my hen is sick please help!!

[kitkat]

Hi, I recently got 4 pullets and I keep them free range. They all look really healthy and are laying regularly. One of them starting acting strange yesterday, she was just standing around and seemed really lethargic and not interested in food. She was twisting her neck a lot.I picked her up and her crop seemed hard so i massaged it for a while and she threw up, mostly liquid and soft short grass, it smelled a bit sour. After she had been sick she seemed to perk up a bit. Today she is more active but not chasing me for corn like the others do and she still keeps twisting her neck a lot. I am really new to this and am really worried about her. Do any of you experienced chicken lovers have any idea what might be wrong with her?

 

[d.k]

*Do your hen's get grit and/or oyster shell? Use the site search and check posts labeled "sour crop" sounds like that's what she might have. Others will come along with more experience and info for you, too. Hope you can get her better!

 

[kitkat]

Hi, yes i give them grit with oyster shell in it. Thanks will check out sour crop info.

 

[kitkat]

would really appreciate any other advice thanks

 

[dlhunicorn]

It is difficult to even guess at what may be causing this, but regardless of the actual cause you should separate her (dry clean and temp stable ~warm~) environment. This way you can monitor what she eats and that she is drinking sufficiently. Give a good poultry supplement and see if she recovers from whatever has brought this on. Check your feed to ensure it is not wet nor smell moldy (mycotoxins in feed or stray can also cause this)