impacted crop, huge,hard,not responding to treatment

[AnnainMD]

Gloria, it's good to hear the excellent result. Isn't it the BEST feeling to see them so lively after feeling so miserable? I had my girl on a large bath towel (it was a rag) and then put newspaper over that. You might want to take out the shavings.
You can try feeding her frequent small amounts to appease her. I actually did begin to pass out during the surgery because the smell is so unreal, thankfully it was toward the end.
Congratulations!

ETA:
I just watched the video sequence and you did a great job being stoic! Isn't the mess that comes out just unbelievable? I'm glad we had a scalpel, hopefully you won't ever have to do this again but maybe next time the vet could give you a scalpel?

Massaging THAT wouldn't have moved it anywhere, I think the only way massaging can work is if you catch it in the early stages. But I think by the time you notice there's a problem, it's pretty bad and thus surgery is the only option.
Add a caption to the video that explains how well Sylvia is doing now, some people are probably going to FREAK out.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Gloria, Congratulations on getting through the surgery! I can see it was tough. Your videographer obviously didn't know what to expect. Sylvia sure had a lot of grass packed in there.
I would keep her on water with Apple Cider Vinegar and maybe some yogurt with live culture. I would stay away from solids with her for at least 3 days, then introduce some crumbles to her. Chick starter is a good thing for getting her back up and around. I know she is going to be famished but you really need to limit her food until all is clear.
Since you were so kind as to share with us, here is what I cleaned out of my Welsummer this summer.

Theri

 

[Gloria's Gang]

I have been giving her yogurt, scrambled egg,a bit of milk. All just a little bit at a time a few times a day. I reapply bacitracin to the incision, it looks good. I am concerned that she is becoming accustomed to the house temperature and when she goes back outside she will freeze. Tomorrow I will put her in the basement for a couple of days and then to the garage for a couple more. Hopefully this will acclimate her back to the cold.

 

[AnnainMD]

That sounds like a good idea. I was worried about the same thing but she was in the basement the whole time. Fortunately the temps warmed up a tiny bit for her, BUT she was also one of the only ones who had all her feathers, some of the others were going through a mini-molt!

Do you have chick starter?

 

[marymac]

I was just amazed at how well you handled this . i lost my hen, but didn't know what was wrong. Now I'll know what to watch for. I'm so glad your hen is doing good. thanks for posting this, I'm sure it will help many chicken owners.

 

[Gloria's Gang]

Yes, I do have chick starter. I mixed a bit with milk so it got all soft and mushy. I leave early for work (5:30) and she is still sleeping so my son gave it to her this morning before school. He said she gobbled it right up. I also leave some scrambled eggs for the kids to give her in the afternoon. This way she gets several small meals for the whole day. I am nervous because this is the first hard thing I've given her since the surgery.

Viewing the video after the fact is funny. I was really nervous at the beginning but after I made the incisions I was fine. That's when my helper lost it! We laugh every time we watch it. I looked at as many pictures of the procedure as I could find before hand. By filming what we did I hope that it will help someone else in a similar situation be prepared.

 

[Gloria's Gang]

Sylvia is recouperating just fine after her impacted crop surgery. Three days post-op I gave her some chick starter soaked in milk and she loved it. I switch that off with some yogurt, apple sauce, scrambled egg and pasta with a bit of sauce. She is still in the basement in a small pen instead of the dog crate. We got two feet of snow here yesterday and she doesn't know how good she has it in the big house instead of the coop! Her incision looks great and the crop has been nice and soft.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh my gosh Gloria I just watch the whole thing, how could she live with that much impacted in there? How long did the surgery last? and what did you buy your son after he assisted you? Lol I am so happy to hear she is doing so well, keep us updated. Congratulations on a job well done.

 

[Gloria's Gang]

UPDATE: Gloria is doing really well. She spent a couple of hours outside yesterday (day 8 post-op). Her crop was nice and flat this morning so I put her back out today for the night. It seems that she was second on the totem pole before her indoor stay and was intent on remaining there. The others came to say hello and she pecked a few of them. I have one little bantam Japanese rooster who she kept trying to beat the crap out of. Maybe he saw her as a threat but size wise he doesn't stand a chance! The hen highset on the pecking order came kept getting in between them. It was funny to watch. I will keep an eye out for infection and checking her crop but for now all is well. I am so happy that she has recovered so well. Thanks again for everyones help, well wishes and concern!

 

[Gloria's Gang]

By the way, in the video my son asked for a 12 pack or Redbull which he is not allowed to have. I let him get 3 of them.