Impacted crop?

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

10 month old Silkie pullet, not started laying yet.
Jerks neck strangely like trying to get food unstuck, full large crop, can't feel any seeds/chick grower.
Possibly eating wood shavings but I have seen her regularly eat normal feed.
She is unstable/ offbalance sometimes and has droopy wings/ held more downward direction. She isn't as active as the others and doesn't venture far from the coop.
I have given her a haircut so she can see better but it didn't help her behaviour.
She's often standing on her own.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Have you felt her crop first thing in the morning before she's had a chance to eat or drink anything, to see if it's flat and empty?

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Have you felt her crop first thing in the morning before she's had a chance to eat or drink anything, to see if it's flat and empty?

Not first thing, I can set up a cage tonight for her to check tomorrow morning. I haven't dealt with crop issues before, something I haven't had to deal with yet! .. I just had a prolapse hen yesterday I'm just getting over having to end her suffering now this Hopefully this hen I can cure!

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Have you felt her crop first thing in the morning before she's had a chance to eat or drink anything, to see if it's flat and empty?

Morning! Crop feels large and full but slightly more squishy then last night. Pic of her overnight poos. Very small little poos compared to any other I've had! Very weird!

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

I am worried she's been eating wood shavings, I haven't used shavings before and now I won't ever again because they go for it like its corn!! If she's eating shavings and they aren't going through her crop but small amount of feed is then could that cause this problem, and small poos?
She doesn't smell so can't be sour crop?

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Any ideas what I can do to help her please? She keeps stumbling over and off balance walking too, she's light weight.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I'm sorry I'm not experienced with this. Have never seen poop like this. I know there is an article here about crop disorders but I don't know how to access it. I do, however, know whom to tag to help you. One of these Educators will assist:
@Eggcessive
@Wyorp Rock
@azygous

 

[DonyaQuick]

Morning! Crop feels large and full but slightly more squishy then last night.

Could be sour crop, which is a bacterial infection. Impacted crop can lead to sour crop, so you can have both. Sour crop feels very liquidy or maleable, whereas impacted or slow emptying crop can be just feel like a hard ball. This article was really useful when I dealt with these issues:

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

The treatments are different. If there's an impaction you may need to clear that first.

Any ideas what I can do to help her please? She keeps stumbling over and off balance walking too, she's light weight.

The coordination issues are a bad sign unfortunately. I had two chickens die this year, one with sour crop and cancer, and the other impacted crop combined with what was most likely eating something poisonous. I don't want to be overly grim but both of those struggled with movement in the few days leading up to the end.

 

[azygous]

Read the article on how to deal with crop disorders.

The first thing I suggest trying is coconut oil. Measure out two teaspoons of the oil and divide into bite-size pieces,then chill until hard. Feed one at a time into her beak. Get it all into her. Then massage her crop gently, but focus on breaking up any lumps you feel.

Is she getting grit? Sometimes chickens eat everything they find on the ground searching for grit. If you supply her with grit, it may solve her eating the wood shavings. Grit is also good for resolving crop disorders.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Read the article on how to deal with crop disorders.

The first thing I suggest trying is coconut oil. Measure out two teaspoons of the oil and divide into bite-size pieces,then chill until hard. Feed one at a time into her beak. Get it all into her. Then massage her crop gently, but focus on breaking up any lumps you feel.

Is she getting grit? Sometimes chickens eat everything they find on the ground searching for grit. If you supply her with grit, it may solve her eating the wood shavings. Grit is also good for resolving crop disorders.

I don't have coconut on hand but olive oil, is it possible to get her to drink that instead? All my flock have access to plenty of grit options outside lots of various rocks around on the ground... and also always shell available for calcium /grit in the coop.
Should I isolate her/ cage within the flock with grit in feed and water to herself? Also vitamins in water too? No bedding to munch on but can put her on grassy area.