Impacted crop

[casportpony]

Michelle, can you tell what is in her crop? Is it grain, crumbles, pellets, grass, leaves, etc? You should be able to dampen her feathers, part them and you might be able to see through her skin. If you can't see through, you should be able the feel the contents.

Kathy

 

[enola]

I also think there may be some kind of fibrous junk in her crop.

 

[Michelle2639]

Here's the update. I got home from work last night after 10pm and she was sleeping so I checked on her but didn't mess with her. I got up this morning and immediately did the dose of stool softener and got about 6 to 8 ml's of water into her and then did a good massage of the crop. It doesn't look like she's drinking on her own. I did come up with a pretty good idea though. I stuck a bowl of snow in there for her and she's pecking at that so she should get some water in that way. She did have one poop this morning, kind of watery white and brown. I'm getting concerned because the crop contents don't seem to be getting much smaller. Kathy, it is tennis ball size and to me it feels like wet clay with rocks mixed in. I can squish it but it's hard. When I do massage it, the smell coming out of her mouth is really gross. She doesn't seem lethargic or anything. I'm just worried that I didn't notice this soon enough. I don't want to let her starve to death or get toxic. I have the whole day off today so I can devote it to her but if she isn't any better through the weekend I'll have to have my husband put her down. I am going to order the wormer and go ahead and treat all the girls, just to be on the safe side. Thanks so much for all your help guys.

 

[TwoCrows]

I sent you a pm.

 

[casportpony]

I suspect the food in her crop is going rancid and that now' there's bacteria and/or yeast. 6-8ml of water at a time is no where near enough water, that's how much i would give a small chick. I guarantee if you try tubing you will kick yourself for not trying it on day one.

Crop feeding videos

These are using a crop needle, not a plastic tube.




This one uses a tube like I use​

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Pictures:










Ignore the fact that it says to avoid them, look at the sharp tube on the left and the melted tube on the right, that's what needs to be done with aquarium air line.


-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

More pictures:
How To Crop Feed Your Bird Diagram



-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting that you tube any food. Info can be used for water, too.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Crop stasis

Delayed crop emptying is one of the most common problems seen in psittacine chicks. More often than not, improper management such as cold feeding formula or cold environmental temperature causes crop stasis. Crop stasis in turn can result in overgrowth of Gram-negative bacteria and/or yeast within the gastrointestinal tract.

If not treated promptly and aggressively, crop stasis can lead to severe dehydration, septicemia, and death. The first priority is to clean the crop and initiate supportive care. In some cases oral fluids can be used to soften inspissated crop contents, which may then be removed through a feeding tube. Repeat this procedure several times until the crop is clean, but take care when aspirating crop contents. The crop wall is fragile and can be damaged by aggressive suction.

Diagnostic tests should include crop cytology and culture. Complete blood count (CBC), biochemistry panel, and whole body radiographs will assist in evaluation of the bird’s overall condition.

Fluids are crucial in the treatment of crop stasis (see Fluid Therapy). Many patients will benefit from subcutaneous fluids, but administer intravenous fluids to severely dehydrated chicks. Once the crop is emptied, give a small amount of fluid by tube and wait a few hours before feeding. Initially provide smaller volumes of formula more frequently. It may also be prudent to offer more dilute formula for the first feeding or two. Metoclopramide (0.5 mg/kg IM initially, then PO every 8 hrs) and cisapride (0.5 mg/kg PO every 8 hrs) can be used as gastrointestinal motility stimulants. (See Crop Stasis for more information on this condition.)

From:
http://www.lafebervet.com/avian-med...e-husbandry-related-developmental-conditions/


-Kathy

 

[purplesquirrel]

One of my girls appears to have an impacted crop.  It's softball size and hard.   I've never had to deal with this before. She's my anti-social hen too, so it's a bear to handle her. I don't know if I feel comfortable doing anything invasive but I have read to try giving them oil and massaging the crop a couple times a day. I'm going to try that. Is there anything else I should try and how long should I give it before I make the decision to cull? Thanks

I had an impacted crop for the first time about a month ago!
I panicked and thought she was going to die, and the only vet was going to charge me hundreds of pounds and I don't have any money.

SO!
This is what you want to do....(and I had no idea before, i read so much stuff)

* You need to bring her inside, preferably in your bedroom so you can keep an eye on her, I spent the whole day with my hen, so it's pretty important you do this to keep an eye on her.
Make a bed for her in a box with clean bedding, and water in a bowl, NO FOOD...if she's still trying to eat.

* Hold her in your arms and use a syringe (I only had a pipette) and force feed her Luke warm water.
If she refuse to take it and gets too distressed, just sit with her and keep her calm and secretly drip warm water onto her beak, she'll get confused about where it's coming from and constantly swallow it.

* Next, hold her on your lap! tail facing your chest, and massage her crop! roll your fingers around the solid mass as if 'playing the piano' in a wave motion with all your fingers, using your index finger to massage as hard as she will take, to break up bits, as if breaking up balls of hard soil.
She won't be alright with it after a while but just talk to her, give her some more warm water, and do it again, for 10 minutes at a time (it gets tedious)...

* then do the same process using olive oil! lots of oil, keep dripping it on her beak and when she goes to lick it! stick as much in her mouth as possible when she opens her beak, obviously at 3-4 seconds intervals so she doesn't choak. Massage and repet. Basically you want to fill her with as much liquid as possible to flush it through and also helps you to massive and dissolve the clumps of whatever it is inside.

* then let her rest for maybe half an hour! then use cider vinegar as it is very acidic! and works like stomach acid and will break the food down in her crop.
Mix with 2/3rds water and start the process all over again.
Then with warm water, and then massage. Then let her rest for half an hour to an hour...

The key here is massaging as much as possible, and fluids.
The hole in the crop to the stomach, is not at the bottom of the crop sack, it's sort've 1/3rd up, so massing with a pushing and slight lifting motion helps a lot, after I had researched in detail the crop. Don't just massage direct downwards.
Use your index finger and thumb to wiggle and break bits up.

After a couple hours of me doing this, my hen started doing HUGE old, big poos filled with tangled coarse grass and bindweed, she popped so much, she even got hungry and I fed her pellets, but with lots of water, and only a small amount.
By 12 hours so she was totally empty. And a very happy chicken!

Massage and fluids is key!!!