- May 24, 2008
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I do have a hen who is not herself anymore for almost a week now. She seems that she has lost weight and does not eat any scratch grains anymore.
I checked for visible parasites, did not see any, but treated with poultry dust anyways. I mixed Diatomaceus Earth in their layer crumble and spread it in the run, too.
Two days ago I noticed a bigger crop than usual plus a slightly bad smell. I can feel scratch grains in her crop, so I syringed oil and massaged the crop. In addition I was withholding her food for 24 hrs, but gave her water with vitamins, electrolyes and ACV. It seemed smaller after 24 hrs, but I can still feel some scratch grains in there. I gave her some layer (processed in the food processor) with lots of probiotic yoghurt and hard boiled egg yolk crumble. She ate some of that, but big crop is back now (still in the morning) with some but less scratch grains in there.
Should I keep doing the oiling/massaging? Is it time for crop surgery? Is it possible that even if she passes scratch grains through the crop with the oil, it might just get stuck somewhere else. Any other good ideas how to help her?
UPDATE: I DID IT! I was feeling a strange object in her crop after doing this for 4 days, so I decided to do the surgery as it is described in the sticky post under emergencies for crop impaction. I should have done it earlier!!! It was easy, cut through the skin, cut into the crop. I cleaned it out and removed a piece of charcoal of good size out of her crop. She always likes to fly over the fence and must have gotten into my vegetable bed. Several years ago not anymore, when I did not have chickens) I have put ashes from the fire place or BBQ into my compost and later on the compost into my veggie garden. Guess, that is how she ate it.
Surgery went well, did not bleed much and I stopped it just with a sterile pad and some pressure, without stitches. She started to eat just a few hours later: soupy layer w/yoghurt, water see above....
After 4 days I have let her out of my hospital (dog transportation kennel), back with the flock. Some minor pecking order fights and establishments, but nothing serious. Today, a week later, she is eating, drinking, dust bathing etc. like nothing has ever happened. My only concern is, that she needs to put weight back on. Any suggestions?
I checked for visible parasites, did not see any, but treated with poultry dust anyways. I mixed Diatomaceus Earth in their layer crumble and spread it in the run, too.
Two days ago I noticed a bigger crop than usual plus a slightly bad smell. I can feel scratch grains in her crop, so I syringed oil and massaged the crop. In addition I was withholding her food for 24 hrs, but gave her water with vitamins, electrolyes and ACV. It seemed smaller after 24 hrs, but I can still feel some scratch grains in there. I gave her some layer (processed in the food processor) with lots of probiotic yoghurt and hard boiled egg yolk crumble. She ate some of that, but big crop is back now (still in the morning) with some but less scratch grains in there.
Should I keep doing the oiling/massaging? Is it time for crop surgery? Is it possible that even if she passes scratch grains through the crop with the oil, it might just get stuck somewhere else. Any other good ideas how to help her?
UPDATE: I DID IT! I was feeling a strange object in her crop after doing this for 4 days, so I decided to do the surgery as it is described in the sticky post under emergencies for crop impaction. I should have done it earlier!!! It was easy, cut through the skin, cut into the crop. I cleaned it out and removed a piece of charcoal of good size out of her crop. She always likes to fly over the fence and must have gotten into my vegetable bed. Several years ago not anymore, when I did not have chickens) I have put ashes from the fire place or BBQ into my compost and later on the compost into my veggie garden. Guess, that is how she ate it.
Surgery went well, did not bleed much and I stopped it just with a sterile pad and some pressure, without stitches. She started to eat just a few hours later: soupy layer w/yoghurt, water see above....
After 4 days I have let her out of my hospital (dog transportation kennel), back with the flock. Some minor pecking order fights and establishments, but nothing serious. Today, a week later, she is eating, drinking, dust bathing etc. like nothing has ever happened. My only concern is, that she needs to put weight back on. Any suggestions?
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