Lots of white banded eggs and a slow crop

[HeatherKellyB]

How to treat sour crop and impacted crop and how to know which one you're dealing with

Here’s a fantastic article that covers crop issues. I wish you the very best

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I'll tag one more of our extremely knowledgeable folks. I see many of my favorites have already been tagged (and replied), but just in case she has anything to add @azygous

 

[Lizzy733]

With sexlinks, shell quality will be all over the place as the age. You may want to treat with extra calcium if it isn't already offered on the side or direct dose, but it's likely this is her new norm.

One if my hens had a reproductive infection shortly after she went into lay and once she recovered, her heat tolerance was notably worse than her sisters and her shell quality was all over the place - similar to you rings, or often hard but corrugated as well.

They do not fare well long-term. I've lost all mine over winter this year at 3 years old. All different stuff, lumps, hunger strike, and the third we culled as she was also on hunger strike with signs of organ failure.

With her crop, can you feel any air bubbles in there and how does her breath smell? Sour crop is caused by a yeast infection - I'd you've ever had a sourdough starter, that's what it smells like and it will produce gas bubbles in the crop.

A mild infection may start out as slight puffiness or swelling that is noticeable, even when empty with reduced crop emptying.

It may also be visible in the mouth or around the vent if bad enough and commonly can put them off their food.

 

[NatureGirl74]

With sexlinks, shell quality will be all over the place as the age. You may want to treat with extra calcium if it isn't already offered on the side or direct dose, but it's likely this is her new norm.

One if my hens had a reproductive infection shortly after she went into lay and once she recovered, her heat tolerance was notably worse than her sisters and her shell quality was all over the place - similar to you rings, or often hard but corrugated as well.

They do not fare well long-term. I've lost all mine over winter this year at 3 years old. All different stuff, lumps, hunger strike, and the third we culled as she was also on hunger strike with signs of organ failure.

With her crop, can you feel any air bubbles in there and how does her breath smell? Sour crop is caused by a yeast infection - I'd you've ever had a sourdough starter, that's what it smells like and it will produce gas bubbles in the crop.

A mild infection may start out as slight puffiness or swelling that is noticeable, even when empty with reduced crop emptying.

It may also be visible in the mouth or around the vent if bad enough and commonly can put them off their food.

She actually did fine last winter and didn't stop laying even when the temp was in the negatives. She does have oyster shell available. Every egg she's laid has had calcium deposits. She's very hungry. Her crop wasn't squishy. I'll check to see if it smells tomorrow. It hasn't felt puffy. I can only feel food.

 

[Lizzy733]

She actually did fine last winter and didn't stop laying even when the temp was in the negatives. She does have oyster shell available. Every egg she's laid has had calcium deposits. She's very hungry. Her crop wasn't squishy. I'll check to see if it smells tomorrow. It hasn't felt puffy. I can only feel food.

Yeah, hybrids don't stop laying through their first winter and shell quality sounds typical of a commercial layer. My silkie's the same age and her eggs have never had these sorts of problems, but all 3 of my shavers did.

Hopefully it is just a pendulous crop then. I haven't had that one pop up in my flock yet.

 

[NatureGirl74]

Yeah, hybrids don't stop laying through their first winter and shell quality sounds typical of a commercial layer. My silkie's the same age and her eggs have never had these sorts of problems, but all 3 of my shavers did.

Hopefully it is just a pendulous crop then. I haven't had that one pop up in my flock yet.

I can smell a little odor coming from her beak, but you can barely smell it. It wasn't exactly like a sourdough starter. Her crop has a tiny bit of food and maybe a little water in it this morning, but she had already been eating and drinking today. When I let her out a few days ago she made a beeline for the feeder. She hasn't acted off. Her crop just doesn't always empty. Sometimes it's completely empty and sometimes it's half full in the morning. I'll try to make a crop bra for her today and see if that helps.