How to treat sour crop

[aoxa]

Sorry for your loss, but I'm glad you have stressed the importance of this. So many people recommend this dangerous procedure. Crop issues are very hard to cure, but this is a good way to kill a chicken.

Thanks. Yes, I did not believe it would be that easy to aspirate their lungs before yesterday.. It was really sad. It even came out her eyes.

 

[littledreams]

How much food / yogurt should I be feeding with sour crop treatment...

 

[Sister Gryphon]

The yogurt is to change the bacteria in the crop. Use a good quality yogurt like stony brook that has live cultures in it. If she won't eat it on her own then just give her a tablespoon or two or three several times a day. Sometimes mixing it with a little warm helps. It depends on the hen. That's about how much I gave my little cochin.

 

[luckylee]

Can you give them yogurt with fruit in it.. My girls like fruited yogurt and did not know if it would work as well..

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you give them yogurt with fruit in it.. My girls like fruited yogurt and did not know if it would work as well..

Probiotics are the best treatment, and plain yogurt with cultures will contain more of that. Probios Dispersible Powder is a good source for probiotics, since chickens do not digest dairy products that well. Gro2Max isanother good brand for poultry. Here is a link about probiotics: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/02/probiotics-natural-choice-for-healthy.html

 

[luckylee]

Thank you... I have one girl with sour crop... she has a huge crop but it is squishy soft and when you massage it she burps a real bad smell. I gave her probitoics today and then clear water..I gave her no grain only an egg cooked in the microwave shells and all....chopped up real fine...
Her crop seems somewhat emptier but it is still hanging low.. I know that is a muscle. May need a crop bra.. does anyone have a pattern for one to make on your own... ?Thanks

 

[ruth55]

I had a hen for the first time in 13Years of keeping hens with a compacted crop only a month before, and she unfortunately she died. I was thinking this hen had the same. She displayed the same symptoms. Inflated crop. She was turned her upside down, and her crop was massage towards her beak and the fluid came.out, but she did not improve and the crop filled up again. but contained no food. She wanted to eat. Her comb started to dry and she was not well. I isolated her and decided to treat her for sour crop. I emptied her crop and gave her 50-50 water and cider vinegar. She would not drink it freely so used a syringe to dose her as many times a day as I could administrated about 5mls (tea spoon) at a time. She did become happy to be handled.I did not offer her any other food or water only the cider vinegar and water. which was left in a plastic pot and freshened each day. After two days I offered her yogurt (natural) chick crumbs and garlic powder. Only a tip of a teaspoon of garlic powder to about 2 tablespoons of yogurt and enough chick crumbs to semi bind. not stodgy. The chick crumbs break down into the yogurt over time. She loved this. After a couple of days she was happy to eat pellets and fresh water. I did keep her separate from my other hens until she was desperate to join them. Her bum was very unpleasant and needed washing regular but a pair of gloves and lots of fresh water helped. The bottom took some time to improve. But now fluffy knickers and all she is totally back on the feet. I have limited her intake of bread and pasta. Not that they had lots but I think she was the main eater as loves things that are different. .

 

[DebLikesTalkin]

Massaging the crop was a big help. When she was spitting up a hard rubber piece came out and I kept her in a cage separate and gave her a lot of water along with the yogurt and she seemed to be more alert and almost like herself. The next morning I still felt the crop and it was still a little squishy but not like the past few days. I let her out to roam and she drank water and ate a little grass. She seemed to be better. Tonight when I checked on the chickens; she was perched but on the lowest one in the coop...I worry that there is more stuff causing her to still not be 100%. I will check in the morning and try to empty the crop & see if there are more pieces that might be stuck in it.

 

[kerryglover1972]

I'm in the UK, and have a Cuckoo Maran called Bluebell who's suffering from a bad bout of sour crop. Her crop was enormous, I just thought she was a hog, as she's the alpha girl and always gets first dibs on the food.
I read this string and just had to join BYC to say a HUGE thankyou for the advice here! I've vomited her a couple of times in the early 2 days, had her on just water and 'hen tonic', which is a mix of oils, ACV, garlic and parsley.
Yesterday I started her with live natural yoghurt, just letting her feed herself a few spoonfuls - alongside fresh warm water. I didn't think ACV in the water, as well as live yoghurt was a good combo? Curdle maybe?
I haven't had to vomit her, her crops really gone down, and she seems much perkier. She's in a hutch in the garage, and I'll keep her with me until she's fully fit, I'm guessing a week?
Today I mixed the yoghurt with a handful of mushy chick crumb, making sure she didn't pig out?
Will do the same tomorrow morning - one thing though - will the crop stay distended as its stretched, or return to normal? It still looks flabby and big, but feels better and not really bloated.
Really appreciate your time and advice

 

[CuckooOrpington]

I know that this is an old thread, but I tough this information would be useful for those in the future.

I've had a few birds with sour crop in the past, I've never used epson salt but it is most effective to clear out the crop by holding her upside down and massaging it. Only do this for 20 seconds at a time. Otherwise, if the hen is too stressed for that you can seperate her from the flock, put ACV in her water and feed her yoghurt and layer pellets. Give her ACV for three days then switch to a probiotic powder. I have also used a Copper Sulphate solution to treat birds with sour crop. It is safe in small doses, the solution consists of 1/2 pound of Copper Sulphate, 1/2 cup of Vinegar and 1/2 gallon of vinegar (allow teh birds to drink it each day or apply with a syringe).

Sour crop can be caused by a blockage in the upper digestive system (usually clumps of bread, table scraps and sometimes even tangled grass). Most of the time it is a yeast infection. Yeast is normally in the crop and kept under control by teh birds natural probiotics. These probiotics can be killed off due to use of medication or another disease present in the bird. Stress can also contribute to the weakening of a hens immune system. When the probiotics fail to keep yeast under control, thrush, or sour crop, developes. Be wary that too little ACV in her water can actively stimulate yeast growth.

Cuckoo Orpington