Three weeks ago I noticed one of my young RIR hens had a massive, droopy crop that swung back and forth and wiggled like a bowl full of jelly. The crop is completely soft and feels like a water balloon.
I did some research online and found out it could be sour crop, impacted crop, or pendulous crop...or some combo of the three.
I separated the hen and put her on a water/ACV diet for 48 hours, rubbed her crop each evening, and then fed her olive oil soaked mash and plain yogurt for a few days. The crop did go down a bit. Then I let her back out with the rest of the flock and a few days later BAM -- her crop was huge and floppy again.
So I did a little more research online and found a few more tips. For take two:
During the day, she is separated from the other hens in a dog cage that is on bare concrete. (At night she roosts with the flock, and in the morning I lift her off the perch and right back in the cage she goes). For 48 hours she was on a water/ACV diet AND I tipped her and made her throw up the contents of her crop. She puked a decent pile of bright green fluid. The following two days she didn't throw up anything, so I started giving her a little whole grain bread soaked in olive oil and some plain yogurt in the mornings along with her ACV water. I sprinkle a little grit on the concrete floor. Twice a day she gets her crop rubbed, which she really likes.
The crop is going down little by little, but it's still giggly. I plan on keeping her on a bread/yogurt/water diet for a a few more days until her crop is much flatter to her stomach.
My question is how much longer should I keep her on this diet, how long is it safe? She is definitely losing weight, even though she shows no sign of weakness and doesn't act any different than her usual self. When should I introduce a little bit of real food? AND, will her crop/muscles eventually get back into shape?
Poor girl is miserable being locked up all day, even though I tell her it's for her own good. She sees the other hens frolicking all over the yard and fattening up for another miserable midwestern winter.
I want to get her back to normal again so she can go back to enjoying being a chicken!
Thank you in advance for any comments, suggestions, and replies!
I did some research online and found out it could be sour crop, impacted crop, or pendulous crop...or some combo of the three.
I separated the hen and put her on a water/ACV diet for 48 hours, rubbed her crop each evening, and then fed her olive oil soaked mash and plain yogurt for a few days. The crop did go down a bit. Then I let her back out with the rest of the flock and a few days later BAM -- her crop was huge and floppy again.
So I did a little more research online and found a few more tips. For take two:
During the day, she is separated from the other hens in a dog cage that is on bare concrete. (At night she roosts with the flock, and in the morning I lift her off the perch and right back in the cage she goes). For 48 hours she was on a water/ACV diet AND I tipped her and made her throw up the contents of her crop. She puked a decent pile of bright green fluid. The following two days she didn't throw up anything, so I started giving her a little whole grain bread soaked in olive oil and some plain yogurt in the mornings along with her ACV water. I sprinkle a little grit on the concrete floor. Twice a day she gets her crop rubbed, which she really likes.
The crop is going down little by little, but it's still giggly. I plan on keeping her on a bread/yogurt/water diet for a a few more days until her crop is much flatter to her stomach.
My question is how much longer should I keep her on this diet, how long is it safe? She is definitely losing weight, even though she shows no sign of weakness and doesn't act any different than her usual self. When should I introduce a little bit of real food? AND, will her crop/muscles eventually get back into shape?
Poor girl is miserable being locked up all day, even though I tell her it's for her own good. She sees the other hens frolicking all over the yard and fattening up for another miserable midwestern winter.
Thank you in advance for any comments, suggestions, and replies!
