Lethargic hen

[critterkeeper25]

Today when I let my hens out to play, one of our Buckeye hens remained in the run. She was just standing there with her eyes half closing. I went in the house and changed into my grubbies figuring that I would have to do some inspection which may mean that I would be in contact with a poopy butt.

I picked the hen up and tucked her under my arm like a football. I wanted to inspect her bottom so I had her with her head facing behind me. I tipped her slightly to check her for poopy butt, her bottom was fine. However, as I was inspecting her bottom, I felt a warm sensation on the side of the leg below the hen. When I set the hen down and looked at myself, the entire side of my jeans, in the thigh area, was soaking wet. Apparently, my hen's crop was distended with fluid or water. I felt her crop, and it was very spongy..

I am thinking that she may have sour crop? After I put her down, she walked very slowly to the warm south side of our house to be with the other hens.

I have read on other threads to treat this with ACV in water, good quality yogurt mixed with chick feed?

I have a very good quality probiotic capsule that I take myself. Would it be okay to mix that with a little warm water and acv with the chicken feed? Or do I not give feed for a period of time and only give acv water with probiotics, wait to see attitude improvement and then give feed mixed with acv and probiotics?

Also, is it imperative that she be separated from the others?

 

[critterkeeper25]

Just an update. I saw her poop in the dog kennel where I have isolated her. It was green as grass with a blob in the center that was the color of mustard.

Sour crop?

 

[azygous]

To be sure your hen actually has sour crop, it's best to check her crop both at roosting time, then again first thing in the morning before she eats. If it's sour crop, the crop will still be full, soft and spongy in the morning.

The best treatment is an anti-yeast drug such as Miconazole Nitrate. It's inexpensive and can be found in the pharmacy where they have women's products for yeast infections.

You can use both the suppositories and the cream, portioning out doses of about a quarter inch. Treat twice a day for about a week.

And yes, greenish, watery poop is one indication of sour crop. But to be sure, do the crop check in the morning before you feed your hen.

 

[critterkeeper25]

Thank you for your response! I checked her crop this morning before letting her out of the dog house. It is still fat and squishy, just like yesterday. She is still in that house, hasn't come out at all. Is it okay to feed her?

 

[azygous]

Sour crop robs the appetite. You may offer the patient dry crumbles, scratch grain, anything non-acidic. Plain water.

Do begin the anti-yeast treatment. Sour crop can kill if allowed to go on too long. I break the waxy suppositories into quarter-inch pieces, and place one just inside the beak twice a day. If you run out of the suppositories, squeeze a finger-nail size dollop out of the tube onto your finger and wipe it onto her lower beak.

You'll should see dramatic improvement after a couple days.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

Thank You SO Much! Just noticed my older hen has such and may have had for a while. Will use yeast stuff (tube) from Wally World, Plain Yogurt & may give her some scrambled eggs as stated on the link.
BYC Rocks!!

 

[critterkeeper25]

Well, I bought the Miconazole and dosed her 2x a day for 2 days, isolated her, gave her acv water at first by the syringe dripping onto her beak then she drank on her own. Even scrambled some egg for her which she ate. However, our lovely Dottie died this morning. I went out to let her out of the dog house and she was lying in the corner with her head down and her eyes closed. She couldn't get up on her own. I picked her up and laid her down on a flake of hay. She wouldn't drink or eat. By 11:00 this morning she passed away.

I'm going to have my husband examine her crop and internal organs. Just to be sure that there isn't anything that we should be concerned about that could affect the other birds.

Good Bye my sweet "Dottie". I will miss giggling about your huge feather pantiloons and having you follow me around the yard.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

Well, I bought the Miconazole and dosed her 2x a day for 2 days, isolated her, gave her acv water at first by the syringe dripping onto her beak then she drank on her own. Even scrambled some egg for her which she ate. However, our lovely Dottie died this morning. I went out to let her out of the dog house and she was lying in the corner with her head down and her eyes closed. She couldn't get up on her own. I picked her up and laid her down on a flake of hay. She wouldn't drink or eat. By 11:00 this morning she passed away.

I'm going to have my husband examine her crop and internal organs. Just to be sure that there isn't anything that we should be concerned about that could affect the other birds.

Good Bye my sweet "Dottie". I will miss giggling about your huge feather pantiloons and having you follow me around the yard.

My condolences & Hugs. My girl's crop went down within 10 hrs of being penned up. Gave her Yogurt mixed with cornmeal & some feed this morning. I understood the water needs to be changed more often & to isolate her from food, water every month or so.. I'll update my Gratitude List Now.