Hen with impacted/pendulus crop… how do I treat?

[Rvachickies]

I’ve read several older posts but I’m still not clear on what I should do. My sweet Fudge is a 9 month old Easter Egger. I noticed about a week ago from my window that she was bobbing her head around in a weird manner, but I didn’t think much of it. I thought maybe she was just doing her egg song. I noticed her doing it again 2 days ago, I checked her crop and it was very large and firm, and she seemed a bit lethargic.

I decided to restrict her access to feed for the rest of the day, and I checked her in the morning and her crop hasn’t emptied. I’ve been offering her some plain Greek yogurt and giving her bits of coconut oil accompanied with massages to help break up what’s in there. It seemed to help a little bit earlier this morning, her crop seemed to soften and shrink a bit. I did notice while massaging, she made some gurgling noises and I smelled something foul, but I’m not sure if the smell was just a nearby poo.

She has always been an enthusiastic eater, and she wants to eat. Do I need to restrict her access to food while I figure out what’s going on? Any tips on what I should do? If I do an anti fungal like Monistat, should I restrict food? Thanks for any help. I’m very worried about her.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I’ve read several older posts but I’m still not clear on what I should do. My sweet Fudge is a 9 month old Easter Egger. I noticed about a week ago from my window that she was bobbing her head around in a weird manner, but I didn’t think much of it. I thought maybe she was just doing her egg song. I noticed her doing it again 2 days ago, I checked her crop and it was very large and firm, and she seemed a bit lethargic.

I decided to restrict her access to feed for the rest of the day, and I checked her in the morning and her crop hasn’t emptied. I’ve been offering her some plain Greek yogurt and giving her bits of coconut oil accompanied with massages to help break up what’s in there. It seemed to help a little bit earlier this morning, her crop seemed to soften and shrink a bit. I did notice while massaging, she made some gurgling noises and I smelled something foul, but I’m not sure if the smell was just a nearby poo.

She has always been an enthusiastic eater, and she wants to eat. Do I need to restrict her access to food while I figure out what’s going on? Any tips on what I should do? If I do an anti fungal like Monistat, should I restrict food? Thanks for any help. I’m very worried about her.

If her breath smells bad, treat as Sour Crop. The article below will help you through that.

When I treat crop issues, I leave my bird with the flock and they can eat and drink normally.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Rvachickies]

If her breath smells bad, treat as Sour Crop. The article below will help you through that.

When I treat crop issues, I leave my bird with the flock and they can eat and drink normally.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Understood, thank you. Her crop is very firm and about the size of a tennis ball. Would firmness indicate impaction? She is such an enthusiastic eater that I wouldn’t be surprised if she ate something she shouldn’t, or just ate too much grassy goodness as they’ve had a lot of time outside of the coop/run in the past week or 2.

 

[Frontyard Chicken Owner]

Understood, thank you. Her crop is very firm and about the size of a tennis ball. Would firmness indicate impaction? She is such an enthusiastic eater that I wouldn’t be surprised if she ate something she shouldn’t, or just ate too much grassy goodness as they’ve had a lot of time outside of the coop/run in the past week or 2.

I hope she gets better. Do your chickens have access to grit?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Understood, thank you. Her crop is very firm and about the size of a tennis ball. Would firmness indicate impaction? She is such an enthusiastic eater that I wouldn’t be surprised if she ate something she shouldn’t, or just ate too much grassy goodness as they’ve had a lot of time outside of the coop/run in the past week or 2.

The firmness could be due to impaction or fibrous material.

Think of it this way. The crop is slowed due to something - perhaps impaction, fibrous material, etc. This slowing of the process causes food and material to essentially ferment, turn sour, so then you end up with Sour Crop.

Treat the Symptoms.

You are feeling, seeing and smelling what sounds like both impaction and sour crop.
Coconut oil, massage. If needed give a one time dose of stool softener, see if you can get the material to start to break up. Also give an anti-fungal/yeast medication to address the yeast infection (Miconazole, Clotrimazole, or Nystatin).