Impacted Crop??

[Katebd]

Hey everyone. I am new to the group and to chicken life! We got our girls just a year ago but after a coop fire this winter, are now raising 3 new little ones in addition to our recovered flock. All has been well until the last couple days. Kazim is a little Isa Brown hen who has a great personality and plenty of gusto...however, she has a big crop. It is very hard and round..she however, is not. Here's the thing though, everything I have read says she will be lethargic and not hunger or thirsty but she is the opposite, still acting just fine, eating..drinking and with the flock...we put a dropper with some olive oil (just a few drops last night) but still crop is large. I am afraid to try to massage it out like I have seen, as I don't want to hurt her, but we dont have a vet around us that does chickens....any advice? Is it weird that she is not acting weird?

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Do you put out granite grit for your chickens to help them digest and grind up their food? Coconut oil or mineral oil are used by some to help treat an impacted crop, along with a lot of water and crop massage. Some reproductive disorders and ascites can cause a slowdown of the crop. Here are some good articles to read about crop problems:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Katebd]

Hi thanks! I am going to try giving her some coconut oil next tonight. the thing is, everything I read says she will be lethargic and not hungry and she is neither. she eats, she runs, she plays, she forages...so weird.

 

[Eggcessive]

She may have a pendulous crop which is when the crop gets stretched out from overeating. I have a couple of really big girls that do that. A crop bra sometimes can help. If you read through the 2 articles, one has a pattern for making one and how to use it. Or it could be a new impaction, and it may take some time to make her more sick. The earlier an impacted crop is treated the better the chances of recovery. Crop surgery is something that a vet can do to get out an impaction. Do you have grit available for them? What exactly do you feed them?

 

[Katebd]

Yes they have grit all the time. They free range a couple hours a day though in long grasses! we feed them chic food as they are just starting to lay and now switching over to lay formula. Otherwise, grass, that they pic, fruit when their grandma brings it over lol and some veggies when they are bad.

 

[Eggcessive]

Long grasses getting wound and clogging up the crop can be a common cause of impacted crop. I would try refrigerating the coconut oil, and chop a tsp and offer it up to her every day, then massage her crop several times a day. Water can help to flush out the crop.