Lesson Learned: Crop Issues

Sour crop and impacted crops aren't the same problem. Candida (fungal infections) can happen without crop blockage. Sometimes the crop isn't emptying due to an intestinal problem. The biggest mistake people make is not recognizing the problem soon enough. The bird should be quarantined and denied food for 24 hours and only be allowed to drink. Docusate sodium caps do usher the emptying of the crop under most circumstances so long as enough water is consumed. I've seen it myself. The crop should be empty in the morning. Only then can soft, easily digestible foods be given and in small amounts periodically throughout the day. Water should be treated with poultry vitamin-probiotic powder for at least 3 days.

Sometimes Gongylonema ingluvicola worms can cause crop impaction, so to those who think you can prevent worms without anthelmintics, you might consider them if crop impactions are a recurring problem. Grit and proper diet is very important. Many people experience crop problems in their flocks if they are generally kept in a yard with no vegetation for awhile. When let out to range, they will gorge themselves on fibrous grasses. One way I stopped that years ago was keeping range grasses cut short, and supplementing kale and other greens in their yards on days I can't range them. The use of probiotic powders such as Probios, Gemthepax, ProGem Plus are all more readily activated in the gut than the common suggestions of yogurt so often seen on the forum, and contain the necessary flora or Fructooligosaccharides that feed good gut bacteria.

By all means, if someone doesn't want to treat on their own, and they have the money to go to a veterinarian every time a bird gets sick, do it.