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

[azygous]

It's good progress if the crop is going down. Keep up the oil and massage as often as is possible today. Your goal is to empty out all that grass without resorting to surgery. You may give another stool softener later, as well.

But, sure, try the bra. It may help in emptying the crop. Can't hurt.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

It's good progress if the crop is going down. Keep up the oil and massage as often as is possible today. Your goal is to empty out all that grass without resorting to surgery. You may give another stool softener later, as well.

But, sure, try the bra. It may help in emptying the crop. Can't hurt.

Ok. Thanks so much for your advice.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

Conclusion of yesterday:
Yesterday afternoon we tried the crop bra, but she hated it when we put it on. We thought she might get used to it, but she tried to scratch it off and her foot got caught. She freaked out and fell, so we quickly got it off her.
Her crop seemed to get more pendulous/dangly as the day went on. It seems to have stretched. She was not appetized much, just anxious to get to bed with her sisters. We let her out and she went to bed early after eating some boiled eggs and olive oil. I massaged as much as possible throughout the day, and she ate quite a lot of coconut oil. She also got one stool softener pill in the morning and one in the afternoon, as well as her doses of miconazole.

Today she still had a full crop when we let her out, so she went back in the cage. She was massaged several times this morning and fed lots of coconut oil, and also a stool softener. The grasses in there just really need to be broken up so they can pass. She was hungry and ate some boiled egg and yogurt. I will continue to massage her.
Her poops are still tiny and full of grass. She is no longer throwing up though.

@azygous @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock, is there anything else I need to do? Thanks for all your help and advice.

 

[azygous]

When an impacted crop stretches on too long, the chicken loses weight, becomes weak and is in danger of starving. At some point, if the crop doesn't show signs of emptying, you may need to consider crop surgery. I can walk you through it step by step.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

At some point, if the crop doesn't show signs of emptying, you may need to consider crop surgery

What "point" is that usually?

 

[azygous]

When you feel her keel bone become sharper and observe that she is stumbling around due to weakness. That would be my signal to open the crop and scoop out the grass.

Crop surgery is really very basic. An incision on the outer skin to expose the crop sac, then another incision slightly offset to the first. Then insert a finger to scoop the grass out. I'll supply a step by step. You will need a helper and some super glue.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

Crop surgery is really very basic. An incision on the outer skin to expose the crop sac, then another incision slightly offset to the first. Then insert a finger to scoop the grass out. I'll supply a step by step. You will need a helper and some super glue.

Yikes. I don't know how well I could do that (I'm only 15!) but I could try. She's definitely not at starving point yet, though. She was a bit chubby to begin with as well.

 

[azygous]

As long as you're willing to do it if needed, you're halfway there. You'll be as focused and proficient as any adult.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

I just read that feeding papaya is good for impacted crop. Do you think I should?

 

[The Welch Chickens]

@azygous