Impacted Crop Diaries

[bmayer]

@Mitzzie how's your girl?

 

[Mitzzie]

Rosie is doing much better, she is back in the hen house. Not sure if she had a true impaction or we caught it super early but everything is back to normal and crop in empty in the morning and she's acting like her old self again, normal looking poops. She stayed in the "hospital"the shed for only 2 nights. thanks for asking.

 

[bmayer]

Great to hear! Glad it didn't drag on and on!

 

[bmayer]

Mindy is OFFICIALLY reintegrated!!! It took forever! Luckily we have a small quarantine coop/run so she lived in that right next to the rest of the flock for a few weeks. They would free range around her while she dust bathed in her run (I gave her a big rubber feed bucket we use for the horses and I filled it with her absolute favorite dust from the barns. We call it her jacuzzi and the other ladies were VERY jealous of her!). I let them all free range together a lot for short amounts of time and I followed her very closely. The leghorns were very aggressive towards her at first but they actually ended up being the first ones to accept her back. Once they were fine with her I let her free range more for longer periods of time but the orpingtons, most specifically Josephine, were being aggressive. Josie would pick fights just because and that would get Chrissy, one of my americaunas, involved since she is the peacemaker of the flock. Chrissy would get between them and break it up only to have Josie try going back at it when she turned her back again. It was very frustrating to watch it all unfold. The rest of the flock was starting to get wary of Mindy since basically every time she was around there would be disruptions. Right about the time I decided I should let the flock get used to Mindy without Josephine, all was well and I never had to take Jo out of the equation. Mindy spent one more night in her own coop by herself after we noticed things seemed peaceful and the last 4 nights she has tucked herself in with the rest of the girls in the big coop. I was so excited for her! It's sad though that she doesn't need my company now. I feel like the parent of a kid who just got their license! I'm so excited but so sad that she's way more independent. She followed me to the house today but when she realized the other girls weren't following too she turned around and waddled away

my little girl is all grown up... Again haha! But in all seriousness, I am so so so happy and relieved that the hard work is totally behind us. She is on antibiotics for a GI infection left over from her impaction and her feet are still swollen but all in all I can't complain a bit! She's still alive, she's still gaining weight, and she's back outside with her real flock. Good job little Mindy!

 

[The Chicken Fan]

I have a Barred Rock (named Epic) that had sour crop. Being a first time chicken owner, I was worried sick that I wouldn't be able to save her. Taking advice from a fellow chicken owner, I barfed and massaged her and she was slowly getting better until she got a virus. She lost all strength in her left leg and gained some of it back, but to this day still has a limp. She slowly recovered from that as well and I thought we were in the clear and then surprise! She became egg bound. I soaked her in some warm water and even blow dried her, and she was a trooper through it all! She became my little buddy during this time and turned into a full time chicken diva. Having been separated from the flock for 2 months, the transition was hard at first; but she was accepted in a couple days.

After her sour crop, her crop never went back to normal. It was huge! And I felt sorry that she had to carry it around, but didn't know what to do to help. One morning, I found her in the nesting box shaking. I got lots of help on this site and found out that a chicken bra would help her crop. Her crop had stretched and there wasn't enough food going into her. The crop bra would squeeze the crop and hopefully return it to its normal size. The bra came and she hated it at first; but once I learned to put it on her quickly and correctly, she loved it! She's had it for over a month now, and it has turned her into a new chicken! She is back to laying beautiful eggs and enjoying life. Sadly, I don't think her crop will ever go back to normal size; but I don't think she'll really mind wearing it for the rest of her life.

You're probably thinking that the name Epic fits her perfectly! But actually, I named her that before she became sick. Who knew that she would live up to her name!

 

[bmayer]

I have a Barred Rock (named Epic) that had sour crop. Being a first time chicken owner, I was worried sick that I wouldn't be able to save her. Taking advice from a fellow chicken owner, I barfed and massaged her and she was slowly getting better until she got a virus. She lost all strength in her left leg and gained some of it back, but to this day still has a limp. She slowly recovered from that as well and I thought we were in the clear and then surprise! She became egg bound. I soaked her in some warm water and even blow dried her, and she was a trooper through it all! She became my little buddy during this time and turned into a full time chicken diva. Having been separated from the flock for 2 months, the transition was hard at first; but she was accepted in a couple days. 

After her sour crop, her crop never went back to normal. It was huge! And I felt sorry that she had to carry it around, but didn't know what to do to help. One morning, I found her in the nesting box shaking. I got lots of help on this site and found out that a chicken bra would help her crop. Her crop had stretched and there wasn't enough food going into her. The crop bra would squeeze the crop and hopefully return it to its normal size. The bra came and she hated it at first; but once I learned to put it on her quickly and correctly, she loved it! She's had it for over a month now, and it has turned her into a new chicken! She is back to laying beautiful eggs and enjoying life. Sadly, I don't think her crop will ever go back to normal size; but I don't think she'll really mind wearing it for the rest of her life. 

You're probably thinking that the name Epic fits her perfectly! But actually, I named her that before she became sick. Who knew that she would live up to her name! 

Wow! Isn't it just so discouraging when life just keeps throwing you both curve balls?! I just kept telling myself to hit one at a time. It's so overwhelming and there were so many times I thought giving up was all that was left. But I love her SO much and just couldn't live with myself if I gave up on her. Then I would hit one of those curve balls and my faith in my little girl was restored! SO glad your Epic pulled through all of her problems! You're a great chickie parent!

 

[The Chicken Fan]

I thought I was definitely going to lose her a couple of times!

Fantastic job on your little girl! As I was reading, I was in shock about how much hay was in her crop! So glad that you wouldn't give up on her!

 

[bmayer]

Thank you so much

it was such a roller coaster ride, as you know first hand now! I was shocked with how much there was as well. The morning she passed the first huge chunk of hay I was so happy and relieved that the battle was over. But then I felt her crop and it was still just as big! That's when I started to really worry that she wouldn't pass it all before something else happened (i.e.: starving herself to death, sour crop, which we did battle for a few days but it resolved itself, etc). It's such a relief even today to sit in my house and know she is outside happily mingling with her sisters again. She's still having some diarrhea issues but we are treating with antibiotics (no luck yet but we haven't started the heavy duty ones yet).

 

[The Chicken Fan]

A happy chicken makes a happy human

 

[bmayer]

Absolutely!!!