Impacted Crop for 4 Months, still alive, should I operate?

[princess araucana]

I have a rooster with a huge, bigger than a softball crop.
over the past few months I have pulled out long strands of grass and some grit from flushing and sucking out contents.
Brought him to 3 vets who had never done crop surgery and just flushed crop.
The bird is skinny but still alive, eats and poops, sometimes bad clear water poo, often somewhat normal poo. Breathing is very slightly wheezy. He "honks" instead of crows.
after many tubes down his throat and scares of suffocation I stopped the flushes.

After days reading all posts I feel psyched up and capable of the surgery (since my vets won't, and I am out of work and have trouble paying my own health care costs!)

Question is: Should I operate?
The bird is still alive with this condition. Worried it will just come back.
I've done my best to eliminate issues and prevent it in other birds.
Don't want to inflict undo harm.
Vet took X-ray which showed grit in gizzard and no other blockages. Crop had grit but the clay-like mass felt in crop does not show up on xray.

I read that fungal infections can prevent proper crop movement and just using nystatin works. My bird has no bad odor or visible sores in mouth. Should I try that first?

anyone use a crop sling that has pictures?

Has anyone had a bird like this for this long?

As a new member I feel so close and grateful to all of you sharing your stories and info, Thank you!!!

p.s. this is an Araucana/ americana/ easter egger type, seems like SO many crop impactions people wrote about happend in these birds?

 

[katrinag]

Have you seperated him from the flock and tried to get thing so move on there own. Like bread soaked in olive oil, apple cider vin. in the water etc...

 

[seminolewind]

The wheezing may be caused by the flushing water accidentally finding it's way to the trachea. If he's had it for several months, it must be working somewhat. I wonder if the mass could possibly be a tumor or some object like plastic.
I would try the olive oil bread thing, and make sure he can't eat anything but chick crumbles for a while. IMO. The surgery if nothing works, but I wouldn't wait till he's really sick. If you can't stomach the surgery, you may try bringing the instructions on this board about crop surgery to a vet. I guess this all is what I'd do if it was my chicken. Please update

 

[HennysMom]

Gosh I have my baby inside now for this reason - and I'm terrified to do the surgery and pray I dont have to.

I'm doing what Miss Prissy has instructed (acv, oil, bread, water) for 24 hours and seeing how she does. I've been doing oil, acv and yogurt with all my birds but mixed it with oatmeal (and not oil all the time but the other 2 consistently as its good for them) - and while they're crops have gone down alot - this one's hasnt

Is your vet saying its impacted? they should be able to tell if you've had her in there for examination....

I'd try this first and see how you do before opening her up -it may be unneccessary. No need to cause more stress and trauma to the poor baby if its not necessary.

 

[KiwiChook]

Is the crop soft like a water balloon? I have a hen at the moment with swollen crop and she’s been like this for a month now.