Is this an impacted crop?

[BeccaSmith]

I have blue Orpington hen who's crop is really large and squishy, it feels like a giant water balloon. I was feeling it earlier and it made her vomit some of it. She also keeps moving her head in vertical circular motions, like she is trying to adjust her crop or move things around in there, I noticed the head movement thing yesterday as well but didn't pick her up at the time so her crop could have been like a balloon then. I'm familiar with sour crop, but she doesn't smell sour nor did her vomit, any suggestions on what I should do?

This morning her crop still feels like a water balloon. She is sill eating and acting normal and has normal poops. I'm not for forcing her to vomit or giving her oil or water via a syringe so I am wondering what my other options are? I have her inside this morning and haven't given her access to food or water yet until I figure out what is best to do.

Update: I have tried massing her crop and trying to get her to vomit some of the liquid but nothing will come up, also she is not interested in olive oil scrambled eggs as well.

 

[chicklover 1998]

My neighbor a block over is having the same trouble did you ever figure out the problem?

 

[BeccaSmith]

I did not not figure out what it was. I took her to a local vet, he used a feeding tube to try and suck the material out of her crop but it was to thick. He put her on two different medications. One to stimulate her crop muscle to work and another one for sour crop. The sour crop medication can be purchased through First State Vet Supply with out a prescription and for about the same quantity my vet gave me and probably a little cheaper. The one nice thing about the vet was he put it in a bottle that made it easy to draw the medication from. The Chicken Doctor with First State Vet Supply will not charge you for a phone consult if you are making a purchase from him. My hen still has her crop issue however she is no longer vomiting fluids. I stopped the medications after several rounds of both. I also bought a Crop Bra that she wears full time and it seems to help some. If I take it off her crop gets even bigger than it already is. Sometimes her crop is firm and sometime it is squishy, but it never completely empties overnight like it is supposed to.

 

[chicklover 1998]

hmm interesting, does she have any other problems other than this? she certainly is a unique hen.

 

[BeccaSmith]

Nope not at all. She is a total sweetheart. She eats, drinks, and poops normal and does not appear to be in pain or uncomfortable.

 

[chicklover 1998]

well probably just the norm. for her

 

[huntingirl]

Hope she's better soon!

 

[jlashaw]

An impacted Crop will be small and hard, sour crop stinks! SOUR Crop lol food sits in there and does not move. I recently purchased a few hens that are a year old and one is two. The Sussex is two, she's got the same issue. When first brought them home, they all had green poop. My first thought was fungal infection from eating wet/moldy feed. Sussex got louder and louder. Her crop doesn't empty at all. I first gave them Epsom salt water to flush the crop. Then I started them on Acidified Copper Sulfate, purchased at the local feed store. She's much quieter now. Her crop was smaller this morning.But still way too big and squishy. I do believe they had a huge load of parasites and are suffering from the fungal/yeast or thrush infection. I am now putting Apple Cider Vinegar in the water. ACV clears mucus from their mouths and crops. The Delaware hasn't changed at all. Hope this helps.