isolate in coop or away?

[arundel]

My 2.5 year old RIR Henry-Etta has had a soft crop for over a week and massaging hasn't worked (my sense of smell is really bad so I can't tell if she is sour or yeasty). Yesterday her crop was hard and I gave her half a teaspoon of coconut oil and this morning it is softer. But it also has been getting bigger. She has stopped laying eggs this week but is otherwise lively and eating just as actively as the other 3 chickens. I bought a wire dog cage to isolate her so I can control her food intake and observe her closely, but in all my reading posts and articles about isolation I cant figure out if she should be isolated inside the enclosed run (predator proof) or in the coop itself or away from the other chickes altogether. Should I bring her in the house or maybe keep her outside on my deck and cover it at night to help keep her warm. I am in coastal BC and it's around 3 - 5 degrees at night. Where do others isolate their chickens?

 

[Shadrach]

My 2.5 year old RIR Henry-Etta has had a soft crop for over a week and massaging hasn't worked (my sense of smell is really bad so I can't tell if she is sour or yeasty). Yesterday her crop was hard and I gave her half a teaspoon of coconut oil and this morning it is softer. But it also has been getting bigger. She has stopped laying eggs this week but is otherwise lively and eating just as actively as the other 3 chickens. I bought a wire dog cage to isolate her so I can control her food intake and observe her closely, but in all my reading posts and articles about isolation I cant figure out if she should be isolated inside the enclosed run (predator proof) or in the coop itself or away from the other chickes altogether. Should I bring her in the house or maybe keep her outside on my deck and cover it at night to help keep her warm. I am in coastal BC and it's around 3 - 5 degrees at night. Where do others isolate their chickens?

Here are two articles that should be helpfull.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

There is no need to isolate your hen. The stress of being isolated from her friends is likely to do more harm than the convenience to you is worth.
Bring her into the house to treat her and then put her back with the group.

 

[arundel]

Thank you for the articles - the first one I had read, the second one is really informative and useful, thanks. However, references in it to isolating in order to observe still don't mention if the isolated chicken should be removed from the flock. I am thinking yes, to reduce what I expect to be anxiety being close to but not able to run with the other chickens.

 

[Shadrach]

Thank you for the articles - the first one I had read, the second one is really informative and useful, thanks. However, references in it to isolating in order to observe still don't mention if the isolated chicken should be removed from the flock. I am thinking yes, to reduce what I expect to be anxiety being close to but not able to run with the other chickens.

Isolation has been a recommendation primarily from medical text books that were written for commercial chicken keeping concerns. I have found that two or three days is about the limit before the stress of isolation becomes a negative influence on recovery. There are instances where isolation is necessary, but crop disorders are not one of them.

 

[arundel]

Thank you so much. I will proceed without.