Not just molting-crop HELP! 🙏🏻♥️

[coach723]

The coconut oil won't go rancid, it's actually mildly antibacterial. If you can, I'd try to get a tsp to a tbsp into her each time. That she's having solids in her droppings again is a very good sign, as well as seeing more normal behavior. I would give it a week and then see how she's doing. If it was a parasite issue, then it could take that long. If you want to give probiotics (human ones or animal ones) that might be helpful also to get the gut back in balance. You can empty a capsule, or mix the powder into a bit of moistened feed. Fingers crossed she continues to improve!

 

[ANiceKaren]

The coconut oil won't go rancid, it's actually mildly antibacterial. If you can, I'd try to get a tsp to a tbsp into her each time. That she's having solids in her droppings again is a very good sign, as well as seeing more normal behavior. I would give it a week and then see how she's doing. If it was a parasite issue, then it could take that long. If you want to give probiotics (human ones or animal ones) that might be helpful also to get the gut back in balance. You can empty a capsule, or mix the powder into a bit of moistened feed. Fingers crossed she continues to improve!

I have some probiotics for poultry I can give her! Thank you!

 

[ANiceKaren]

The coconut oil won't go rancid, it's actually mildly antibacterial. If you can, I'd try to get a tsp to a tbsp into her each time. That she's having solids in her droppings again is a very good sign, as well as seeing more normal behavior. I would give it a week and then see how she's doing. If it was a parasite issue, then it could take that long. If you want to give probiotics (human ones or animal ones) that might be helpful also to get the gut back in balance. You can empty a capsule, or mix the powder into a bit of moistened feed. Fingers crossed she continues to improve!

Hi there! Wanted to give a little update on Dandelion. Still full/hard crop in the mornings but today I noticed her much more alert..she has a few moments of looking sick throughout the day but mostly acting normal! She ate more today than she has in days.. mushy food and I gave her some yogurt which she ate up. I gave her just a little. I was able to get 4 massages in today.. one with oil and one with water..rest just when I could grab her (she hates the oil routine). tonight while observing her in run before bed she pooped 5 small poops in a row! She did look like she was straining to poop, eyes closed. She also pooped during day which looked very normal. They are small in size but solid. I’m hoping this is all good news? I posted pic of her free ranging and the poop (sorry) Thank you again for helping me and Dandy. I want nothing more than to help her! Do you recommend stool softener? Do hens ever recover from this? Seems like most of threads I read don’t end well

 

[coach723]

I don't usually use a stool softener unless everything else is having no results. If you use one you need one that contains ducosate sodium (stool softener NOT a stimulant laxative), Colace is one. You also need to make sure that she takes in plenty of liquids. Seems like she is improving slowly, so I'd be inclined to just keep up what you are doing, watch, see how she does for the next week.

 

[ANiceKaren]

I don't usually use a stool softener unless everything else is having no results. If you use one you need one that contains ducosate sodium (stool softener NOT a stimulant laxative), Colace is one. You also need to make sure that she takes in plenty of liquids. Seems like she is improving slowly, so I'd be inclined to just keep up what you are doing, watch, see how she does for the next week.

Agreed! I’ll keep you updated in a few days

 

[ANiceKaren]

I don't usually use a stool softener unless everything else is having no results. If you use one you need one that contains ducosate sodium (stool softener NOT a stimulant laxative), Colace is one. You also need to make sure that she takes in plenty of liquids. Seems like she is improving slowly, so I'd be inclined to just keep up what you are doing, watch, see how she does for the next week.

Hi there. Wanted to send you and update about Dandelion. I’m still seeing all the same symptoms as far as her crop being hard in the morning (during day too). I know during the day can be normal. I’m the morning her crop is consistently hard like a golf ball. I’m able to massage it to make softer. I’ve stopped with oil because I’m concerned that giving her oil alt may not be good? Also can massaging this often be bad as well? I read some posts about people choking their chickens during massaging! I guess I’m just at a loss. I don’t have a vet option. She is active, eating and pooping. Her poops are solid and normal but small.. she doesn’t eat much though. Should I continue with what I’m doing or try something else? Thank you! Also.. I wanted to ask.. I use these little calcium “rocks” from my feed store.. they are small… but could those be the culprit? I hate to be giving them something that could be causing crop issues…??

 

[coach723]

I doubt it's the calcium, do they also have access to grit? Grit is crushed granite, sold as poultry grit and it's needed so they can grind up and digest food in the gizzard. The calcium (crushed oyster shell usually) is needed as they use it making egg shells, but they both serve very different purposes. The calcium is soft and will be absorbed. Both should be available in separate feeders all the time. Some environments have enough small stones around that they find and use those, but it's a good idea to have the grit available in case it's needed.
Massaging is not a problem as long as you don't push the contents of the crop up and into the esophagus where they might aspirate it, so massage in a downward motion, or side to side, not pushing up. I would continue to do massages to try to break it up. The oil also shouldn't cause a problem. You can try mixing some into the moistened feed if she will eat it that way. If she's got grit, and it's still not clearing, then she may have something else going on. Reproductive problems are not uncommon, she's a bit young but it's still possible. Those can slow digestion and cause crop back ups. Time will tell on that. I would keep an eye on her, check her abdomen for any bloating that might develop (below the vent between the legs). There are a lot of causes of crop issues and the problem is most often not the crop, that's just the symptom that shows. Unfortunately the ultimate cause is not known until they pass and a necropsy is done. I've had crop back ups from worms, reproductive cancers, salpingitis, an impacted gizzard in one case. I've never had a bird with hardware disease, but that can also be a cause. She's passing some droppings, so that is good, whatever is going on hasn't completely blocked her.
More crop info here, might be helpful:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[ANiceKaren]

I doubt it's the calcium, do they also have access to grit? Grit is crushed granite, sold as poultry grit and it's needed so they can grind up and digest food in the gizzard. The calcium (crushed oyster shell usually) is needed as they use it making egg shells, but they both serve very different purposes. The calcium is soft and will be absorbed. Both should be available in separate feeders all the time. Some environments have enough small stones around that they find and use those, but it's a good idea to have the grit available in case it's needed.
Massaging is not a problem as long as you don't push the contents of the crop up and into the esophagus where they might aspirate it, so massage in a downward motion, or side to side, not pushing up. I would continue to do massages to try to break it up. The oil also shouldn't cause a problem. You can try mixing some into the moistened feed if she will eat it that way. If she's got grit, and it's still not clearing, then she may have something else going on. Reproductive problems are not uncommon, she's a bit young but it's still possible. Those can slow digestion and cause crop back ups. Time will tell on that. I would keep an eye on her, check her abdomen for any bloating that might develop (below the vent between the legs). There are a lot of causes of crop issues and the problem is most often not the crop, that's just the symptom that shows. Unfortunately the ultimate cause is not known until they pass and a necropsy is done. I've had crop back ups from worms, reproductive cancers, salpingitis, an impacted gizzard in one case. I've never had a bird with hardware disease, but that can also be a cause. She's passing some droppings, so that is good, whatever is going on hasn't completely blocked her.
More crop info here, might be helpful:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Thank you! I do have grit so I’ll make sure that’s available too!

 

[StinkyAcres]

I have an EE hen with crop issues on and off and it usually happens when she has access to hay. Sometimes her crop doesn't empty for weeks and I nearly had her put down because of it. The massages didn't seem to do much so I started giving her the stool softener (ducosate sodium) regularly and one day her crop FINALLY emptied. It can take a long time!

 

[ANiceKaren]

I have an EE hen with crop issues on and off and it usually happens when she has access to hay. Sometimes her crop doesn't empty for weeks and I nearly had her put down because of it. The massages didn't seem to do much so I started giving her the stool softener (ducosate sodium) regularly and one day her crop FINALLY emptied. It can take a long time!

Thank you for this! My next step was to try the stool softener without stimulant of course I’ve read that if they don’t drink enough water with this medicine they can die so I was nervous! I appreciate the help! My girl doesn’t have hay but could have eaten long grass. I also noticed during her molt so I’m not sure if that had anything to do with it. I appreciate the info! I’m hoping one day I wake and that crop is empty! Did you massage daily?