Impacted crop ... for the second time. What to do?

[shirauo]

Thanks to everyone on their insights. We are looking at doing the crop surgery ourselves... despite nugget's clear opposition to it...

I have a silly question for those who have done it or have experience...

To close- do you use regular thread to stitch it? Do you need to back to remove the stitches?

The supplies (as I've been able to tell) seem to be:
* towel to hold the bird
* Something to cut (sterile scalpel, razor, knife, etc)
* Something to take out the gunk (tweezers, etc)
* Something to close it (liquid band-aid, needle & thread, sutures, etc)
* Saline to rinse it
Good to have:
gloves, something to keep the area clean, antibiotics

Afterwards:
- isolate for a week or so, or until it shrinks down
- 1st 12 hours: give water
- next day: give yogurt
- following day: give boiled egg pieces, yogurt, applesauce, or mash (in small amounts so the crop can shrink down)

Does this sound right?

I've been looking around at the various Impacted Crop posts and this is what I got...

Thanks to all for your willingness to share.

 

[GloriaH]

As far as thread, I use a nylon cotton thread, kind of like quilting thread. I do boil it to strealize. Just sew the crop up not the skin, that way you can go back and take out the stitches.

 

[chefhinkle]

If you research the topic, you'll see that people do so many different things as far as stitching -- some don't stitch at all, some stitch only the crop, some stitch only the outside skin. We didn't want to stitch at all but ended up having to stitch the outer skin to keep out the dirt (we did put an antibiotic ointment on it). We used regular sewing thread and took the stitches out 3-4 days after the surgery. We didn't stitch the crop because the majority of people didn't do it. Just make sure the cut on the crop is higher up so when she starts eating and drinking in small amounts, it won't come out of the hole. I found this forum extremely helpful:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=21291

If the above link doesn't work, it's listed under the "Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries" also but is titled "How to...crop operation! WARNING GRAPHIC PICS!!!!".

The following is also good and gives lots of details:

http://www.the-coop.org/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=001034;p=2

We did put her back in the chicken house (but in a cat carrier) in 24 hours so the other chickens wouldn't forget her.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[shirauo]

Thank you for that last reply. I had seen the operation, but had not seen the article from the-coop. I just finished and wow... It was pretty involved. I think the whole procedure was about 2 hours. Of course, our bird had a very extreme case. I would say her crop had extended to the size of a small cantaloupe. yes.. really.

And the incision I made was very small (about the size of a dime)... I was cautious after reading the article from the-coop. So it took a while to drain it of nasty fluid & shovel/find everything. I had about 10 tools lined up and the most useful one was the back handle of a toothbrush! funny that...

Now we all need some rest...

Thanks to everyone for your insights...

 

[FisherMOM]

How did your chicken do after the surgery?
I am curious!