Impacted crop

[LazyOakes]

I noticed one of my ameraucana hens stretching her neck up excessively. On examining her, I found that her crop was huge and hard. I brought her inside, gave her water and left her for the night. In the morning, her crop hadn't emptied and was just as large. She only pooped a small amount. She isn't drinking a lot on her own, so I've been giving her syringes of water and massaging her crop, but it is so hard that I have been able to make little progress. It feels like there is grass or straw in her crop.

I read several posts about tube feeding, as well as this one on treating an impacted crop:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments

I am considering trying the Dulcolax and using a feeding tube to get her more fluids, but I have a few questions:

How much water should I give her at a time?
How much water does she need for the Dulcolax to be effective?
Can I reasonably expect to be able to clear the impaction if it is all grass or other vegetation with non surgical methods?

I do have an avian vet I can bring her to, and if I cannot help her in the next few days, I will do so, but if I can treat at home, I prefer to do that. Prior to this she has been eating and laying normally.

 

[maureenclaire]

Have you tried giving her olive oil? I have soaked tiny pieces of bread in olive oil to give a hen with an impacted crop. You need to lubricate the mass. Also try adding some apple cider vinegar to the drinking water. The oil and massaging the mass in a downward motion can help it move. Does she have foul breath?

 

[maureenclaire]

I just read through the link you posted. I tend to lean more toward natural fixes. Personally I would not use dulcolax. I have over 70 birds and have never had to resort to any drugs/medicines to treat them. Human medicines can be very harmful to animals. If you are more comfortable using a less holistic approach then my advice may not be what you're looking for.

 

[LazyOakes]

I have given her a little olive oil, but have read some conflicting information, some saying that oil can make an impacted crop worse, so I have been sticking to mostly water. I am open to any and all suggestions though and can certainly try giving her more oil. Her crop felt a bit less hard this morning and I was able to massage it much better. She still isn't drinking much so I gave her some watered down mash to get some water in her, and she happily devoured it.

 

[maureenclaire]

Oh yes, be prepared for tons of conflicting information here. It's really hard to find good advice sometimes. If she's eating that's a good sign. If you have multiple birds, and she's the low one in the pecking order she may be resorting to eating other things that aren't easily ground up by the crop. I saw a video of a hen who had started eating straw because she had gotten pushed out and picked on at the feeders. I watched a video of the vet doing a simple surgery to remove the mass and the amount of straw she had eaten was unreal. If the crop feels softer today that's good too. You should keep going with what you feel is right for you and your bird. The best advice I can give is to just remember that they are pretty hearty creatures. It takes some time for a bird to starve. Giving her the water is helpful. When they get too weak it's harder for them bounce back. Also, sometimes the crop gets sour and will fill up but it's usually more squishy than hard and the birds breath will be awful and almost fermented smelling. If you just give her some time and keep up with the TLC that you are currently giving you may be able to resolve the situation without resorting to other methods. I have emptied sour crops several times manually (kinda scary the first time)and have dealt with minor impaction issues without vets or meds. I hope you will have the same luck too. Let me know if I can offer any more info. I raise chickens, quail, turkeys and ducks and have over 70 birds right now. Vet visits can get expensive so I know any good help you can get in these situations can save you lots of money and time.

 

[casportpony]

I have given her a little olive oil, but have read some conflicting information, some saying that oil can make an impacted crop worse, so I have been sticking to mostly water. I am open to any and all suggestions though and can certainly try giving her more oil. Her crop felt a bit less hard this morning and I was able to massage it much better. She still isn't drinking much so I gave her some watered down mash to get some water in her, and she happily devoured it. 

Water is very important. When I have one with an impacted crop, I tube fluids to them, lots of fluids. Intestines need fluids to operate properly. Let me know if you want to learn how to tube, it's really quite simple, and very safe.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Before you give the DSS (Ducolax), probably a good idea to correct her hydration. Start with 5-15 ml per pound, massage crop a little, repeat in 60-90 minutes if fluid has cleared crop. Keep in mind that there could be an obstruction in her abdominal cavity or digestive tract.

-Kathy