impacted crop/constipated/wry neck/ shes a mess! Help!

[MydearWatson]

Ok, need some advice here.

I have a one year old Silkie with an impacted crop, she is not walking and hasn't been for a week now. What started this was she was pecked badly by some of my other hens. She had wry neck but it seems to be ok at the moment, treated her with vitamins and electrolytes. Discovered a few days ago she had an impacted crop. Been doing yogurt, vegetable oil and massage and of course water and I add ACV sometimes. Got the crop down about half its size and she had some ok poops but it is still solid as a rock. Today she seems much more lethargic and is pushing her butt up against the cage, I think she is constipated. She had been doing a little better each day but today she doesnt look as well, I was hoping for more poop. Can I give her an enema? Is she really constipated or is it something else? How can I tell? Help! Thanks so much!

P.S. I've been feeding her by a dropper. How much water should I be giving her. I usually get at least 20 droppers full a day (not including the yogurt mixed with water), is that not enough?

 

[MydearWatson]

Anyone?

 

[seminolewind]

I don't know. Usually oily liquid stuff and massage will work. I have done massages like 2-3 times a day for a week. The only other thing I can think of is if she's impacted below the crop. I don't think there's anything you can do for that.

I'm thinking about all you're saying here. Wry neck? Paralysis? Food not moving? Have you gotten any new chickens lately, like in the last 2-3 months?

 

[MydearWatson]

I think she is impacted below the crop. Some poo is going around the blockage but not much. Can I give Miralax? That way it will soften it up? I feel like she is blocked up in the crop and near her vent, she doesnt like me touching that area. I massage both at this point.

I hatched a baby chick a few months ago but, no, I haven't added any new chicks from any other flock.

Thank you so much for your response, it helps just talking about it with someone, kwim?

 

[seminolewind]

Okay. If she is impacted somewhere, Iwould keep her on soupy foods. Its usually diahrrea that gets Around a blockage. There's not much more you can do. Is her crop still hard?
At this point, you can give her anything including miralax. Is she poooing any bright green poo?

 

[MydearWatson]

Thank you so much for your reply! She is still hanging in there, I am shocked. Been feeding her just yogurt and water. Gave her miralax yesterday and today. Her poops are dark brown and watery. Yesterday they started getting a lot more explosive with a tiny, tiny bit of chunk and that white stuff that is normally in chicken poo. Her crop is still hard, it is getting smaller in the morning, ever so slowly. She has not had any bright green poo. What about a miralax enema? I know that sounds weird but I'd like to get something in her other blockage if I could.... I feel like things are working, very slowly, it just might be too slow for her to make it.

 

[seminolewind]

Hmmm, she's passing poop. I would give her a bit of bread soaked in olive oil, you can make a real juicy mash with her food. Fruits, I like the yogurt. I think the messaging is probably the most important. Frequent is good. And I do it firmly like I'm molding clay.

Silkies can get pecked on the head and suffer brain damage (wry neck) because there's no bone over their scalp on top.

If it's not moving, would she survive crop surgery?

 

[stoopid]

I haven't seen any mention of eggs. Has she been laying? Could she be eggbound?
You also mentioned she was pushing her butt against the cage. That would upset her if you tried to touch back there.
Poor girl!

 

[MydearWatson]

She hasnt been laying, I cant seem to feel an egg though. I've never seen her lay ever, her sister started laying before winter then stopped, she just recently started up again, I believe. Her eggs seem pretty inconsistant. Not sure if thats common for Silkies to be such late layers. I also heard that it is pretty uncommon for Silkies to get eggbound so I havent been too concerned. UGH. I wish I knew what was going on in there!

 

[MydearWatson]

Would more frequent baths help do you think?