Please Advise! Sick, lethargic 2 yr old Orp :(

[12henslaying]

My 2 year old very robust Orpington, Judy, would not come off the perch this morning and is very lethargic and basically stares straight ahead, almost comatose! I have been all over this site and others. I feel strongly that it's a sour crop and not impacted. While laying her on her back to feel around her vent, she vomited. So then I did *carefully* hold her upside down and she vomited out mostly fluid but some whole grains. Her crop is not hard. It's not even big. It's kind of small actually, and squishy.

So here's my question: I have seen so much advice regarding oil, vegetable or olive, and yogurt and apple cider vinegar. But does any of this actually help? I'm not finding the end result anywhere. I did give her some plain yogurt with live cultures and an eyedropper 1/2 full of olive oil. She's isolated in a dog crate with fresh water and a comfy box. Can someone please tell me the thing that actually worked for their sick chicken? Should I withold food for one more day and then start back with bread soaked in buttermilk or more yogurt?

Thanks for any help!
Stephanie

 

[chkn]

I wouldn't withhold food, if they want to eat, man that's a good thing. I haven't dealt with a sour crop. I may have had one years ago but I didn't know anything about it at the time. I'd keep her comfortable, maybe see if she'd be interested in little bits of grapes, cherries or tomatoes, not much, but at least they can hydrate her. I guess it's not out of the range of normal from what I've read here for chickens to 'huck up' some fluid once and awhile. Maybe she is having a little digestive upset or maybe she's eggbound. I was thinking today, I gave a hen a little bit of crushed Tums for a calcium boost. Maybe a little crushed Tums would help an upset. Keep posting and keep bumbing for answers.

 

[12henslaying]

Thanks so much! I forgot to add that I did crush a Tums and I gave that to her with the yogurt. Very small amount though. She's not really interested in eating. And the other thing I left out is before I realized it was the crop, I soaked her in the sink in warm water thinking she is egg bound. Her bottm half feels fine; she's not hard or straining, and I can't feel anything in there (from the outside). So it was during her warm bath -- which she LOVED by the way! -- that I smelled the sour smell from her beak and then checked out the sour/impacted crop idea.

I'm literally afraid of what foods to introduce to her. Our garden is just overflowing and I think it's the little extra vegetable matter we've been tossing into the chicken yard that started this. Too much veggie matter getting stuck? So what do I start giving her as far as food? They eat a lay crumble and we augment with scratch, including grains, thrown to them in the mornings. Their yard has plenty of dirt but no grass. That's why we thought the lettuce and occasional peach/strawberry/zucchini was okay. Anyone have ideas on the right food to re-introduce tomorrow? Some sites say the bread soaked in either olive oil or buttermilk (for the cultures).

 

[chkn]

From what I've read here, the sour breath smell here probably indicates a sour crop. I think someone said hang a hen upside down by their feet and massage the crop down toward the mouth (now that's gotta be kinda hard and awkward for a big hen and you).

But it seems the crop is fairly empty right now so maybe that's too drastic.

It's okay to feed them veggies, just don't give them things like onions and tomatoe plant foliage. I think I did that once and the hens stopped laying for awhile.

I wouldn't worry too much about changing foods BUT humor me, go to the fridge and grab a couple grapes, break them into bite sized bits and see if she's still not interested in eating. Because I'm telling you those things sure perk my chickens up. Just leave them in there she'll get to them!!!