I need some advice on sour crop, PLEASE

[Country4ever]

As usual ThreeHorses........great response!
I forget.......do chickens that age need grit or is it still in their food? I have forgotten so much since my hens were young.
Also....another thought........it could be revving up to lay eggs and this is probably the age where problems (if there are any) start to show up.
Tell your hubby to not feel bad about the apples. I gave mine a bunch of apples recently and didn't know about the seeds, until a couple of them acted a little sick and I asked around about the apples. Its all a long learning process!
But I agree, give her a really good examination to make sure there isn't something going on that you're missing. (like mites).
Good luck!

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
fivelittlechicks: The advice for you is probably going to be different at this point. If you could start another thread and pm me, I can reply to it which will bump it up to the top so others can reply, too? Although I can say the "supportive treatment" is going to be exactly the same here. So keep an eye out here, too, but you'll have your own version too if you choose to do your own thread.

Imnewtothis: On the crop, if it's still got contents and she didn't drink before you got to her, that can be a problem. Can you smell her throat when you're there next?

The fact that she's only got clear with white means she's only processing fluids. That concerns me as I would expect at least some dark green and scant droppings showing no food and only some bile. She should have something solid. Maybe she's only drinking. Since she ate now, please take a good look at her next droppings and maybe we'll get some solid results.

And imnewtothis - just remember - this is the board where people only post if they have a problem. You're not getting posts here from allt he people who have no problems.

So take a deep breath, shake out your shoulders, and know that this will pass. Hey - at least you have a great resource here where you can answers. It's such a fabulous board!

And as for eggbinding, you can prevent most of that by preparing your birds ahead of time with their calcium/D/phorphorus levels being correct. I start mine way before their combs start to turn "cherry". They get the yogurt which provides some calcium/D vitamins, keep down the levels of grains so that the phos levels don't get too high, start working in a laying pellet/crumbles before the time, then use the organic apple cider vinegar in their water a couple of times a week as soon as you see comb reddening - and a weekly yogurt treat. Eggbinding often happens when the shells aren't quite hard yet. And of course after the first few, they do well. Put that program in place and you'll likely be fine.

Actually most of chicken keeping is about basics and prevention. Just most people here weren't raised with them so they're catching up with the basics after the fact. It really does get better.

And you'll be strong when it happens. You'll just go "this needs to be done" and do it. I'll tell you ... chickens bring out the strength in people, they do.

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
Thank you!

Yes, if chickens that age are free ranging, they need grit. I start mine at about 6 weeks with playsand sized grit (or parakeet grit with the big pieces strained out) as mine aren't out until later. But they get a start in case I want to feed something larger - or they just GET something larger without my help. /cough

And yes - the egg laying time is when they start to go through a lot of changes. For every flock - even the experienced poultry keepers..

And we all make mistakes - even after having birds 30 plus years.

So don't be too hard on yourself.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

basically I think they both need flushed
1/2 cup of baking soda in pt jar of warm water

use a childs ear syringe and fill it and stick it in the beak to the back right side of the throat
express the soda water and having the hen up on a table in front of you
bring your hand up across the crop with pressure as the chicken does not throw up so you have to use force to bring out the spoiled crop matter

do this three times
and let the bird rest 24 hrs no feed
just water

then only feed it 1 slice of bread soaked in milk twice a day for a week
adding a tbsp of yoguart to the mix
this makes the gut flora come back

then you can give it some dry crumbles and see if it can eat and be okay

email me with any questions

 

[Rocky Top Chick]

Thanks everyone for the encouragement.

Glenda, I am going to try the soda water this afternoon. As a matter of fact last night my DH wanted to give her crushed tums, he stated they work for him. She does seem better this pm, however she is having mostly water stool, but there is some solid, not much, but some.

Thanks again, at least I feel I am not alone !

Debbie

 

[threehorses]

I'd recommend the baking soda flush, too, as I think she might have the stuff still in her possibly the apples.

 

[Country4ever]

Make sure you get that syringe as far back down the throat as possible, since you don't want to put it into the lung sacs.

 

[Rocky Top Chick]

She is much better today and wants to eat and drink. I have given her milk soaked bread and let her visit her friends, but we have a NHR hen who in the last couple of days has decided that she wants to be the one in control. She chased BSL and my DH had a real heart to heart with Miss Kitty the NHR. So, BSL is back in the house until she can defend herself. Thanks everyone for so much help and support.

D.