My chicken at something she can't pass from a pan.

[yureidesu]

This picture is of Arti, She at the silicone off of a pan after we temporarily used it because their normal feeder fell and broke. It never crossed my mind that She would eat the silicone off it but today She was making a noise She never makes so I felt her crop and clearly feel it... Anything can be done? I'm really nervous about it. I can't afford another vet visit. ;-;

 

[azygous]

Chances are very good that this silicone will pass right on through. It's inert and non-toxic in its final state, and as long as she hasn't eaten a boat-load of it, she should be fine. Let her eat her regular food, provide grit and plenty of fresh water.

 

[yureidesu]

Chances are very good that this silicone will pass right on through. It's inert and non-toxic in its final state, and as long as she hasn't eaten a boat-load of it, she should be fine. Let her eat her regular food, provide grit and plenty of fresh water.

That makes me feel better. She ate it 3 or 4 days ago. does that change anything on the prognosis? it's about the size of a human thumb. A hair is bigger because it's the thumb part of the handle that you put your thumb onto.

 

[azygous]

If it's been in her crop for that long and it's as large as a thumb, it may be necessary to cut the crop open and fish it out. Do you have a vet that could do this? If not, you may need to do it yourself. I can instruct you.

 

[yureidesu]

That sounds really scary. I just took another to the vet for sour crop so I have no money left.
If I did decide to do that would you call?

 

[gtaus]

She ate it 3 or 4 days ago. does that change anything on the prognosis?

Chickens have a very short digestive tract. What they eat gets process in their body and what is not used is sent out as poo in a matter of a few hours. I don't think silicone would have harmed her in any way, but especially now that it has been days, you should not have anything to worry about.

FWIW, I never consider bringing a chicken into our local vets. For the price of a single vet visit, I could replace my entire backyard flock of 10 chicken 2 or 3 times over. I am the vet for my flock. I do what I can to nurse a sick chicken back to health and over the years I have gotten better. I have lost a few birds, but most of the time I learned how to better treat the next chicken.

I know many people treat their chickens as household pets and the cost of a vet visit is OK with them. In my case, I'm not one of those people. But my way of not going to the vet has allowed me to financially raise small animals for many years. I applaud you for asking questions on the BYC forums and trying to treat your chicken yourself. In the long run, you will be a much better caregiver for your flock if you can treat them yourself. Dealing with sick animals and working through an occasional loss is part of the process, but it will make you better.

 

[gtaus]

it's about the size of a human thumb.

Are you sure she ate something that big? I don't think any of my chickens ever ate something that big. Still, it has been 3 or 4 days, and if your chicken appears to eating and drinking normally, I would not do anything.

IF, you know that something is stuck in the crop and your chicken is going downhill, then maybe I would attempt more drastic measures like surgery. Check out this YouTube video on:

Impacted Crop Surgery​

 

[azygous]

We don't usually make house calls or phone calls, if that's what you mean.

Chickens can swallow large things as big as a mouse or lizard. Those things do dissolve in a crop over several days, but a large piece of silicone is too large to pass into the proventriculus as would a much smaller piece. This may not be causing a problem now, but it can form an obstruction at some point and prevent food from leaving the crop, causing starvation. Leaving the large piece of silicone in the crop indefinitely is not advisable.

 

[gtaus]

Leaving the large piece of silicone in the crop indefinitely is not advisable.

If the chicken did eat a large piece of silicone and it is not passing from the crop, is it possible to turn the chicken upside down and have the chicken vomit out the large piece - like some people do for sour crop? Might be less intrusive than a surgery if it would work.

Getting Our Chicken to Regurgitate - Managing Sour Crop in Our Copper Maran Hen​