Impacted crop for over over a week!

[jenichick]

I've read every thread on here about impacted crop. I'm getting worried. I have a black sex-link hen that has had an impacted crop for almost two weeks. It was first the size of a golfball, I cut back on her food and extras and massaged it and gave her oil. It didn't go down. I grew to the size of a baseball almost dragging the ground. She has lost feathers on the skin of it. I finally brought her into the shop in her own crate two days ago and cut out all her food and we've given her a little olive oil and apple cider vinegar for two days. She walking around, she laid an egg, but has had bad diarreah, and the crop is hard and fills like it's filled with sand/hay/material. It's been impacted off and on for a month but never like this.

If it doesn't go down I don't know what to do. The vest is closed when I get home and they said the only person that could see a chicken is out until Saturday, and I do not have the surgical equipment to do surgery myself, although I've thought about it.

Can she live like this? I'm just getting worried about her.

 

[aussie_chooken]

sorry to hear your girl is going through this. and it must be very frustrating for you also, i have had these situations and you just feel helpless.

i really don't know what other advice i can give you, i am new to chickens myself and from what i have read - you are doing all the things you possibly can, short of giving surgery which isn't possible for you. i personally wouldn't be able to, let alone have to equipment to. so i understand your situation here.

if it were me i would

a) ring around even more to see if anyone else could be available, especially if you say it's an emergency, another vet may be able to fit you in. if not, ask to be put on a waiting list and say that short notice for an appointment - should a cancellation arise - be fine with you.

b) keep a watchful eye on her, continue with what you are doing and from what i have read only feed soft/watered down crumble. and probably multi-vitamins in the water so she is getting some digestible nutrition. there will be others here who will know much more about this though - i could be wrong!

good luck, i really hope she improves. keep us posted!