Impaction with rocks??

[Southstar]

My friend and I both keep chickens and she brought one of hers to the vet today. My friend suspected sour crop, as the crop was like a balloon. Well, the vet took x-rays and the vet said that they appeared to be full sized rocks, not grit. When the vet went to flush her crop, the rocks were "adhered" to the walls of the crop. She was able to get a few out, but the rest are stuck on the crop wall. I will post pictures of the x-rays below. How did this even happen? I know chickens need grit, but are they able to get Pica?

The vet got all the fluid out of the crop. She said that if it refills, she'll have to operate to get the stones out.

 

[aart]

Chicken can gorge themselves on things, that often how impacted crop happens.
I slaughtered an older hen once whose gizzard was chock full of granite grit,
that's when I stopped leaving a container of it out a the time.

 

[Southstar]

Chicken can gorge themselves on things, that often how impacted crop happens.
I slaughtered an older hen once whose gizzard was chock full of granite grit,
that's when I stopped leaving a container of it out a the time.

Thanks for the reply. I'll pass this on to her.