I'm pretty sure my hen has sour crop, need advice

[sbrooks88]

It was not your fault, I can guarantee that. I honestly think that the dying process had already started and the seizures and vomiting were just part death, you did not cause it. He had been sick for a very long time and you did the best you could.

-Kathy

I hope it won't my fault. although I was massaging his crop because I could feel something n there.

 

[casportpony]

I hope it won't my fault.

although I was massaging his crop because I could feel something n there.

Sounds like he was *very* thin, right? You should know that many things can cause that type of weight loss and it's not often that they can recover from that level of loss, even with professional veterinary care. I doubt he would have made it through the night, in fact, he probably only had minutes left. You and your DH did the right thing.

Take care of yourself,
Kathy

 

[chrissy903]

He's in a better place. DH dug his grave and then I have him some water and then I felt a rock. He drank the water by himself! So I knew something was in his belly that shouldn't have been. So I gave him some oil and massaged him and he threw up but not whatever that thing was. Then he had a bad seizure. And then I decide it was time and DH shot him an now I feel guilty because e spend his last few minutes enjoying water and I made him throw it up. And e had tht seizure and now I feel so bad and I can't stop crying. I feel like it's my fault.

It's not your fault sometimes when they get really sick u can only try your best to help them. I blamed myself too but i think underlying health issues play a factor. Chickens hide their illness. My boys crop looked like he had an orange stuck up there. I guess impacted Crop is severely dangerous. Atleast they're not suffering anymore I hated to see that. I've been crying all day as well. So sad

 

[sbrooks88]

It's not your fault sometimes when they get really sick u can only try your best to help them. I blamed myself too but i think underlying health issues play a factor. Chickens hide their illness. My boys crop looked like he had an orange stuck up there. I guess impacted Crop is severely dangerous. Atleast they're not suffering anymore I hated to see that. I've been crying all day as well. So sad

It really ain't fair.

 

[sagechickens]

We just noticed a young hen tonight with this problem. The football hold and "burping" was spot on advise. Now we've isolated her and giving water w/ organic apple cider vinegar. Will repeat 3x tomorrow and add some soft food back in. Any other advise? So hard to see them not well

 

[TwoCrows]

We just noticed a young hen tonight with this problem. The football hold and "burping" was spot on advise. Now we've isolated her and giving water w/ organic apple cider vinegar. Will repeat 3x tomorrow and add some soft food back in. Any other advise? So hard to see them not well

If you have any probiotics you can put them in the water, this works even better than ACV, as I have learned.

Check crops every morning, and vomit if needed.

If the birds breath smells sour, you can use vaginal cream to cure the yeast infection. Gyne-Lotrimin to be exact. (Clotrimazole) Suck in 1 cc into an empty syringe, no needle, and give the bird 1cc 3 times a day.

Damp layer or chick feed only. No hard foods that are not water soluble. No free ranging and isolate them if they have access to eating things they shouldn't at this time.

If this is just a simple case of sour crop, this method will usually get them back to good health in one week.

 

[TwoCrows]

I have also since learned that you do not want to use oil for impacted crop cases. Water water and more water!!

 

[sagechickens]

WOW thank you!!! Question - I've read on several "vet" sites not to give them yogurts due to the mucus causing effect which interrupts the healing in the crop. Thoughts? This is our first rodeo with the sour crop so trying figure out which therapies work the best.

 

[TwoCrows]

Yes, yogurt makes a lot of mucus. All dairy products do and can make it harder for the crop to move it thru. So it is best to use probiotics in the water instead and feed only damp chicken feed. Dampening it makes it soft which is already digesting before it even gets into the bird. You want the crop to move as fast as you can get it to move. Anything that has to soak to get wetter and sit longer in the crop, or any hard foods that need to stop by the gizzard is slowing down the entire system.

 

[sagechickens]

Ah, that makes much more sense. So probiotics not the yogurt itself. Excellent advise - thank you!