Large crop sagging over breast bone (or sternum)

[brooky]

Hi Folks, we have a chicken that has had a large crop from some time. It seems bloated but is soft to the touch and you can feel all the food inside. I can put my finger under it and it sags over my finger and breastbone. It seems happy enough and is eating and laying. It's more than a handful if you hold the crop in your hand.

Should I be doing anything?

 

[top of the hill]

look up sour crop or slow crop.

I have a girl with this issue and if left untreated it can be deadly. Its good that its still squishy and she's still active. From what I understand, its full and squishy because of all the gases that are building up in there as the food that is stuck ferments.

To help, seperate her and do not feed her for 24 hours. give her water mixed with apple cider vinegar - 2 tbls per gallon (the organic kind with "the mother" - I use Braggs and you can buy it at Stop & Shop in organic isle) that should combat the bacteria and help clear out her system. some people also vomit their birds however for the unexperienced, you could potentially "drown" her.

This morning I gave my girls crop a good massage and she vomited herself twice. I then put her in a dog crate (in the coop so she's still amongst the other girls) and gave her a little yogurt to peck at. Good probiotics!

Hope this helps and good luck!

Edited to add - only need to do this if the crop is not empty in the morning (hense the 24 hr no food thing).

 

[brooky]

Thanks for your reply. I just went out side and massaged her crop I tried to genty squeeze it but I'm not noticing any bad smells.. Maybe its slow crop..

I have noticed that we have been giving them oyster shell and no grit after being given bad advice that it is grit!! Maybe that has something to do with it. We already had a chicken with crop problems out of the three we have so we seem to be a bit unlucky!

I'll take your advice... shame we haven't got a cage... but I might be able to think of something.

 

[brooky]

I have already given them probiotic yoghurt which they loved. It's still all over her face. Ha.

 

[top of the hill]

yeah, I borrowed a friends dog crate... they have a huge german shepard so it takes up the whole coop, lol!

Hoping my girl get better soon, she was a bit more active this mornng and tried to peck at the very thing that clogged her up... grass!

 

[brooky]

Ok well I don't think I will separate. I will just add more apple cider vinegar to the water and give them all more yoghurt (can only be good for them) and buy some proper grit.

Hopefully it will improve.. she is very active and seems totally fine (for now).

If that doesn't work I'll separate her and keep a closer eye on her. Thanks for all your help and advice. Hope yours recovers fast.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Here's some information on crop surgery.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=229796

 

[Michigan Transplant]

I have about the same problem I think. Hen's crop is large from eating I thought. I have observed her eating and drinking. She walks around but is getting to where she will just go and stand by the pen door like she wants to go back in with the others. I can't put her in there since they had her in the corner pecking at her.
Don't know what is going on with her but seems like she is getting weaker. She is still eating when I put something down for her and was drinking when I went out there this morning.

ANY ideas as to what is going on with her? And what I need to do? She also has had runny poop for the past few days. Is she starving to death although her crop is large? Any thoughts as to what I need to do before she dies? THANKS.

 

[brooky]

Feed her probiotic yoghurt and put apple cider vinegar in her water. We actually had another chicken with this problem and that quickly fixed her. The problem we have now isn't quite the same but I think it will help. Starting treatment at sunrise.