Impacted Crop - length till impact passed

[puddinbabe]

For those of you who have successfully managed to massage an impacted crop to recovery, how long did it take till the impact passed through? It sounds like some people have been able to clear the crop in a day, but how long is the longest it has taken you? I've been working on my girl for a day and I don't think the mass has broken down much. But she still looks ok. Her poop has been runny and green for a couple days at least, but I've been giving her yogurt to make sure she has something in her system. I can feel the crop fill with the yogurt and then shrink back to the harder ball. I'll do this as long as I need to, but I'm just wondering how long it might take (without having to resort to surgery) if it can be moved? I think its a small hay ball.

 

[RhodeIslandRedFan]

I think it might depend on what is in your hen's crop. I was able to break up my hen's impaction in a couple of days. I have seen others on here say their chickens had large amounts of hay in their crops and this never would have passed through no matter how much they had massaged. Try massaging several times a day for a couple of days. Make sure to check her first thing in the morning to see if her crop has emptied. Good luck to you and your hen.

 

[puddinbabe]

I can't imagine keeping her off all food until the mass comes apart, if it does at all. If it takes days then it seems like she'd suffer. She's skin and bones right now because it took me so long to recognize the problem (she hasn't ever been a chicken I could catch so when she let me near her one day I knew something was wrong). I've been giving her some yogurt. Today I gave her blueberries as well and I can see that they passed through her system.

What are some other safe things I can give her so she doesn't starve to death while I'm working on the mass?

 

[top of the hill]

I would think anything soft, scrambled egg, oatmeal. I just had a girl with sour crop. Took almost 2 weeks to clear. One thing I did do that you might want to try is apple cider vinegar (has to be the good raw unfiltered kind. Usually says "with the mother" on package. I use Braggs.)in water. It will help kill any bacteria lurking in her crop. Also, not sure if you did, but I would seperate her so you can be sure to monitor her diet. Good luck!

 

[puddinbabe]

She's already seperated in a dog crate in the house. I've offered her some ACV water but she doesn't want it. I put one tablespoon in a gallon of water. She's not drinking it at all so I might try regular water tomorrow. I think I'll try oatmeal tomorrow as well.

 

[clucksbc]

we had a sweet little one have an impacted crop was so incredibly large she could hardly put her head up over it...my hubby is very sensitive and thought for sure we were gonna lose her...expecially when reading reports on line...
the little sweety was about 7 weeks..we gave her olive oil mixed with vinager...about a teaspoon every day for 6 days...olive oil to help it pass and vinager to help it disolve...
we weren't seeing that it was doing anything...and stopped...
about 4 days later...she seemed too be getting better...
and am now happy to report, alive well and now laying ..

 

[gallusdomesticus]

I just recently helped my RIR hen get over her second bout of impacted crop. The first time, it was so impacted that we had to have her operated on. This second time we used olive oil twice a day and massaged her crop firmly twice a day following the oil treatment and kept her out of the compost pile where she was chowing down on kitchen scraps. It took almost two weeks to get the crop back to normal so don't get discouraged. I fed her Shaklee energyzing soy protein shakes (any protein solution will probably do) via a syringe in her mouth to keep her nourished as she had lost a good bit of weight. I'm delighted that she recovered fully. Just be persistent in your treatment, use plenty of oil, and don't give up.

 

[puddinbabe]

I'm having no luck syringe feeding her. I've gone as far as to wrap her up in a towel and hold her still while my husband pulled on her wattle to open her mouth. She just thrashed her head around violently. We got a few drops of oil in, but that's it. And since she was moving around so much she was breathing hard and it sounded like she got a little in her throat. Not sure what to do now. Ideas? Today she doesn't want yogurt. I'm still massaging every few hours.

 

[THELMA]

you could try feeding her maggots. If she takes them she will eat them live and they will eat through the impaction. This has worked wonders for me in the past. If you check out the Little Hen Rescue site a UK site and look on ailments they recommend this system. We buy ours from fishing shops you just get the white ones not the coloured ones. Good luckk with your little girl

 

[stoopid]

Any way of giving her something she loves, and can't refuse, doused in the oil?
Maybe open up a can of corn, drain the liquid, and soak the kernels in an oil bath.
My birds will do anything for corn. Or mealworms.
Good luck!