Minnesota!

[Rhetts]

I'm pretty sure she has an impacted crop, checked them a few minutes ago and her crop is still full (4:45 am) the rest of the girls' crops are empty. I may have to take a day off of work today and treat her for that. any good suggestions? i'm reading an article right now on using dulcolax, water, and massage of the crop, every hour until it is moving again. sigh, if it is not one thing, it is another...

I had a EE pullet a few weeks ago with an impacted crop. I read up here on BYC on what to do. She made it through and has been OK since. We tubed vitamin water and massaged. Hope things get turned in the right direction for her.

Another topic.......what a crappy morning for chores!! it dropped 16 degrees while I was out there. AWESOME!! and the wind!! WHEW!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

HA. The wives in our group of friends is dragging us husbands to that movie on Valentines Day. Not my type of movie but it is Valentine's Day after all...

When the evening is all said and done it, you might reflect and think it was a "GREAT movie." Just saying, Scott.

Does a chicken crop have anything to do with 50 shades of Grey? lol - couldn't help myself. Just kidding. Back to chickens, ahem.

Too Funny you guys.

and YES, ahem...back to chickens.

 

[Scott16475]

When the evening is all said and done it, you might reflect and think it was a "GREAT movie." Just saying, Scott.

You may just be right, Bogtown Chick

 

[Cluckies]

I had a EE pullet a few weeks ago with an impacted crop. I read up here on BYC on what to do. She made it through and has been OK since. We tubed vitamin water and massaged. Hope things get turned in the right direction for her.

Another topic.......what a crappy morning for chores!! it dropped 16 degrees while I was out there. AWESOME!! and the wind!! WHEW!

I don't have the supplies yet to tube, ordered some and will be running up town. very nervous to do it though. but if she doesn't start drinking gonna have to.

 

[duluthralphie]

I had a EE pullet a few weeks ago with an impacted crop. I read up here on BYC on what to do. She made it through and has been OK since. We tubed vitamin water and massaged. Hope things get turned in the right direction for her.

Another topic.......what a crappy morning for chores!! it dropped 16 degrees while I was out there. AWESOME!! and the wind!! WHEW!

It is bone numbing cold and windy!

I have not let my birds out today and am contemplating not letting the out. They have a covered run. If I do let them out, they will just sit next to the coop and not mill about at all. No matter what I think I will have frozen eggs today.

Maybe I should just make a warm toddy and crawl back in bed, and get up tomorrow after I win the drawing.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Cluckies: This whole sour crop thing has to be a nightmare. Knock on wood I have not dealt with that one.

Do you give greens in the winter? I have always feared my birds eating hay or straw and getting blocked up, so I do throw a handful of spinach or kale everyday through the winter. I think they really crave that stuff. And if they don't have it they try getting down the straw and such.

Have you tried vomitting her yet? Holding her upside down and manually squeezing the mass and fermented stuff out. Have to be careful as they can aspirate too. I've heard olive oil drops and massage to help ease the blockage through.

Once cleared then you need to start her back on a mash of water and feed real...easy. Not letting her over eat etc. Small spaced out meals so her crop doesnt sour and block again. Some people have used monistat or anti yeast to help with the flora in the crop once it's cleared.

Ginger and garlic also helps the digestive system.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

http://www.twincitypoultrysupplies....ain_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=210

This product looks interesting. I just saw it on a thread and the person trying it is reporting some success with it.

I know also others that had difficulties with sour crop and then got it cleared and had a successful outcome used a canvasy cloth with stretch like straps --like thin ACE wrap and applied pressure on the crop to keep the food moving along after the crop was so stretched out.

Edited to add that the product is Colace and I think that's OTC now at discount stores.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have a couple questions, how do you know you have an impacted crop?

Can they recover on their own?

Is there anything to do to prevent this? Like not using hay or grass in the coop as Bogtown says?


I am wondering if Brutus could have died from that, I had used grass hay in the nest boxes and the birds threw it all out on the ground. I caught a couple nibbling on the grass hay so I changed it out for chips.
When Brutus died he looked healthy and then was dead in the morning, shocked me, I had no idea he was ever sick.

I know this will not be a comfort Cluckies, I remember my grandparents saying if you notice a sick chicken you notice a dying chicken. I know they were old time farmers and did not give much value to a chicken having much value by itself.

When I pressed them why they would say that, and please excuse me if I get this somewhat wrong as it has been decades since I even talked to my Grandparents, a chicken has a very high tolerance to pain and illness and seldom shows any indication of the pain they are in. Later I heard or read somewhere this is because chickens are a prey animal and showing any sign of weakness is asking to be eaten by something.

So far the only birds I have found to be sick died on me. Other than ICU baby who was simply pecked too much and did find once the pecking ended and she healed. I am just wondering if I am not doing something wrong or maybe a bad chicken keeper.




On a funny note, I went out and opened the chicken door, no chickens went out it, I collected eggs. When I go into the coop I have to go through a feed storage area. I have chickens that just wait for the human door to open so they can run out it. I was very careful to not let any chickens out the human door. I failed 2 chickens got through it.

I played chicken Yo-Yo with those two chickens. I could not open the human door to put them back in the coop or 3 more would have come out. Instead I would push them out the outside door to the great outdoors. They did not want to be in the great outdoors. They would run back into the coop. I must have pushed/ thrown them out about a dozen times before I threw them far enough that I could get the door closed.

Every time I pushed them back they squawked and ran/flew back to me. Even though I was freezing my cute little behind off, it was funny and brought a smile to my day.

 

[Chickenchick11]

I'm not sure how much it will help but I dealt with a sour/impacted crop last year and thanks to some great people on BYC my hen recovered. I'll post the link to my thread.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/893065/please-help-i-think-my-hen-has-sour-crop

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Ralphie: I believe the tell tale for Sour crop is Lethargy and a Non Emptied crop in the AM. Poor things. Very bulbous looking.

My birds have hay and oak leaves in their run for winter footing and I have to say that I still see them with a stick of hay still hanging out of the beak sometimes. Makes me nervous. But if I can reduce them craving the greens so that they dont gorge themselves on long strands of hay then I'll give it my best shot. Hay and Straw has been used for years in chickening though...and used with success. Except for that chook here or there that decides to load themselves on it. Chickens keep us humble. And they have minds of their own or predisposition for issues. I think that's just something we need to accept sometimes and just do our best to head off issues...if we can.

Edited to Add that I think adding that grit in those winter runs also helps keep things pushed along and ground/ digested well.