Need quick suggestions! Chickens eating grass / tree rhizomes, impacted crops??

[Dynamissa]

The ground in my run has been damp from rains and they scratched it up, exposing the fibrous roots below and have been going to town on them, I think- the problem is at least one of my birds, I the morning, has a crop with things still in it, it’s doughy like modeling clay.. it doesn’t really feel fibrous from what I can tell… which seems weird but I dunno. she goes to bed with a very large crop and it mostly goes down but that part remains.

I can’t move my run as its permanent around my coop and I’m unsure how to stop this? The floor is all dirt and these tough fibrous roots. Said pullet passes stools still but often watery (overnight they are better formed but still) and so are 2 others I often see messing around with those roots. I have been trying to cover them with pavers because they kick gravel out of the way to get to them and I don’t know any other material I can cover them with since it’s the whole damn floor

I don’t think I can potentially afford crop surgery on 5 birds every time they decide to gorge on these roots… suggestions please

 

[Eggcessive]

I would try giving her a tsp of either chilled coconut oil cut into pieces, or mineral oil in a bit of food or egg. Then several times a day, massage the crop and try to break up the doughy mass. It may take days to accomplish this. I would not feed any whole grains for awhile, only chicken feed and water. Lots of water would be good for her. Azygous has a good article on crop problems and treatments here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Dynamissa]

Thanks, still getting used to the setup of this site!