Hens Crop Not Empting at Night Please help

[pwand]

I've been working with her on this for about 5 days or so. It started with her moving her neck in strange ways. I had put hay in as bedding and since then replaced it, thinking she blocked from that. im wondering if she has over done it with oyster shells. i dont feel any hay in her crop, just grit feeling. She is a new hen that we got as lay hens. Her crop is soft and feels like its full of grit or broken up oyster shells. She was eating it seemed a lot of oyster shells. She's had bad diareha, watery and green. I have made her vomit a few times, a bit of grit looking and some grains. not a lot. I treated her for worms and she has passed 1/2 inch worms, yesterday evening. She hasn't pooped at all last night. I felt her crop this morning and its about the size of a golf ball and a feeling of squishy and with grit. I'm getting frustrated. She was so vibrant with energy, I'm worried were not getting anywhere. She doesn't really smell like sour crop. Last night her crop felt more of a normal feeling with grit. I have been giving her yogurt, boiled egg yolk, cedar vinegar, and olive oil three times. I have also been messaging her crop. She is starting to stretch her head up with her beak opening up.

 

[pwand]

She is not eating now or drinking much. She finally had a poop about 12hrs later. It stunk bad. Here is a picture of it. I was feeling her crop again and the area were her food would go down into doesn't seem blocked at all, just lose grit in the crop. I tried to get her to vomit and the grit not coming up, maybe there isn't enough for it to come up.


Here is a picture of her poop 3 days ago.

 

[Kapernic]

Hi,

After reading your post it seems she is blocked. Hay or even mulch hay is not the best bedding. Pine shavings are the best and DO NOT use cedar. The grit or oyster shells are ok in limited amounts. Should only need about a tablespoon full per 5 lbs. of feed. Water is the key. The cropo will not empty anything without water. They do not need a 24/7 supply of store bought feed but they do need a 24/7 supply of water. They can have greens in their diet such as small grass clippings and dandelion greens. I would offer water and lay off the feed until the crop is cleaned out.

 

[pwand]

The hay could have been the start of this. I put straw in now. i never had this happen before in the 10 yrs having chickens. I have been keeping them closed in their coop, we had treated the run with lime, so their board, eating the hay. . It's always a learning process. Feeling her crop it feels empty other than grit feeling and swelling. Should I give her grit now or wait. She hasn't had feed for about 4 days. Thanks for your help.

 

[Kapernic]

Hi again,

Grit in the crop is OK but it should not be bloated with grit. I would try a tablespoon full of feed and make sure she has all the water she can handle. Some shreded dandelion greens would not hurt.

The droppings should firm up if all is going well.

Sincerely,

Daniel.

 

[pwand]

This morning her crop is blotted again. I can feel lose feelings of grit. Maybe tbsp full. I have tried to empty her crop out, I don't feel anything else. When she throws up, there seems to be thick white mucus, with grit or oyster shells, looks like sand, odd pieces of grain. I suspect this to be from sour crop the muccus. I don't smell sour. I have been Empting her crop about twice a day. She isn't eating hardly anything right now. Still has the energy. Hardly any poop. Still green. I thought about trying nyastan I've seen others try. Part of me worry that maybe she has something stuck in the area below the crop, could that be possible? She was eating a lot of oyster shells with grit. I also dewormed her. Thanks.

 

[pwand]

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[Bogtown Chick]

pwand. I signed on.

 

[shell3]

ive subscribed too

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Pwand I understand your concern. And good idea posting pictures of the pooh. They look horrible, yes but if somebody can relate and pretty sure a lot of us have seen lots of chicken pooh by now so you're in good company posting those pictures as in its varying forms is all relative. I'm glad your hen has turned the corner. Idont know how you do it up there in the Pacific Nw with all that moisture & cold on top. I'm sure finding appropriate. Bedding flooring is tricky. I don't envy you up there.