Older Hen with Slow Crop: Slow Crop Treatment with Updates

[Kiki]

I haven’t been able to check her crop completely until today! And it seems....FLAT? I think it’s empty. It’s hard to tell with the excess skin, but I’m pretty sure it’s empty!!!! Guys!!! We did it! I think lol.

I’m gonna make the top a little tighter today to see if I can get it more flat.

In the mean time, when do I graduate her to more solid food? Like I said before, I plan on keeping her in a cage until a full week of empty-crop-mornings.

 

[elissarules]

 

[rebrascora]

That is excellent news. Well done you! I would start her back on dry food but only pellets or crumble.... nothing like scratch grains or veggies or anything lumpy. The pellets should go to mush in her digestive tract when she drinks water. See how she goes like that for a few days and then try other things like a little scratch or meal worms.

 

[Kiki]

That is excellent news. Well done you! I would start her back on dry food but only pellets or crumble.... nothing like scratch grains or veggies or anything lumpy. The pellets should go to mush in her digestive tract when she drinks water. See how she goes like that for a few days and then try other things like a little scratch or meal worms.

I wonder if soaking her feed for a few days would be a good idea.
I am a fan of fermented feed so I use crumbles which of course are soaked in water.
I don't think you have to go all the way and ferment it but jsut soaking it for ten mins may be a good idea.

What do you think about that @rebrascora ?

 

[elissarules]

That is excellent news. Well done you! I would start her back on dry food but only pellets or crumble.... nothing like scratch grains or veggies or anything lumpy. The pellets should go to mush in her digestive tract when she drinks water. See how she goes like that for a few days and then try other things like a little scratch or meal worms.

Thank you!! I will have her eating her regular crumble tomorrow then!! I’m sure she’ll appreciate it!

I’ll probably - if the few days go okay - give her some meal worms.

I wonder if soaking her feed for a few days would be a good idea.
I am a fan of fermented feed so I use crumbles which of course are soaked in water.
I don't think you have to go all the way and ferment it but jsut soaking it for ten mins may be a good idea.

What do you think about that @rebrascora ?

I have some feed that I think is fermented - or maybe it just has probiotics in it...? I can’t remember. But I’ve been soaking it to a slurry for the last week or so. I could dampen it, but with water she’d be “dampening” it anyway?

And boy, with the slurry, she barely drinks water!! It makes sense - the feed is 3/4-2/3 liquid really but I was surprised she didn’t even pay attention to the water after 12 hours without it!

 

[rebrascora]

@KikisGirls

The OP has already been soaking the birds crumbles in water to make a slurry whist the crop problem existed. It is now time to move on to dry food.

@elissarules

If you think about it, you were providing all the fluids she needs mixed into her food and probably a bit more, especially whilst she is not producing eggs (eggs have a high water content), so there would be no need for her to drink as well.
I'm guessing her stools will have been pretty watery whilst she has been on the slurry mix. Hopefully, now that she is going back onto dry food her poop will solidify and she will drink what and when she needs.

 

[Kiki]

I don't think I was awake when I wrote my last question. My bad.

 

[rebrascora]

I did wonder if you had been burning the midnight oil as it wasn't your usual switched on response.

 

[Kiki]

I did wonder if you had been burning the midnight oil as it wasn't your usual switched on response.

I actually think I got this thread and another one switched up.
Again..my bad.

 

[elissarules]

@KikisGirls

The OP has already been soaking the birds crumbles in water to make a slurry whist the crop problem existed. It is now time to move on to dry food.

@elissarules

If you think about it, you were providing all the fluids she needs mixed into her food and probably a bit more, especially whilst she is not producing eggs (eggs have a high water content), so there would be no need for her to drink as well.
I'm guessing her stools will have been pretty watery whilst she has been on the slurry mix. Hopefully, now that she is going back onto dry food her poop will solidify and she will drink what and when she needs.

I gave her some today! She missed the solid food!!

I don't think I was awake when I wrote my last question. My bad.

I actually think I got this thread and another one switched up.
Again..my bad.

Don’t worry about it!!! Better to clarify then to not!!