I think my two week old has sour crop

[AnonPaperclip]

We recently bought two week old chicks and one of them won't grow like the rest. I know it's a problem with her crop but I don't know which condition she has. One of her crops are inflated and the other is completely empty. The inflated one is squishy but it doesn't smell bad (or I just can't smell it). I've tried massaging her but she wouldn't cough anything up. I've also read that yogurt can help, but the only plain yogurt I have is greek (can I give that to her?)

Another problem she has is a possible spraddled leg, but we're already treating that with a bandaid.

I'm not keen on getting rid of her because I know she can get better somehow, I just have to find a way.

 

[eggbert420]

Apple cider vinegar works.

 

[chameleon]

Hi, I'm so sorry about your chick, I hope she gets better.

Chickens only have one crop, so that is normal that it's only looking full on one side. If you hold her quietly for a bit you might notice a rumbling sound coming from the crop area if it is sour crop.

Greek yogurt is fine as long as it is plain, without any sugar and stuff added. The important thing is the probiotics in the yogurt.

3 of my chicks recently had coccidiosis and weren't eating well. I was worried that the one had sour crop because her crop was squishy, but she did not like the yogurt I gave her. I gave her wet feed and yogurt for a couple of days, but then she just didn't want to eat it anymore. I tried giving her normal food again and she went nuts and ate a lot. So in the end I think her crop was squishy because she just wasn't eating enough. If your chick is weakened and not getting around very well, because of the spraddled leg possibly, it might be that she's had some to drink but not enough to eat, and that might make her crop squishy.

Is she seperated from the others? I would try feeding her by hand for a couple of days to make sure she's getting enough to eat and help her gain some strenght back. You can feed her yogurt, mashed up boiled egg, and some of her regular feed soaked in warm water.

If you do think it's sour crop there are some very good threads on here on how to treat it, you can just type sour crop into the search bar at the top.

I hope this helps you, and I hope your chick gets better soon.

 

[AnonPaperclip]

Thanks for the reply!
She's not on her own right now. We have her in a small box with another chick of the same species. They seem to do pretty fine together. The other chick doesn't trample or sit on her. As for feeding, I don't know if I can feed her by hand because I'm not home all the time (I leave around 8 and come back around 5) and for probiotics we've been giving her a couple drops of Poly Vi Sol in her water. I'm afraid of her falling head first into the water bowls and bedding too (Theres a bowl of water near a corner that she got stuck behind. I'm going to move it, though)

She might be getting too much water because her crop is squishy but not mushy. It doesnt feel like there's anything rotten in there. I might also spread their food onto the bedding so she won't have to risk falling over to get a meal.

 

[AnonPaperclip]

I'll see if I have some Apple Cider Vinegar on hand.

 

[eggbert420]

I'll see if I have some Apple Cider Vinegar on hand.

4tsp per 1 gal

 

[chameleon]

Thanks for the reply!
She's not on her own right now. We have her in a small box with another chick of the same species. They seem to do pretty fine together. The other chick doesn't trample or sit on her. As for feeding, I don't know if I can feed her by hand because I'm not home all the time (I leave around 8 and come back around 5) and for probiotics we've been giving her a couple drops of Poly Vi Sol in her water. I'm afraid of her falling head first into the water bowls and bedding too (Theres a bowl of water near a corner that she got stuck behind. I'm going to move it, though)

She might be getting too much water because her crop is squishy but not mushy. It doesnt feel like there's anything rotten in there. I might also spread their food onto the bedding so she won't have to risk falling over to get a meal.

If she doesn't have anything contagious, then it will help her to have some company so that's good. And if you are already giving her probiotics the yogurt isn't necessary, although you could still give it to her if she likes it, just to get her to eat more. Spreading the food in the bedding did help with mine too, they enjoy scratching around for it. And if she's not eating enough just offering some different options might get her interested enough to eat more. If you're not there during the day, she won't starve that quickly if there is food around. What I did with mine was to just hand feed her when I noticed her crop wasn't getting filled, even if it's just in the evening when you get home and possibly in the morning. It's really just for a day or two to help get her energy up so that she can eat better on her own.

As for falling in the water, what kind of water bowls are you using? Could you raise it to chest height so that she doesn't have to bend over to drink? Or otherwise just putting a bowl with a small opening so that she can't fall in can help. I used espresso cups for mine, just to give you an idea of what I mean, but they need to be refilled quite often so it might not work if you aren't home during the day. I've also used a small soda bottle with a hole cut in the bottow and placed and a dish only slightly wider than the bottle so the gap is too small for the chicks to fall in. This isn't mine but it's the same idea: http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2011/03/homemade-chick-waterers.html

ETA: Sorry, I always remember something just as I press SUBMIT. I also used a small waterer for cage birds this last time my chicks were sick. One like this:

You can mount it at just the right height for the chicks to drink comfortably and not get bedding in the water.

 

[AnonPaperclip]

I'm sure what she has isn't contagious, because the other chick is doing well. Right now, her and her roomate are near one of the corners (inbetween the food bowl and the wall) and I've placed food on the ground in front of them which should last the whole day until I get back. I'll also check out the waterer which might be better than what we're doing right now (we have a short, flat bottomed bowl with a smaller one (flipped bottom side up) in the center so she can't fall completely into the water and soak herself, which has happened before) so I'll see if we can get it. (If it'll help I can also send a picture of their temporary living space)

 

[chameleon]

Ok, that sounds good so far. A photo might help to give better suggestions, but it sounds like you're doing your best.

 

[AnonPaperclip]

Alright.
I'm out of the house right now so when I get back I'll post a picture.
Thanks so much for your help.