Not sure what if anything is wrong with this girl. Update w/ pic 5/28

[Netherworldtaken]

Today I noticed that this chicken has a unusually large breast area. I was examining her and the "growth" is as hard as a rock and she has lost a few feathers on the underside of it.

This feels like it is outside of the breast bone. I hope this is just something weird, of all the chickens we have had, we have three left. This one is the last that my middle child owns. Of her three, one ended up being a rooster that we had to rehome and the other died when our old plastic feeder exploded. This will break her heart if she loses all three. Any help would be great.

 

[Anianna]

Looks like impacted crop. I'll have to research it to tell you what to do about it as I don't have first-hand experience, but I believe you can give her olive oil to help break it up.

 

[Anianna]

Yes, it looks like olive oil and massage are where to start. Try these links for more info:

http://www.poultryhelp.com/impactedcrop.html

http://www.poultry.allotment.org.uk/Chicken_a/chicken-crop/impacted-bound-crop.php

http://poultrykeeper.com/chickens/health/impacted-crop.html

http://www.greenmuze.com/blogs/green-muzings/2208-chicken-impacted-crop-or-sour-crop.html

 

[TeamChaos]

It looks like a very full crop to me. I'd check it first thing in the morning and she if she emptied it over nite. Good luck!

 

[sheila3935]

With a crop that large you may have to do surgery. Look up threads on that or take her to the vet.

 

[GiddyMoon]

There are a couple of really awesome videos on crop surgery on you tube.

 

[Netherworldtaken]

OK, thank you all. we are going to try some of the non invasive remedies first. I will keep you posted.

 

[Pele]

Yep, something is in that poor girl's crop. At least she's full grown and easy to treat. I just had a 2 week old get one, and just had to take it to the vet (ouch the bill).


I second the olive oil and massaging to start with.

The next approach is induced vomiting, which involves holding the chicken upside down and pushing the contents of the crop towards the ground (gently!). This is more tricky because it stresses the heck out of the bird, and could also cause her to aspirate the contents of the crop. Better that than a slow death of infected crop.

The last and most extreme is crop surgery. I've heard that it has a good success rate, but I can't imagine trying to cut into a scared bird and not having it come out looking like a zoro attack. Plus I'm squeamish

Hope that helps a bit!

 

[Netherworldtaken]

Ok. so a new question. How do you get the dropper of olive oil into a chickens mouth? she is resisting and i dont want to accidentally break anything. For now she is inside and we mixed some olive oil in with some plain yogurt, based off the recommendations from several links. We'll see what happens in the morning.

 

[Anianna]

Quote:
This site has a diagram of the digestive tract. It is pretty much a straight shot down the neck to the crop. I have never done it personally, but I would try to tilt the head back and drop the oil at the back of the throat. If that doesn't work, you can get one of those syringes vets give with liquid meds (no needle) and some catheter or aquarium hosing. The flexible hosing will go down the chicken's throat a lot more gently than a dropper.

The syringe and hosing can be used to clear the crop if the impaction goes sour and begins to rot, also. Put the hose in down to the crop and pull on the syringe to pull out the liquid. You will know if it goes sour if the crop starts to feel spongy and has a foul odor. Hopefully, you can work it out before it gets that bad.