My chicken is sick! HELP! What to do?!

[Skippersnh]

I wouldnt give him food until his crop empties

 

[banana_chicken]

I wouldnt give him food until his crop empties

How do I empty his crop? Also how long does it take?

 

[TinaMarieofFL]

How do I empty his crop? Also how long does it take?

You don't empty his crop, his digestive system will do that. Make sure he has water always. You will know his system is working-he'll poop and the crop is reduce.

 

[ValerieJ]

The massaging will hopefully help clear his crop. I would massage with a downward motion so that he doesn't throw up.

Would anyone recommend sodium bicarbonate? I'm not sure if that is a digestive help to a rooster, but I think I have read it on here before. I'm not suggesting....just asking.

 

[coach723]

To massage you just gently knead it to try to break up the big wad so that it can be passed and digested. The more fluid you get in, the easier it will break up. It's hard to know what all is in there. I would massage every time you give him fluids and see how he is in the morning, if it's gone down any, or not. The coconut oil can also help things pass through once broken up. And let us know how it feels to you, like food, or doughy, or really hard. There is a recipe for a mix that I have used to break up a doughy crop, but I would make sure that it's moving at all before using it. You have to do it 3 times a day with lots of crop massage during. It takes a while to get it all in them. If the crop isn't moving at all, then I wouldn't use it. Since it sounds like he has possibly a respiratory issue going on also, the crop may be a separate issue, or part of the same thing affecting him.

 

[aart]

@banana_chicken read these articles for further info.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree that I would stay with liquids only—water with electrolytes and vitamins, and possibly a small amount of buttermilk or plain greek yogurt—until his crop empties. Massage as Coach discribed. If you felt comfortable with tube feeding, you could give more water into the crop.

 

[ValerieJ]

How is he this morning?