I have noticed over the past maybe 2-3 weeks my 2 year old layer hen is drinking water like it's her job! He crop gets so big with water that when she runs its like she has a uni-boob that swings from side to side. It's actually quite comical. Anyways a few weeks back it was so full of water and hardly any food I thought she had sour crop. (Side bar, I had a hen earlier this summer who had it, smelled nasty, made her "vomit", isolated her, she recovered, yay, but then was taken by a coyote a few weeks later, very sad). Anyways, so I know what sour crop is all about.
This hen, T-Rex as we affectionately call her, Im not sure what to think. So when I noticed her watery uni-boob, I though she had sour crop, although there was no nasty odor that I could tell coming from her. Regardless I isolated her with out food and water over night, and low and behold her crop did its normal thing over night, empty and ready for the next day. So I put her back thinking nothing of it. She has really seemed her normal self, free ranging all over, scratching, eating bugs here and there, still very interested if I bring house scraps.
But in the past week I have noticed she tends to "vomit" up water a lot when she is foraging. Like not enough to come out her beak. But I can hear it come up and then she tips her head up like she would if she were to be drinking and swallows the water back down. So what I came to notice this week is she really only seems to be drinking, with minimal food intake. He crop only seems to fill with water. I don't feel much food. After spending all day in the coop yesterday, after I let them all out, all she did was eat the water drops off the grass blades. She has maybe lost a little weight, but is not emaciated by any means, her keel feels fine, not overly exposed. But like I said for the most part she seems herself. However her mutes have been really watery, hardly solid. No white color, just a little bit of the brown. I don't actually know how often she has been laying as they all look brown and are about the same size.
So here is what I did. Her crop was so full of water, that I ended up making her "throw up". She But the liquid did not smell sour. Then what little was left in there I massaged it. Her eyelids would close every now and then, making me think she was in some level of discomfort. Tends to only happen when I touch her crop. Then I made her some scrambled eggs and olive oil. She ate that up in no time flat. Then I gave her a small amount of water which she drank all of. She is so thirsty it seems. Isolated her overnight with no access to food or water. This morning I awoke to lots of watery mutes on the floor. The towel was almost saturated. No solid poops. So I guess I know that water is moving through her. She was very alert and vocalizing, id say her normal self. But her crop was not empty. The mass Felt about the size of a golfball that felt like play-doh. I massaged it around a bit, her eyes closed, so not a great sign. I did let her drink water, it's like she is a magnet to it. Then I massaged it again. Tried to break up the mass. Changed her towel, and let her be again with the water. So is this impacted crop? The water can still get through her system. I don't plan on giving her any food today while I am away at work. Surgery is not an option, she is a farm critter not a pet. Although she is my favorite girl. Thanks for reading this all, need advice.
This hen, T-Rex as we affectionately call her, Im not sure what to think. So when I noticed her watery uni-boob, I though she had sour crop, although there was no nasty odor that I could tell coming from her. Regardless I isolated her with out food and water over night, and low and behold her crop did its normal thing over night, empty and ready for the next day. So I put her back thinking nothing of it. She has really seemed her normal self, free ranging all over, scratching, eating bugs here and there, still very interested if I bring house scraps.
But in the past week I have noticed she tends to "vomit" up water a lot when she is foraging. Like not enough to come out her beak. But I can hear it come up and then she tips her head up like she would if she were to be drinking and swallows the water back down. So what I came to notice this week is she really only seems to be drinking, with minimal food intake. He crop only seems to fill with water. I don't feel much food. After spending all day in the coop yesterday, after I let them all out, all she did was eat the water drops off the grass blades. She has maybe lost a little weight, but is not emaciated by any means, her keel feels fine, not overly exposed. But like I said for the most part she seems herself. However her mutes have been really watery, hardly solid. No white color, just a little bit of the brown. I don't actually know how often she has been laying as they all look brown and are about the same size.
So here is what I did. Her crop was so full of water, that I ended up making her "throw up". She But the liquid did not smell sour. Then what little was left in there I massaged it. Her eyelids would close every now and then, making me think she was in some level of discomfort. Tends to only happen when I touch her crop. Then I made her some scrambled eggs and olive oil. She ate that up in no time flat. Then I gave her a small amount of water which she drank all of. She is so thirsty it seems. Isolated her overnight with no access to food or water. This morning I awoke to lots of watery mutes on the floor. The towel was almost saturated. No solid poops. So I guess I know that water is moving through her. She was very alert and vocalizing, id say her normal self. But her crop was not empty. The mass Felt about the size of a golfball that felt like play-doh. I massaged it around a bit, her eyes closed, so not a great sign. I did let her drink water, it's like she is a magnet to it. Then I massaged it again. Tried to break up the mass. Changed her towel, and let her be again with the water. So is this impacted crop? The water can still get through her system. I don't plan on giving her any food today while I am away at work. Surgery is not an option, she is a farm critter not a pet. Although she is my favorite girl. Thanks for reading this all, need advice.
