My Chickens Crop won't empty and she is very thin

[rebrascora]

Just to give you a full range of opinions on this, I would separate her for the reason given above in that she needs a restricted diet (liquid only) and poop monitoring, but also bring her into the warmth of the house and maybe also give her a heat source. The reason being that she has already essentially been living off her body condition because not enough food is passing through her system and if she is now bone thin she has no body reserves left to keep her warm, so providing a heat source will safe her from burning off more energy than she can afford.
How old is she and what breed? Crop problems can be as a result of a problem with the crop and it's contents or due to a blockage lower down the digestive tract causing her to get backed up. Reproductive problems suffered by older hens commonly cause the latter. A bit of history about the bird and your ownership of her and management might help. Does she have access to long grass or fibrous material... hay/straw alfalfa? Do you provide grit? The more information you can give us the better chance we have of figuring out why she is having this problem and the best way to proceed.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I read the articles Thank you very much. I do have one question, should I remove her from her flock and bring her in the house or would she be happier with her friends?
I thought since its cold outside she might be more comfortable in the house but more scared!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, but for me, I normally leave them with the flock. You can cage her inside the coop since it's cold, but her on some puppy pads so you can see her poop.
If she is brought inside and kept for several days, you may have to go through an introduction period and/or re-acclimate her to cold temps especially if she is kept warm.

As @Eggcessive mentioned often times there is an underlying condition that is causing the crop issue. Getting some testing to rule out worms and coccidiosis is always a good idea. Feel her abdomen for bloat/swelling/fluid - I have also found that reproductive problems seem to go hand-in-hand with crop problems.
Follow the instructions in the articles linked. I usually start with coconut oil and give it a day or so to see if there is improvement. Then I proceed with the next step of adding a stool softener (stimulant) free. Massaging the crop a few times a day does seem to help if it's going to start clearing. I will withhold food for up to 24hrs if need be as well, but water is always available during waking hours. Also I don't give a bird with crop problems anything but their normal feed (usually wet) and maybe a little scrambled egg for a treat. No scratch, veggies, etc. of any kind.
Check the crop first thing in the mornings before she eats/drinks. That is the best way to gauge the crop function.

Hopefully your girl will get straightened out, please keep us posted.

 

[TerriL188]

Thank you Chickens Really, that's how I felt but wanted to be sure.

 

[TerriL188]

Last night her crop was full but this morning it was emptied for the first time in a couple of days so now I am not sure what to do. I was thinking of going ahead and worming her I am on Social Security so I can't afford to have my vet do a fecal, I could send it out that cheap but I figure by the time I get the results that she might be gone. So any thoughts?

 

[Cragg Klefor]

That's Great her crop was empty- have you got her isolated ? I would ONLY give her wet chicken feed for now to get nutrition back into her, and won't be too hard on crop. Fluids really important too.
IMO if you are not in a position to do a fecal test go ahead and worm, I do not know however how hard this would be on an already compromised system - maybe others can offer some insight there. How long for results if you send away?

 

[TerriL188]

Usually 5 to 10 working days including me shipping it. I haven't been able to get a cage put together for her but I am working on it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Last night her crop was full but this morning it was emptied for the first time in a couple of days so now I am not sure what to do. I was thinking of going ahead and worming her I am on Social Security so I can't afford to have my vet do a fecal, I could send it out that cheap but I figure by the time I get the results that she might be gone. So any thoughts?

Glad to hear the crop was empty this morning!
I agree with @Cragg Klefor I would worm her if you feel the testing will take too long and of course that's another expense.

I would use Safeguard liquid goat wormer (Fenbendazole) this can be found at feed stores like Tractor Supply. Dosage is .23ml per pound of weight given for 5 days in a row. That length of time will take care of most worms that a chicken will have.

Keep working on the crop, you are doing good. I also agree to keep her drinking. Wet feed is usually well received by all my birds. Scrambled or hard boiled egg makes a nice treat and is easy to digest as well, so you don't feel like she's being deprived

 

[Eggcessive]

I don’t have a problem with worming her, since worms can be a cause of digestive blockage. Some on BYC get upset if we recommend worming without a fecal test, but if it is a concern, I would do it. Some worm 2 or more times a year routinely. I usually do necropsies and look for worms in the intestines, but have never seen any there. I have seen an occasional roundworm in droppings though. Roundworms are the most common worms, but others cannot be seen without a microscope.

You can get Valbazen at some feed stores, and either SafeGuard horse paste or the liquid goat wormer. Let us know what you get for dosages. Wazine 17 can also be used in the water for one day, and it only gets roundworms. I prefer the first two since they will get the other worms as well. Valbazen is used 1/2 ml for a 5 pound chicken once and repeated in 10 days. Give 3/4 ml if it is a large hen or rooster. SafeGuard dosage is 1/4 ml per pound orally for 5 straight days.

 

[TerriL188]

OK I have just come in from fixing her a cage in the hen house, I put another in with her since she is a little thin and has been having a bad molt. I put pellets in water for them to eat and I put a heat lamp overhead. Since this is an all wire house I put cardboard around three sides to try and keep the heat in. Tonight I am going to worm everyone with Valbazen (I had a big bottle from worming goats). I don't know if I should go ahead and treat her with the Clotrimazole for her crop or not since it seems to be working?
Bye the way thank you all for all the great advice. Terri

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If the crop is working at this time and she has no sour breath, then personally I would hold off on the Clotrimazole. If the crop is sour, then use it.

Glad you have some Valbazen, I hope you start to see some improvement soon.