Hen with crooked/bulging neck

[JKGooch]

My molting hen developed a strange bulge on the right side of her neck. When I feel it, it just feels like bone to me like she suffered some kind of twisted neck injury. We have hee in quarantine. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas of what this is and how to help her. Otherwise she seems okay. She was molting for several weeks before this began. Any insight really would be great.

 

[azygous]

It appears to be an impacted or obstructed crop. You can treat it with oil. I recommend coconut oil since it's easier to get into a chicken in its solid form than liquid oil and less chance of it getting down the airway.

Try to get about two teaspoons down her. Massage the crop gently for a few minutes, trying to distribute the oil.

Wait and repeat in an hour.

If the mass still doesn't break up after a few hours, administer a stool softener with docusate sodium at 100 mg. Do not use a stool softener with a stimulant in it.

Do you know what this hen has been eating? Grass? Coarse, stringy veggies? Sometimes chickens get into string or other hard to digest stuff.

 

[JKGooch]

She mostly eats layer feed. (Highland naturals) and she has access to the grower feed too (purina organic). I keep them cooped and in the run most of the time. Treats are usually corn cobs or melon rinds, etc. Although she does occasionally eat grass, bugs, etc. I am pretty sure she has even caught a toad or two.

 

[JKGooch]

Thank you so much! I gave her 5mL of olive oil with a syringe and a nice massage and she is already starting to look a bit better. She wasn't happy with the olive oil, but what can you do.

 

[azygous]

Maybe she swallowed a toad that filled her whole crop. I swear. Chickens. It's always something.