NEED HELP ASAP--hen w/impacted crop...HOW TO GET OLIVE OIL DOWN HER?

[artsyrobin]

here is a link to poo samples-
http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.msg215714#msg215714

didn't see yours there, but its a good ref to have

i'm going to post your thread on the oklahoma thread- and see if we can figure this out- sometimes it is alot of guesswork

 

[waghmg]

Thanks so much...you're great.

Posted another thread above because I don't know how long to let her go like this. I don't want her to suffer but I also want to save her so bad.

Never thought a chicken could worry you so badly!!! This chick is more of a pet, though.

 

[NanaKat]

How much olive oil are you able to get her to take? and how often?

A gentle massage is necessary to work the oil and water into the lump in her crop.If the lump becomes pliable and there is no hard lumps, you have helped. If you smell a strong sour odor, the the crop may need to be flushed. If there is no smell, then you have an impacted crop.

Grass can often get tangled in the crop and can block the flow of food thru the digestive tract. When the chicken free ranges, she clips small pieces. Caged birds can be given grass cliped into 1/2 in to inch long pieces.

Does your hen get grit or oyster shell? This is necessary to help the chicken cut up and mash seeds in the crop and in the gizzard.

The poop has nitrates in it so there is some movement.

You are correct, your bird needs nutrition and fluids to survive.
Besides the olive oil and water, Apple cider vinegar (ACV), yogurt, you can add a little honey or molasses to both give energy and to help things move.

A mash made of chicken feed crumbles, yogurt, honey, egg yolk can be formed into tiny pellets and you can give these to her to eat. Apple sauce is also good to add. I'll go get the "formal" recipe and come back.

 

[NanaKat]

The Treatment is this and was offered by one of our OKIE friends. I've saved it. Hope this helps you with your girl.

“” This amount feeds one bird””

Feed the birds three times a day for three days a mixture of

This mixture is what you will need for the entire three feeds…. It is not 3 egg yolks and 3 teaspoons of honey etc…. divide the contents into three

½ to 1 x egg yolk….. give the whites to the other hens mixed into their seed or pellets (depends a lot on the size of the egg yolk)

1 teaspoon honey…. .given for energy
2 x tablespoons yogurt…. Given for calcium and also to make the bowel go back into normal production after this upset
Only use the plain yoghurt never the one with fruit or extra sugar in it, not good for the bird

¼ teaspoon calcium powder (if you can’t get the yoghurt)

3 to 4 tablespoons rolled oats…. To give substance to the feed, or use chicken crumbles or layer pellets but soften them with some boiling water first

Sprinkle of multi vitamin powder (only if you are not already giving it to them in their drinking water, don’t overdose) just a few grains will usually be enough for this size mixture

2 to 4 table spoons of apple sauce or grated apple, it must be grated not chopped up for ease of digestion

Mix to make a crumble mixture not runny

If the bird is not eating you will have to force feed... roll into small pellets the same size as a layer pellet.... and force feed, and then massage the neck in a downward motion to get it down into the bired crop, make sure your keep the neck straight, its really hard getting someting down a neck that is bent or curved, the bird may be too weak to eat or have lost the desire to eat…. Don’t hold back…. The longer it goes without this the worse it will get

If you must give it something to drink – only give drops onto the beak or use the crop tube to get fluids down the throat, don’t try and pour any fluid down a chickens throat, it will more than likely go into the air passage and into the lungs and end up drowning the bird


This will give the bird a large dose of Vitamin D, C and A

After 3 days cut back to once a day for 2 weeks, you should notice the difference in 3 or 4 days

Give other food also, chick crumbles, grower crumbles or layer pellets depending on the age of the bird etc
Also have fresh water at all times for the birds to drink in easy reach, remember it is not well so it may not go looking for the food and water, so put it just about under its nose so it can’t miss it

 

[waghmg]

Wonderful...Thanks so much!

Will say I did just get her to eat some of a self-made mixture (hope was ok) of water, a little yogurt, little bit of honey and softened crumbles also had a 'little organic ACV". It was runny though. She seemed a little tired when I put her back in the crate. I was just glad she was interested and got something in her.

By the way her last poop seemed a little larger and MAYBE a little less watery. Hope that's a good sign.

I'll try this mixture later this evening. I've got all ingredients.

If you any further comments, good or bad, on what I've done so far, I'm open. Thanks again!!

 

[nnbreeder]

Something else that you can do is to feed her tomato, raw and skinless. They have a high acid content and will help break down whatever is in the crop.

After she eats this, give her all she wants, give her a crop massage to help her break up the stuff that is stuck. Use your thumb and forefinger to squeeze the crop from both sides, you can be fairly vigerous as the crop is a muscle, but not as hard as you would pinch someone.

You should be able to feel whatever is inside the crop as it breaks up.

How to peel a tomato? Stick it whole in boiling water for a few seconds and then put it under running cold water to peel.

The droppings will probably turn green if she is getting no nutrition at all, brown is still good.

The best ACV comes from health-food stores, raw and with "mother" in it which is bits of the apples it was pressed from.


After giving the crop massage withhold food overnight to see if the crop goes down by morning.

 

[waghmg]

UPDATE:

Well yesterday my hen Daisy seemed a lot more alert and VERY hungry. Her crop seemed pretty small in the morning, not sure was totally empty though. Tried the above recipe w/oats, egg yolk etc. She would not eat it. She has always been somewhat picky anyway. I am not able to force feed. So I mixed some of it in water w/some soften crumbles then later crumbles w/ACV and a couple of grains of vitamins/lytes. She was happy to get them. Her poops seemed to be improving, dark sometimes more solid, sometimes more watery.

This morning however, her crop is about size of a ping-pong ball and soft, not too hard. She's not as perky. I have never smelled anything so not sure if it is sour or not. I just don't know where to go from here. There is no vet anywhere around that I'm aware of and really don't think that is an option anyway. My husband would have a fit if I spent money at the vet on a chicken.

Question:

Do I start the olive oil/massage again? And should I w/hold food? She seems to be drawn towards the dry crumbles instead of wet now. Honestly at a loss as to what to do. Was feeling positive yesterday, then today feeling more opposite. Sure don't want to lose her. But wonder how long she can go on this way.

She's also been in her crate since Saturday noon and this is Tuesday. How long can she stay there?

Thanks for your help.

 

[waghmg]

UPDATE:

Is it possible that my hen ate too much too soon? She was really eating yesterday so left some crumbles softened in water w/a little ACV mixed in in her crate. She ate a good bit but now as mentioned above her crop still had a good bit in it this morning 1st thing and not as perky as yesterday. Should I withold food today again?

Started a new reply so would be easy to see the question.

Thanks

 

[artsyrobin]

you might want to put her on mild food for a couple weeks- her crop has been through alot, she needs time to heal

Quote:

 

[nnbreeder]

Usually a bird's crop will empty overnight but there is feed moving through it so that is a big plus. In normal situations too a bird will stop eating just before sundown which is about 7pm here and start up again around 4-5am when they start to stir.

If you have her inside she might be eating a bit later then normal and the crop is just not getting empty through the night.

How big is the crate? If either a med or small I would put her outside for a bit each day so that she can get some excercise.

How does her comb/face color look?