutrition in her soon. I did not want to kill her trying to help and the more I read the more confused I got. I will read and try and get some kind of food like the egg down her. Thanks Terri

 

[oesdog]

When my hen got it we just gave her some Veg oil from an eye dropper into her and massarged the crop. It did take time and we did it at least 4/5 times a day.
for about 10days - she recovered and ewent on to lay many eggs but we lost her in a freak accident later in the year. You can put a wee drop of honey into the dropper with warm water as well this is a natural anti biotic and also helps to lossen what is in the crop. Be gentle with her. As long as you get water in her she should be fine do try yogurt and egg though as that is good but keep on with the oil and massage!

Oesdog

 

[speckledhen]

First thing is to withdraw all food for at least 24 hours plus do the massage with oil. Don't push upward, though, or she may aspirate and choke. Just water with unfiltered apple cider vinegar in it. Then, the second or third day, add plain yogurt, then soft eggs, etc. Keep massaging till it doesnt feel gassy anymore.

 

[TerriL]

She has not eaten anything or drank anything for 48 hrs except the water with vinigar in it that I forced down her. Her crop is squishy but not too bad just smells. She is so weak that I need to get something in her as far as nutrition goes. I have a boiled egg yoke that I am going to try and get down her (she wont eat herself) I am not sure if maybe I should mix some water or pedialyte with it and make it easier for her to swallow. What do you all think! I dont think she will make it another 48hrs without something to eat, she is weezing a little today. Thanks for any help Terri

 

[speckledhen]

Maybe if you liquify the egg yolk with plain active culture yogurt and a splash of ACV, you could get it into a syringe and down her. Keep massaging her. Also, I was told that copper sulfate will help with the fungal aspect of this. Comes in powder form, but can't recall the dosage.

 

[TerriL]

Hi, can you tell me if I can use a vinilla yogurt for her. I cannot get plain and the store said it would be next week before they had anymore, I just dont want her to go that long without something substantial to eat. I think I chocked her trying to get the egg yoke down her. She is just not doing well at all. Thanks Terri

 

[speckledhen]

There is sugar in flavored yogurt, something you want to avoid with sour crop.

 

[Olive Hill]

Have you tried draining her? I know there are complications that make it a dangerous route to try, and so most people don't like to, but if the crop is soft/squishy there's fluid in it which means you could drain it to alleviate the pressure and help her feel better. If she's as bad as you say, what do you have to lose? If you don't drain it, she probably dies. If you do drain it, she might die, but she might not. In such a case I'd take the chance of draining it. I had a turkey on the verge of dying with sour crop, drained her twice gave her a garlic mash and she pulled out of it, was a bit wheezy for a while -- I think she inhaled a bit of the fluid as I drained her -- but she's still with us today.