Hen lethargic possible impacted crop

[fenrir12]

Hi there my 1 yearold barnevelder has been acting lethargic the last 2 days today she had a very hard crop in the morning. I gave her coconut oil and massaged her crop it has softend, she is closing one eye and is quite slow she is eating and drinking i put acv in her water she is pooping any ideas?

 

[nuthatched]

Grain cheese and grass also whatever she finds outside i live in australia

Any formulated chicken feed? The diet is likely the source of the issues.
Is the poop green? Watery?
Massages are good.

 

[fenrir12]

Shes acting lethargic apart from that fine crop is full but soft no sour smell have dusted her will update tmrw

 

[Wyorp Rock]

yesterday night her crop was full but not too full and kinda squishy but this morning it was full and hard, Her poo is very watery and not full of foody clumps sometimes bits of grass and whole grains come out

Do you provide grit (crushed granite) for your birds or do they have access to soil that contains small sharp stones/rocks?

I would feed a wet mash of food instead of grains. Sounds like a possible partial blockage if she's expelling bits of grass and whole grains.

 

[fenrir12]

Do you provide grit (crushed granite) for your birds or do they have access to soil that contains small sharp stones/rocks?

I would feed a wet mash of food instead of grains. Sounds like a possible partial blockage if she's expelling bits of grass and whole grains.

managed to almost massage the crop empty the poo is only small bits of grain, so ill see tomorrow if its full in the morning

 

[Lillith37]

We wiill but some ivermectin and deworm them soon, i have medium shell grit tho they are scared of it lol. yep we washed the coop with water and dusted everyone dusting in 3 days again

Ivermectin may paralyse some gut worms but generally products containing levimasole or flubenzadole are more appropriate for worming.

 

[fenrir12]

she's gone. 4th bird we have lost in the last year for no reason

 

[Lillith37]

she's gone. 4th bird we have lost in the last year for no reason

I’m sorry about your hen

There will be a reason. As Wyorp said in an earlier reply, slow crop is a usually sign that something else is going on. Your hen could have had reproductive illness, or cancer. Sometimes we don’t know.

Where abouts in Aus are you?

 

[Lillith37]

Can you take or send the body to a vet lab or agriculture of ministry for testing/necropsy?
I'm not sure what you call the services in AU, hopefully @Lillith37 might know.

I’m not certain about other states/territories but in Victoria there is no state or centralised service for necropsies of domestic poultry. It may be different for commercial farmers, and there are universities who take wildlife specimens. If a backyard chicken keeper wants a necropsy it is done by a private veterinary practice and you have to pay for the service. Further, regular veterinary practices may not do necropsies on chickens — one may need to find an avian/exotic specialist.

 

[nuthatched]

What's her diet?