Hi, I am a new member from Westchester NY

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Hayslope

Hayslope

In the Brooder
5 Years
Mar 8, 2014
24
0
22
Good morning. I am a new member with a sick hen. I posted my question to the sick chicken forum page some time ago and must have done something wrong because I am not getting any replies. Help!
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! Sorry about your hen, if her crop is that big and hard you might want to consider doing surgery on her, there are a number of threads on BYC about impacted crop surgery.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/229796/crop-surgery-performed-more-pics-how-to-steps-posted-pg-10
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...cted-crop-i-did-surgery-pictures#post_8264248 With the legs etc, Mareks might be something to consider, do you know if she was vaccinated for it? https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/mareks-disease-fact-site
 
Hi, Thank you. She was not vaccinated for Mareks. I have been giving her lots of water and massaging her crop and it it much softer now. I don't know if I would risk surgery just yet but I will look at the threads to be prepared in case I have to. If it is Mereks would that maybe cause her crop to be not working properly?
 
Hi there,
frow.gif
and welcome to BYC!

Here is what you need to do. I have dealt with impacted crops and this will get that stuff moving fast.
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First, make sure this is an impaction. Is the crop really hard and big? This is impaction. If the crop is soft and gushy, this is a slow or sour crop and needs a different treatment from impacted crops.

For an impaction...First, stop the oil. Many people think oil is the thing to use, and even I did way back when. But oil will only cause the ball in the crop to get dry and harder. Put this hen in a cage by herself with no food. Water only. Water is what you want to do to flush the crop. Water water and more water.

You will need a few things...an empty syringe with no needle, epsom salts and dolculax soft gels. Mix up in 1 teaspoon of epsom salt in 1 ounce of warm water. Mix well. Suck up about 1 teaspoon or 3 ccs of this mix and you are going to SLOWLY syringe this down her beak. Go sit with her on a bench. Syringe in one hand, and wrap your arm around the bird and grab the beak with this hand. The bird will want to back up, so make sure you are in her way so the only thing she can do is open her beak. Hold her beak level..not up or down but level and very slowly, squeeze out a tiny bit right on the front of the tongue. If you squeeze fast, it will go down her lungs. So very slowly get it on her tongue. Let her swollow this and give her another tiny squirt. Even if it takes 10 mins to get this down her, take your time and keep the beak level. If some leaks out that is ok. Then massage her crop for about 5 mins til you feel it breaking up. This will help to get it soft.

Again, syringe slowly, beak level give her a chance to swallow small portions.. Not up or down.

Then about an hour later get a dolculax soft gel, poke it open and drain what you can into the syringe and add a tiny bit of water. Shake and squeeze this down her beak. This stuff will help to soften the hard ball. The epsom will do a few things...it will help to soften it, stop the ball from growing bacteria and will get her intestinal tract to move. If there are other impactions further down, this will break these down as well. Repeat the crop massages.

Then another hour, repeat the epsom drench. Repeat the dolculax drench one more time today and another epsom drench before bed. She should start to poop in a few hours after starting this. By morning most of this should be out of her crop.

Please either post here or PM throughout the day and tomorrow morning so I can help you further if you need it.
 
This morning when I found her the crop was very hard and big. I had her on my lap for hours and gave her water with an eyedropper and massaged the crop gently the whole time. Now, the crop is very soft and liquid and she is in a crate resting. She can not stand. Her legs are held backward and her feet are curled up. She is also panting.
 
Because of her leg problems along with this crop issue, she could also be suffering from Mareks disease to which the crop issue is secondary to. Mareks will cause lameness, but can also cause the digestive tract to stop as well.

I am not sure there is anything you can do for Mareks. I think Eggcessive left you a link on your other thread in the emergency section to possible reasons for this problem she is having right now.

But you can at least keep her comfortable. I would take her inside and get her under heat. Sick birds do not heal when cold and go into shock. Shock can kill them faster than the illness. If she is not too sick today, you can continue with the treatments I gave you here. It will at least help to break up the impaction and make her feel a bit better.

If she did come into anything toxic which can cause lameness and impacted crops, the epsom will detox her.

Keep me posted.
 
Thank you for your detailed help. I will continue with the treatment you recommend. Hopefully it is not Mareks. I will keep you posted.
 
You mentioned she is panting. If she is warm or hot, then don't bother with the heat. You can tell if a bird is hot or cold by feeling the feet. If they are cold, then so is the bird. Hot feet, hot bird.

Don't let her eat anything until you get the crop cleared out. At least most of it.
 

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