NEED HELP chickens crop will not empty, beginning of sour crop

[Greenwolf]

My mom is the only adult in the house and she wouldn't touch my chickens with a ten foot pole lol.

LOL!
Ok, separate her for the weekend at least. If you have a large crate, or something like that that you can close the door on that would be best. Massage her her at least three times a day. Remember, if you have her in a crate enclosed, you can keep her in your laundry room or garage for longer than the weekend. She will be seriously annoyed with you but she will be safe. That's what matters and if your mom can't help then honestly, you are no worse off than any other homesteader with a life and an outside job. You can do this! Tomato juice. Plain or grind a tomato. It isn't hard or that scary. If you have to keep her in the crate longer just massage her before and after school and when you put her and the other birds to bed at night.
What I would do with Poppy is I would massage her in the morning after I got everyone out for the morning I would go to her cage and massage her before her breakfast which was yogurt, solid coconut oil, and an emulsified tomato. I would take a whole tomato a tiny yogurt cup of yogurt, and a whole raw egg and toss them in the blender. I'd pour it into a tiny pet bowl ( a tiny empty sour cream bowl works great) that was set aside for her. I'd add maybe a tablespoon of solid coconut oil and that was breakfast. It worked out to half to 3/4 cup of liquid and that's what she'd get all day. Then at night when I put everyone to bed, I would massage her again. Most of the time being busy on my little homestead I would only be able to get to her for a massage 3 times a day at best. Sometimes I would swing 4 and where I am July and August have daylight until well past 9 pm. So I understand busy. Just do your best. She may respond really well and be able to digest after only a couple of days of separation and liquid diet.

Again! You can do this!! She'll be fine. It may take a few days to a couple of weeks but if you are committed to her health and the actions prescribed you can get her recovered without costly vets. On the homestead in a lot of places, YOU ARE the vet!! This is why this community is so important and so very invaluable!!

 

[guest226]

LOL!
Ok, separate her for the weekend at least. If you have a large crate, or something like that that you can close the door on that would be best. Massage her her at least three times a day. Remember, if you have her in a crate enclosed, you can keep her in your laundry room or garage for longer than the weekend. She will be seriously annoyed with you but she will be safe. That's what matters and if your mom can't help then honestly, you are no worse off than any other homesteader with a life and an outside job. You can do this! Tomato juice. Plain or grind a tomato. It isn't hard or that scary. If you have to keep her in the crate longer just massage her before and after school and when you put her and the other birds to bed at night.
What I would do with Poppy is I would massage her in the morning after I got everyone out for the morning I would go to her cage and massage her before her breakfast which was yogurt, solid coconut oil, and an emulsified tomato. I would take a whole tomato a tiny yogurt cup of yogurt, and a whole raw egg and toss them in the blender. I'd pour it into a tiny pet bowl ( a tiny empty sour cream bowl works great) that was set aside for her. I'd add maybe a tablespoon of solid coconut oil and that was breakfast. It worked out to half to 3/4 cup of liquid and that's what she'd get all day. Then at night when I put everyone to bed, I would massage her again. Most of the time being busy on my little homestead I would only be able to get to her for a massage 3 times a day at best. Sometimes I would swing 4 and where I am July and August have daylight until well past 9 pm. So I understand busy. Just do your best. She may respond really well and be able to digest after only a couple of days of separation and liquid diet.

Again! You can do this!! She'll be fine. It may take a few days to a couple of weeks but if you are committed to her health and the actions prescribed you can get her recovered without costly vets. On the homestead in a lot of places, YOU ARE the vet!! This is why this community is so important and so very invaluable!!

Thank you! This is very helpful. I’m getting a large dog cage soon.

Was your hen laying at the time of isolation? Did you set up a nest or a roost?

 

[Greenwolf]

Was your hen laying at the time of isolation? Did you set up a nest or a roost?

She was actually molting at the time. She laid an egg after the ordeal when she was back in main pop. We have a brooding box that my hubby made a few years ago that we keep the incubator chicks in during transition from the house to main population. It was designed to keep a mama bird and her babies in but the bird we initially made it for had severe separation anxiety from her flock and she never used it. So the short answer is it's an elaborate nesting box. If you want to make a roost for her make sure she can't knock it over but for a few days you don't need to worry about it.

And you are very welcome. It is the least I can do for all the help I have gotten from this community!

 

[Clucktown]

I had a hen who would eat her feather casings during the molt, so her crop was always full and would not empty until the new feathers had fully come in. Give her time.