MossyMountains
In the Brooder
- Jun 12, 2021
- 3
- 4
- 11
I found Margo on her side on the chicken coop's floor about a week ago. She injured her leg in what seems to be a fall from the roost. When I brought her inside, I realized her crop was huge and hard as a rock and determined that that's probably how she fell off her roost. It may have set her off balance.
Her leg healed quickly, but meanwhile I tried to do what I can for her crop. It was so hard that nothing moved around with massage. She had epsom salt soaks, more massage, lots of water and some olive oil. The oil seemed to really help, and the next day the hard crop was more malleable.
She finally pooped. It was large but very dry, which suggested impaction in her intestines from the dry crop. Not sure about that, but I was relieved to see it. Things seemed to be improving. Her appetite was fine, but I restricted her food intake. She's had cilantro, lettuce, eggs, and soaked feed. Yesterday, I left food with her without monitoring and she quite a lot.
But for most of yesterday she didn't poop except for once, and it was very liquid. Today she pooped once, and it's normal looking. But the crop is huge again and very hard. I've been giving her water by hand with apple cider vinegar.
She's not standing on her own anymore. It could be weakness from less food intake, but the crop could also be a part of the problem. I hold her on her feet and do therapy throughout the day. She'll go from collapsing down the floor while I'm holding her, to putting some weight on her legs. I don't think she has leg or hip injuries. I have experience with that, and this is looking more like weakness or something else.
At this point, what do I do? I've helped chickens recover from different things before, but I feel like with Margo she's become dependent on me to get her crop moving, and it just keeps getting impacted again. I've never culled a chicken, and would hate to give up and do that to her. But there isn't anywhere I can take her, and even if there was, we don't have any money.
What would you do? Thanks for any feedback you can give me.
Her leg healed quickly, but meanwhile I tried to do what I can for her crop. It was so hard that nothing moved around with massage. She had epsom salt soaks, more massage, lots of water and some olive oil. The oil seemed to really help, and the next day the hard crop was more malleable.
She finally pooped. It was large but very dry, which suggested impaction in her intestines from the dry crop. Not sure about that, but I was relieved to see it. Things seemed to be improving. Her appetite was fine, but I restricted her food intake. She's had cilantro, lettuce, eggs, and soaked feed. Yesterday, I left food with her without monitoring and she quite a lot.
But for most of yesterday she didn't poop except for once, and it was very liquid. Today she pooped once, and it's normal looking. But the crop is huge again and very hard. I've been giving her water by hand with apple cider vinegar.
She's not standing on her own anymore. It could be weakness from less food intake, but the crop could also be a part of the problem. I hold her on her feet and do therapy throughout the day. She'll go from collapsing down the floor while I'm holding her, to putting some weight on her legs. I don't think she has leg or hip injuries. I have experience with that, and this is looking more like weakness or something else.
At this point, what do I do? I've helped chickens recover from different things before, but I feel like with Margo she's become dependent on me to get her crop moving, and it just keeps getting impacted again. I've never culled a chicken, and would hate to give up and do that to her. But there isn't anywhere I can take her, and even if there was, we don't have any money.
What would you do? Thanks for any feedback you can give me.
