Old Hen With Sour Crop! Please Help If You Have Any Advice!!

[averkademay]

Hello All! I have a five year old Old English Bantam named Squirt who has sour crop.

Here is what happened.

Last night she was just fine and chirping with energy. This morning however she had these symptoms: Droopy wings, lethargic, head down, “poofy”, diarrhea, and a squishy crop with liquid. Her crop was like a small balloon with no hard bulges in it. I separated her from her flock mates in a cage indoors with only water. I tried to get her to vomit. I was very careful during the process. No matter how hard I tried massaging the crop she would not or could not vomit. When her beak opened, I could smell one foot away a horrible sour stench.

Here are some questions.

I researched that a change in feed can affect the crop. I fed my chickens some unflavored oatmeal last night. Would that throw off the balance of the crop? I have not dewormed my chickens recently so I researched that not deworming for a while could be the source of the crop problem. Should I deworm her now? If so, would the dewormer get digested with the full crop? What dewormer do you suggest? If the sour crop has set in already, what medicine should I use? When should I start it? What has worked for you? Does she need a crop sling because of her old age? Possibly slow crop? What should I do first?


Squirt is a very friendly hen. I love her and it would be devastating if she passed away. If you have any advice please respond. I would greatly appreciate it!

Blessings

Thank you to all in advance!

 

[averkademay]

Update on Squirt! I have been massaging her crop and it still is a pouch of liquid. She is no longer drooping her wings, no "puffy" feathers, and she is now energetic. I am still worried so I will keep her inside for tonight. She is also very talkative now :-D. She seem hungry too so can I feed her some olive oil on bread at this point? Still if anyone has any advice please reply I would appreciate it.

 

[MrsBrooke]

I'd try a little yogurt mixed with boiled egg and see how she likes that. Give her some good bacteria to battle any yeast overgrowth.

As for worming, I would wait until you know that what you put in her will travel on down and not get hung in her crop. (Valbazen liquid goat wormer is my go-to, by the way.)

I doubt a treat of oatmeal would clog her up. Was it already cooked or did you give it raw? If it was raw, it might have "cooked" and puffed in her crop, causing it to be a little slower than normal. Sort of like chicken indigestion, perhaps?

Does she still have that odor about her? Sour crop, I've heard, can be treated with a little Monistat. You can search at the top of the forum for numerous threads/articles on sour crop.

Hope that helps.

MrsB

 

[averkademay]

Thank you so much MrsBooke!



I will try that immediately! Thank you also on the worming too. I fed them cooked oatmeal so it didn't cook inside her...odd. She is five years old and I heard bantams only live eight years. So I will most likely make a crop sling if this persists. 



Yes she still does have the odor and I will grab some kind of Monistat in case I need to use it. 
Have you tried it before?


Thank you so much!




 

[ipana]

Hello, Averkademay.

I've read your description of your lovely little bird and wanted to join in a bit, if I may. I've had some experience with this issue. I know it's not fun, to say the least, and when the stress of feeling helpless is added, it can be downright awful.

Anyway, my hen Ruth (Black Australorp) got out of the fencing one day unbeknownst to me (and took some others with her, too). By the time I discovered them and the fun they were having, it had to have been at least a couple of hours. A bit of scolding and empty threats ensued as I lovingly shuffled them back into their lot. Two days later, Ruth was standing like a penguin (my description of a bird who is not feeling well) when only two days before, she was bright eyed and bushy tailed, so to speak.

When I picked her up, her crop was spongy and full of liquid. I was familiar with sour crop so I thought this was her problem. I did the usual process of causing her to vomit, etc., took her into the house to make sure that I could keep an eye on her but she didn't improve like I thought she should.

Rather than waiting longer and trying to do more on my own, I took her to the vet. Fortunately, I have a vet nearby who knows how to treat chickens. I told the story of her "escape" and I wondered if she had eaten something that somehow clogged her up. He said that it was possible but the only way to tell was to take an x-ray. I agreed to do that.

The x-ray showed that her gall bladder was enlarged and that something unknown was there. The only hope was to give her some metachlorpramide (I believe that's right) orally. It is a drug that causes muscles to contract. This action may cause whatever was in there to come out. When I wrote about this earlier, I was thinking it was only two days but now I'm thinking I had to give her this for 5 days before anything happened. All this time, she was in the house. Since she wasn't pooping, it wasn't bad!

Anyway, after a period of time (5-7 days), she began pooping and I was overjoyed! I never found what it was that caused the problem but she returned to her old self and never looked back.

If you have a vet and the money, that's what I would suggest for you, especially since you love your bird so much. If the x-ray doesn't show anything, then you can get some help with the crop issue as a sour crop problem.

That's my two-cents' worth. I call Ruth my "million dollar bird" by the way! She has had crop surgery and a few other things along with this gall bladder deal. She's worth every penny. She'll be 7 in June and I've enjoyed every moment.

Keep me posted if you don't mind. I'm always hoping things will work well.

 

[MrsBrooke]

Taking any sick animal to the vet is ideal. They have access to information, medication, and tools that most of us don't. Unfortunately, you'll also end up paying a pretty penny for their services... And that's only if they will see chickens.

I have not personally had experience with sour crop, but I have read plenty about it and recommend you do, too!

Have you ever seen her with bubbly eyes, wheezing, coughing, or nasal discharge?

MrsB

 

[averkademay]

ipana and MrsBooke. Thank you so much for your help! I am glad you were able to save Ruth too!



However, I wish I could take her to my local vet yet I can't. When I called they said that they don't do chickens. I will continue to research sour crop too. She has never had bubbly eye, wheezing, coughing, or nasal discharge. 



The good news is to come!

Yesterday she laid an egg that was half membrane and half shell. After that, she perked up even more. She still had the sour smell. Later that night I gave her some yogurt and cooked egg. She inhaled it quickly. This morning I check her crop before she had eaten anything. She crop was flat and completely empty! HURRAY! I researched that egg-bound hens can develop sour crop. So when she laid the egg somehow it helped? Anyhow thank you so much for your help. Squirt is now overjoyed to be back with her flock mates! 


 

[ipana]

Oh, what good news! I rejoice with you. May I recommend that you go easy with the food for a day or so. And, keep checking that crop. If it's not flat in the mornings, she could be beginning to have some problems.

Again, thanks for the follow up. Tell Squirt that Ruth says "hey." ...and to keep you wrapped around her toe.

 

[averkademay]

Ipana. Yes, I am so overjoyed! I will watch her crop and what she eats. Thank you again!

:-D I will tell Squirt! Thank you again!!

 

[MrsBrooke]

Great news!

MrsB