How hard is an impacted crop?

[sydney1497]

Hello,

I have a hen attempting to recover from salpingitis. I think there may be something up with her crop as well-- she doesn't eat much, but her crop is quite enlarged/round-like-a-ball feeling. It is not "hard" or "firm" though. It feels more like a bean bag. This morning when I felt it, it felt the same size as before. She is very skinny- could it just be a more obvious crop because of thin she is? I honestly don't trust myself to fix it properly if it is a crop issue. Vet?

Thank you

 

[coach723]

If your bird has salpingitis then the crop issue is very likely related to that. I have lost several to salpingitis, despite attempts at treating with various antibiotics and combo's, but have yet to have one recover. Crop issues are pretty common with it as the pressure on the digestive tract increases. Your description sounds like a doughy crop, you can give fluids and do crop massage to try to break it up and get it to pass, but it may or may not be successful due to what is going on internally. I've also used this which sometimes has been helpful:
1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp ginger powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder, 1/2 tsp chili powder, squirt of lemon juice, 2 Tbsp of water - give it 1/2 ml at a time and let her swallow until all is given, doing crop massage through out. Do that 3 times a day.
With salpingitis, as pressure builds, it's hard for them to digest and pass droppings, they don't eat well and weight loss is common, though they can sometimes still feel heavy due to the matter building in their abdomens, I've got one now at the end stages of this and her keel bone is very prominent, though she still feels heavy due to her abdomen.