My first swollen crop issue

[TwoCrows]

Over the weekend I did crop massage about every hour to 90 min... In the morning the crop feels swollen like a thick liquid with feed crumbles that I can feel at the bottom. As the day goes on every time I massage it, it seems to reduce down to a feel of wet but loose sand. It's much smaller than in the first 2 days of this issue, but still does not empty. Also in the first days she seemed very uncomfortable with massage but now seems to like it. Have given the acidified copper sulfate up to now, yogurt, olive oil mixed with mashed feed... Constant massage now about every 2 to 3 hours. I have her in the house in a crate because she seemed unbalanced on the roost and I also wanted to watch what she was eating.


So overall, smaller crop but not emptied in the morning.

Do not offer up oil of any kind. It's very hard to digest and will slow down the crop even more. And I would not massage the crop unless the contents are very hard and stiff. Too much massaging of a liquidity crop can stretch the muscles.

Do you have any poop pics?

If her poop is moving fairly regular and look normal then she probably does not have an impaction.

Has she been wormed recently? Have you have Coccidiosis in the flock recently?

The only other thing I can suggest is a concoction I use on birds with stubborn yeast infections.

Only do this if you are comfortable giving liquids to chickens.

1/16 teaspoon Ginger Powder (you can even use the contents of a human Ginger capsule)
1/16 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
1/16 teaspoon Cayenne Powder
1 teaspoon of Lemon Juice

1ml at a time, squeeze this liquid under her tongue 2 times a day via empty syringe for 3 to 5 days. I have seen the worst yeast infections dissolve.

You might also try Fluconazole, 5-10 mgs per pound of bird 2 times daily for 2 weeks. This stuff is slow to act but it works on some species of yeasts.

 

[TwoCrows]

Also....how old is she?

Mature birds can develop tumors that grow large enough to block off the intestinal tract. Any age of bird can develop Liver disease which when swollen will also block off portions of the intestines. Enlarged hearts push on the crop and can block the exit, etc...Their organs are so crammed in their bodies, there is no room for any inflammation of any kind.

 

[jonalisa]

Also....how old is she?

Mature birds can develop tumors that grow large enough to block off the intestinal tract. Any age of bird can develop Liver disease which when swollen will also block off portions of the intestines. Enlarged hearts push on the crop and can block the exit, etc...Their organs are so crammed in their bodies, there is no room for any inflammation of any kind.

9

 

[TwoCrows]

9

Ok so she is definitely a senior girl! Congrats however, you are obviously doing something right to get her to the ripe old age of nine!

At her age, like old people, her body isn't as healthy as it once was, they don't absorb vitamins and minerals as easily as they did when young, and opportunistic things like yeast infections can take hold. It's entirely possible that tumors are growing inside her body as well. At her age an enlarged heart is very possible. I've had several birds 9 years plus over the years and enlarged hearts were common. The heart lies directly behind the crop and when it's enlarged it pushes on the exit of the crop. I've seen this many times. One way you can tell if a heart is enlarged is to count the breathing respirations for 1 minute while she is standing and again while sitting. If while standing the breathing rate is 20s low 30's vs upper 30s to 50+ while sitting, it's definitely an enlarged heart. When sitting the heart area gets quite crowded and has a hard time beating, unable to deliver as much oxygen as it does while the bird is standing.

Do you have a vet you can take her to that knows something about birds? Maybe get an x-ray of her body? I have given you all the suggestions that I use on birds with yeast infections, not all my birds responded these yeast treatments and eventually needed to be put down. And especially at her age, her immune system is going to be weaker and far less responsive then that of a younger bird. There isn't a whole lot you can do for and enlarged heart, the herb Hawthorn can strengthen hearts if they aren't too far gone.