Not sure if we're dealing with Sour Crop... UPDATE: Yup, sour crop.

[ChurchsChickens]

Glad to hear her crop is emptying.

If you want to treat for Gapeworm, then get some Safeguard liquid goat dewormer and treat her. Dose is 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once a day for 5 days in a row.

A bird that has Gapeworm will generally gape all the time, will be coughing and most of the time they are unable to drink and eat.

There's no coughing, and she's able to eat.
We're reading up on gapeworm though, to be better educated and see if that could be it, so I appreciate the information!

Her chest does seem a bit more full than the other gals (perhaps she's just a bit more busty? ), but there's now a symmetrical fullness to her chest, as opposed to the lopsided protruding "mono-boob" on her right side when we were dealing with the crop issues.

Perhaps we are being overly paranoid about her actions (she still does the adjusting neck squiggle quite often)... She's alert, chirpy, engaged... She's eating, drinking, and pooping, and all of those behaviors seem "normal". I think she's doing well, but the house human isn't convinced she's okay.

A total perk of this whole experience, since she is so young, and having so much interaction, she is a TOTAL SWEETHEART. She runs over to greet me when I approach their enclosure and almost expects pets and cuddles!

 

[micstrachan]

I would not massage a sour crop much if at all. I accidentally killed my chicken who had sour crop just by picking her up. She vomited and aspirated. It was horrible.

Aw, Aunt Angus, how traumatic for both of you. I’m so sorry to hear that.

 

[micstrachan]

Just wanted to share an update on my Easter Egger with y'all.

Monday evening (5/16) was the "end" of her 7 day miconazole treatment, and it absolutely seemed to help! Her crop is back to emptying like normal, and she's back to eating her regular feed, as opposed to the special diet.

She is still doing the weird neck stretches & open mouth gasping, so we'll investigate into gape worm as someone mentioned, but, if it's gape worm, wouldn't that be highly transmissible to the other three gals in my flock?

Thanks all!

Glad to hear this. She’s pretty darn cute!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Aw, Aunt Angus, how traumatic for both of you. I’m so sorry to hear that.

I miss her. I was taking her to be euthanized the next day so she could have a peaceful death.

 

[micstrachan]

I miss her. I was taking her to be euthanized the next day so she could have a peaceful death.

So sorry.

 

[ChurchsChickens]

Glad to hear this. She’s pretty darn cute!

We're back on the miconazole treatment, as she's actually been spitting up / "leaking" a goopy white fluid intermittently (first goop was on Thursday 5/19, while she had been allowed free range of the enclosure / access to feed, we had a second small goop-ening over the weekend), and her crop swelling just seems so out of control .

I'm getting concerned about restricting her food since we don't want her to have access to carbs to feed the potential yeast in her crop (we're feeding her 2-3 scrambled eggs a day, with a little bit of the plain greek yogurt), but I don't want to stunt her growth (she's about 10 weeks old as of the week of May 23rd).

Is this too much or too little food? I absolutely don't want to starve the bird, and I'm seeing that 260k/cal for summer is acceptable for a hen, but would appreciate info regarding other foods she can be consuming during the sour crop treatment time.

Thanks again! This seems like such an issue for a total newbie to handle, and while we're reading up a lot, it can be overwhelming with what to do / not do, and this community has been so helpful!

 

[micstrachan]

We're back on the miconazole treatment, as she's actually been spitting up / "leaking" a goopy white fluid intermittently (first goop was on Thursday 5/19, while she had been allowed free range of the enclosure / access to feed, we had a second small goop-ening over the weekend), and her crop swelling just seems so out of control .

I'm getting concerned about restricting her food since we don't want her to have access to carbs to feed the potential yeast in her crop (we're feeding her 2-3 scrambled eggs a day, with a little bit of the plain greek yogurt), but I don't want to stunt her growth (she's about 10 weeks old as of the week of May 23rd).

Is this too much or too little food? I absolutely don't want to starve the bird, and I'm seeing that 260k/cal for summer is acceptable for a hen, but would appreciate info regarding other foods she can be consuming during the sour crop treatment time.

Thanks again! This seems like such an issue for a total newbie to handle, and while we're reading up a lot, it can be overwhelming with what to do / not do, and this community has been so helpful!

Let’s ask @azygous for help. While feeding yeast isn’t good, I’d be making sure she has plenty to eat to keep her energy up. When I had a girl with a doughy crop, meals were chopped meat, kale, egg and yogurt. I also gave lemon juice with spices (I forget the exact concoction.)

 

[ChurchsChickens]

Let’s ask @azygous for help. While feeding yeast isn’t good, I’d be making sure she has plenty to eat to keep her energy up. When I had a girl with a doughy crop, meals were chopped meat, kale, egg snd yogurt. I also gave lemon juice with spices (I forget the exact concoction.)

Kale & Lemon juice too, I love it! lol this little lady has some GOOD EATIN'!

 

[azygous]

If you aren't already, increase the miconazole treatments to three per day. Fill her mouth with the cream right out of the tube. You won't overdose her. You want the yeast to be totally bombarded.

Let her eat a little dry chick feed or all flock feed. She won't eat so much it interferes with the treatment. She will self regulate and probably won't overdo it. I've never worried about withholding food from a crop patient. Letting a chicken eat what it needs isn't going to do much harm.

 

[micstrachan]

If you aren't already, increase the miconazole treatments to three per day. Fill her mouth with the cream right out of the tube. You won't overdose her. You want the yeast to be totally bombarded.

Let her eat a little dry chick feed or all flock feed. She won't eat so much it interferes with the treatment. She will self regulate and probably won't overdo it. I've never worried about withholding food from a crop patient. Letting a chicken eat what it needs isn't going to do much harm.

Come to think of it, I think you advised me to do the same, and I brought the crumble back in.