Impacted Crop? How do I clear it?

[Aussie-Chookmum]

My hen's crop is full and hard when she goes to roost at night and is still quite full first thing in the morning, though not as hard. My other hens have little to no palpable crop in the mornings. Does this mean it's impacted and if so how do I help her empty her crop?

I think this has been going on for a couple of weeks.

She is not that interested in the layer pellets and I think she has lost weight but is still happily foraging and drinking.

I suspect she may have a ball of long grass in there as she loves pecking at the grass that sticks through the wire in her run.

I remember reading something on BYC about impacted crops and how to treat them but I can't find the thread/article. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Eggcessive]

Giving a lot of water and using crop massage several times a day can be helpful to break up an impaction. Some tube feed water and massage. Some people give stool softener—colase capsules puntured and fed orally. Mineral oil is another good one that can lubricate the digestive tract, but mix it with some food. Coconut oil refrigerated and chopped into small pieces is another common treatment. Making a chicken vomit can cause choking and death. Here are some good articles to help you:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Giving a lot of water and using crop massage several times a day can be helpful to break up an impaction. Some tube feed water and massage. Some people give stool softener—colase capsules puntured and fed orally. Mineral oil is another good one that can lubricate the digestive tract, but mix it with some food. Coconut oil refrigerated and chopped into small pieces is another common treatment. Making a chicken vomit can cause choking and death. Here are some good articles to help you:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Thank you @Eggcessive . I will try the coconut oil and massage and see how that goes.

 

[rjohns39]

@TwoCrows Your thoughts please.

 

[Kris5902]

How is she doing? Any changes? My “Croppy” was not pleased at all with her crop massages... but it eventually moved things along.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I offered her a teaspoonful of coconut oil about the consistency of peanut butter this morning and she gobbled it up happily. She let me massage her crop quite calmly, though she was making weird faces .
After a few minutes the crop felt quite deflated and empty.

They've just gone to roost for the night and her crop was quite full, though not as hard as it has been. I gave her another teaspoon of coconut oil (Tsuki had some too) so I'll check her crop in the morning. I'm very pleased with the result so far and she laid a big egg today.

Looking good!