Horrible sour crop

[ray6082]

Hello...my two year old girl had sour crop probably two months ago and I got her better with home remedies. Since I thought she was fine I didn’t take her to the vet—plus I had problems reintroducing this time. Until now she didn’t act any different and began laying soon. It was quite mild and I had dealt with sour crop once before with one of my other girls—ended up getting antibiotic for her and have had no other troubles since.

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same with my Clementine. I didn’t even notice an impacted crop or anything, just her puffed up and I thought “oh no here we go again.” Well...her crop was HUGE and full of liquid to the point that it started coming out of her mouth...other than being slightly lethargic she was fine. We gently and carefully squeezed her crop and soooo much brown, foul smelling liquid came out. I’m so worried she’s not going to make it. I’ve used garlic water and plain yogurt in the past and it has worked, but now I just have water for her. She’s isolated and I have a vet appointment on Wednesday and praying she makes it. She’s my best girl and my lap chicken. Is it promising that she’s not showing many other symptoms or should I expect the worst? It was soooo bizarre yesterday, too because when I went to check on her right before bed (I let her roost at night with the others so she was comfortable) she randomly laid a huge egg!!

 

[Eggcessive]

I wish I could be of more help, but I have never had a sour crop problem in a younger hen, and in the older ones I have treated, nothing helped. @azygous and @TwoCrows are good at helping with sour or impacted crops. But if they are due to a secondary problem such as internal laying, or a gizzard impaction, the problem can recur or not get better.

 

[azygous]

How is Clementine since "laying" the huge egg? Is she behaving more normally? Or is she still fluffed up and crop still full?

Any obstruction along the reproductive tract, and the huge egg would qualify, will sometimes cause the crop to back up. However, when an egg gets hung up (egg binding), often there's a second egg involved. If Clem is still behaving sickly, it may be because she has another egg that needs to come out.

So, you may be dealing with more than one health issue. How is she right now? Describe her behavior. Poop? Describe it. Discharge from the vent? Describe it.

Do you have a calcium supplement on hand? Calcium citrate is what I recommend for egg binding, but Tums will do. Give her one tablet right now. Then please update the information requested.

 

[ray6082]

How is Clementine since "laying" the huge egg? Is she behaving more normally? Or is she still fluffed up and crop still full?

Any obstruction along the reproductive tract, and the huge egg would qualify, will sometimes cause the crop to back up. However, when an egg gets hung up (egg binding), often there's a second egg involved. If Clem is still behaving sickly, it may be because she has another egg that needs to come out.

So, you may be dealing with more than one health issue. How is she right now? Describe her behavior. Poop? Describe it. Discharge from the vent? Describe it.

Do you have a calcium supplement on hand? Calcium citrate is what I recommend for egg binding, but Tums will do. Give her one tablet right now. Then please update the information requested.

First off, thank you SO much for such a detailed response.
The large egg was laid last night and today she had been doing much better besides her huge, full sloshy crop. She resisted when I put her in the crate and wasn’t as lethargic.
After we got the brown fluid out of the crop, she seemed to perk up even more immediately. She even drank water on her own.

I’ve tried to attach a video of her hopping out of the crate—I’ve allowed her to roost again with the others for rest, but it wouldn’t let me. Below are pictures of her poop and one of her bottom.

I do have calcium on hand for them, crushed it up and dissolved it in water, however she wouldn’t drink and I didn’t want to use a dropper with more fluid given the amount of brown liquid that expelled earlier. I will try to see if she’ll drink it tomorrow morning. She’s currently roosting and making happy noises.

 

[writerskramp]

Backing Soda in the waterer one time should do it.. One tablespoon too gallon.

 

[azygous]

It's a good sign she's perking up. Watch her poop. If she passes cecals, she's no longer obstructed. Check her crop in the morning. If it's empty, she can be discharged as a patient.

 

[ray6082]

It's a good sign she's perking up. Watch her poop. If she passes cecals, she's no longer obstructed. Check her crop in the morning. If it's empty, she can be discharged as a patient.

Should I treat the sour crop still though? It’s super stinky and can’t get the image of brown fluid pouring out from her beak. Last year I used Nysatin on my other girl and she’s been great since.

 

[azygous]

I'd wait until morning. Then you will have a definite idea of what you're treating. Give it a chance to empty overnight. In the morning, if the crop feels more solid and lumpy, you're looking at impacted crop. Sour crop can occur at the same time, and from the smell, you may be treating that, also. But you'll have a better idea what you are dealing with come morning.

Though you're a veteran at treating sour crop, there may be something you will find useful in this article I wrote. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[ray6082]

I'd wait until morning. Then you will have a definite idea of what you're treating. Give it a chance to empty overnight. In the morning, if the crop feels more solid and lumpy, you're looking at impacted crop. Sour crop can occur at the same time, and from the smell, you may be treating that, also. But you'll have a better idea what you are dealing with come morning.

Though you're a veteran at treating sour crop, there may be something you will find useful in this article I wrote. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Just an update—we took her in to the vet on Wednesday and got her some medicine and she passed away two days ago. I was so heartbroken but at least she isn’t in anymore pain. I think there was something underlying like ovarian cancer. It puts my heart at ease a bit thinking that it was most likely a bigger problem than I could have solved.
Thank you for your help! It is so greatly appreciated.