Old hen with sore, squishy crop

[KGandE]

I have a wonderful older hen, she's about 10 and a light brahma. Over the past couple of days she seems to have developed a sore crop or maybe a sour crop. Her feathers are a bit scarce over the crop area and, while she's getting up and around normally, it seems hot and sore to the touch.

I think it's sour crop, but she doesn't have all the signs - she's acting normally unless you try to touch her crop area and I don't notice any bad smell.

Today I added extra grit to the pellets and skipped the usual scratch that I feed, hoping it would help her clear whatever is going on out and get back to normal but she still seems hot and sore when I checked her at night.

Since she's older, I hate to take her out of her routine by moving her inside to isolate her, or even subject her to being caught, caged, and taken to the vet, but I'm thinking that might be the thing to do if she's not looking better tomorrow.

I haven't tried any remedies yet, since this just began last night and, as I said, I was hoping to clear it up by skipping the scratch and giving more grit but no luck - although she seems no worse; just about the same as yesterday...

Any thoughts are welcome.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would leave her with the flock and treat her early in the morning while she's roosting, then again when at night when she goes to roost. This way, you aren't really disrupting the daily routine that much. She'll be easier to get a hold of then and you won't have to do any chasing. Who wants to chase an old hen
Read the article linked below - I would treat for Sour Crop since it seems painful for her. Sometimes a crop is sour but no odor is detected until well advanced, so starting now, hopefully you are getting a head of it all.
I have had good results following Carol's (@azygous ) article using yeast/anti-fungal cream twice a day. I DO leave my birds with their flock when treating. I usually cut back on scratch and provide some other type of "treat" for the flock that would be more easily processed if the "patient" eats it - something like scrambled eggs for all or even a dish of wet feed made with a little buttermilk or yogurt stirred in. Mine think wet feed is delicious


https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[azygous]

There is no reason to isolate a crop patient. It's not contagious, and they can eat whatever the others are eating as long as it's not high in carbs.

I have a Welsummer hen that is near the age of yours. She's been struggling with sour crop for ten days with little improvement. She's a very petite thing, and I've resisted the idea of a crop bra since her crop isn't that large, though it's always squishy with liquid. But I'm about decided that her yeast infection is not going to clear up as long as her crop refuses to empty. So tomorrow, she's going to start wearing the crop bra to support her crop so it will start emptying. You might give this some thought, as well.

Here is my thread on making a crop bra. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/making-a-crop-bra-for-a-hen-with-pendulous-crop.1464848/ Older hens may have saggy chest muscles that won't support the crop well enough for it to empty completely. A crop bra will help. Treat her for the yeast infection, but a crop bra could assist in the treatment.

 

[KGandE]

There is no reason to isolate a crop patient. It's not contagious, and they can eat whatever the others are eating as long as it's not high in carbs.

I have a Welsummer hen that is near the age of yours. She's been struggling with sour crop for ten days with little improvement. She's a very petite thing, and I've resisted the idea of a crop bra since her crop isn't that large, though it's always squishy with liquid. But I'm about decided that her yeast infection is not going to clear up as long as her crop refuses to empty. So tomorrow, she's going to start wearing the crop bra to support her crop so it will start emptying. You might give this some thought, as well.

Here is my thread on making a crop bra. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/making-a-crop-bra-for-a-hen-with-pendulous-crop.1464848/ Older hens may have saggy chest muscles that won't support the crop well enough for it to empty completely. A crop bra will help. Treat her for the yeast infection, but a crop bra could assist in the treatment.

Thanks, going to try something today, will let you know how it goes.

 

[KGandE]

There is no reason to isolate a crop patient. It's not contagious, and they can eat whatever the others are eating as long as it's not high in carbs.

I have a Welsummer hen that is near the age of yours. She's been struggling with sour crop for ten days with little improvement. She's a very petite thing, and I've resisted the idea of a crop bra since her crop isn't that large, though it's always squishy with liquid. But I'm about decided that her yeast infection is not going to clear up as long as her crop refuses to empty. So tomorrow, she's going to start wearing the crop bra to support her crop so it will start emptying. You might give this some thought, as well.

Here is my thread on making a crop bra. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/making-a-crop-bra-for-a-hen-with-pendulous-crop.1464848/ Older hens may have saggy chest muscles that won't support the crop well enough for it to empty completely. A crop bra will help. Treat her for the yeast infection, but a crop bra could assist in the treatment.

Going to try some yogurt this morning.