Impacted crop

[MotherOfChickens]

Ugh... one of my hens has an impacted crop. When I felt her crop this morning it was hard like a baseball. I massaged it and it softened up a smidge. Feels like it is full of grit. Does olive oil really help it get moving?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Ugh... one of my hens has an impacted crop. When I felt her crop this morning it was hard like a baseball. I massaged it and it softened up a smidge. Feels like it is full of grit. Does olive oil really help it get moving?

Olive or Coconut oil may help get it moving. Massage well to help break it up.
If that doesn't work, then 1 stool softener might help.
She needs to be drinking, but I would withhold food for a day too. No need to add more to the crop (except fluids).
A lot of times it depends on why the crop is impacted - if there is an underlying condition, that can make it harder to clear. An impacted crop can turn sour fairly quickly as well, so keep that in mind and monitor it closely.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments

 

[Shezadandy]

Ugh... one of my hens has an impacted crop. When I felt her crop this morning it was hard like a baseball. I massaged it and it softened up a smidge. Feels like it is full of grit. Does olive oil really help it get moving?

Ugh, poor thing. The 2nd article above is my favorite reference because it gives multiple alternatives on how to treat.

Good things to have around:
Stool softeners (plain (Docusate Sodium 100mg)
Poultridrench
1ml syringe
35ml feeder syringe
puppy feeding tube

If you're comfortable with the eventuality of crop surgery just in case --- (only had to do that once when EVERYTHING failed to undo her knot of hay/straw/feathers), you might want to start ordering supplies - scalpel, sutures, forceps etc -- amazon has most of it -- but it took a couple days. Hopefully it doesn't come to that- but it's always good to have these things at the ready.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Thank you all for the tips!!!

I have placed her in a crate with only water this morning. I massaged her crop, to the best of my knowledge on how to do so, and although it is still huge, it is not near as rock hard.

Do any of you have a video of how to correctly massage an impacted crop?