Hen shaking her crop and acting weird. (Updated with recovery!)

[The Welch Chickens]

My hen has been acting weird for about two weeks. It seems she had had crop problems on and off. I have been feeling her coconut oil every time, but today I’m worried something is seriously wrong.

She is sluggish and shakes her crop strangely.

I have been trying to feel her crop, but she is impossible to catch! I will continue to try and catch her.

Please help, this is the worst I have seen her act so far.
@azygous @nuthatched @sourland @Wyorp Rock

 

[The Welch Chickens]

Here is my previous thread concerning this hen’s behavior: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/foamy-poop-and-hen-acting-strange-please-help.1608505/

(Please note that the foamy poop was a different issue, and came from a different hen. The foamy poop problem has been resolved.)

 

[Eggcessive]

What do you feed her? Does she have access to granite poultry grit? Has the water inside the coop frozen? Since she has been getting coconut oil, do you also massage her crop in a downward motion? How does it feel now—full, hard, doughy, or soft and puffy?

 

[The Welch Chickens]

What do you feed her? Does she have access to granite poultry grit? Has the water inside the coop frozen? Since she has been getting coconut oil, do you also massage her crop. How does it feel now—full, hard, doughy, or soft and puffy?

They were eating layer feed, but were switched to meat bird feed this morning (for their molt). Yes, they have access to grit, both natural (outside) and in their run. The water in the coop is heated and doesn’t freeze.
I don’t massage her crop. She is extremely hard to catch. She even runs away when I bend down near her, just because she thinks I might pick her up. I have been trying to feel her crop all day, but to no avail. I will go try again, perhaps grab her (gently of course) when she is preening.

 

[Eggcessive]

A good hint would be to examine in the dark on the roost. I use a red light on a head lamp to walk in without disturbing everyone. You can then pick her up and examine her. Before daylight, you can do that to see if her crop is emptying by early morning. if the crop is firm or doughy, then massage the crop several times a day and keep checking it daily. You may want to place her in a crate with her own food and water inside the coop, where you can treat her. Or just get an idea how the crop feels first. If her crop is firm or doughy first thing in the morning, I would limit her diet to eating a watery mushy feed and a bit of plain yogurt and egg. Let us know what you find. Colace stool softeners can also be given to help break up an impacted or doughy crop.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

A good hint would be to examine in the dark on the roost. I use a red light on a head lamp to walk in without disturbing everyone. You can then pick her up and examine her. Before daylight, you can do that to see if her crop is emptying by early morning. if the crop is firm or doughy, then massage the crop several times a day and keep checking it daily. You may want to place her in a crate with her own food and water inside the coop, where you can treat her. Or just get an idea how the crop feels first. If her crop is firm or doughy first thing in the morning, I would limit her diet to eating a watery mushy feed and a bit of plain yogurt and egg. Let us know what you find. Colace stool softeners can also be given to help break up an impacted or doughy crop.

I just went in there and felt her crop. (Looking back at the timing of my other post…it took me 10 minutes to catch her!)
I felt it twice, once holding her on the ground (where I kneaded it slightly), and once with her picked up. Her crop was squishy both times, not hard and (I’m pretty sure) not doughy. Shouldn’t a doughy crop feel like bread dough? Hers was more squishy than that.

 

[azygous]

In your other thread, @Wyorp Rock suggested to you that a fecal float test would be a good idea. Have you followed up on that? Worms can clog the intestines, cause weird foamy poop, back up digestion, cause the crop not to empty. Gather a fresh sample and take it to your vet and ask for this fecal test for worms. It's $20 and the results are ready in less than an hour. It will let you know if you need to worm and what worms to treat for. That will dictate what worming med to buy.

Coconut oil will only treat impacted crop. A yeasty crop will need an anti-yeast med.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

Worms can clog the intestines, cause weird foamy poop, back up digestion, cause the crop not to empty.

The foamy poop was from a different hen, just in case you didn’t see that. Do you still recommend a fecal test, even if her feces look normal?

 

[Eggcessive]

Sometimes worms can cause crop problems. Yes, do not massage a puffy soft crop, just a firm or doughy crop, if it is not emptying. Recheck the crop again before she eats or drinks. Miconazole or Monistat cream may be given orally for a puffy crop that won’t empty. That will treat yeast or fungus.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

A yeasty crop will need an anti-yeast med.

I have Miconazole nitrate on hand, I bought it in case of a yeasty crop.