Possible impacted crop?

[Levilon]

I've got a 3 month old hen I think might have an impacted crop. It's very hard to the touch and is a little bigger than a golf ball. I've seen her eat and drink fine on her own, although she's eating more than drinking. I've seen her swallow pine shavings but only when they're in her water dish, and that's not very often. I'm scared that she might have one, as I've just lost her sister to sour crop a couple days ago. I'll be taking her food away tonight to see if it goes down at all, but if it doesn't, what should I do? I dont want to make her regurgitate her crop, incase she aspirates or chokes, and I don't know the costs of surgery and I'm too scared to do it at home. The only other thing I've heard is giving them oil and massaging the crop, but I'm not sure how to do that without making her regurgitate. Please help, thank you.

Edit: She has been eating a diet of cracked corn, scratch, layer crumble, some millet (rarely, bought some for my cockatiels figured she'd like it, she does) and mealworms.

 

[pibb]

@azygous is good with crop problems. Here is her article:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[azygous]

Do your chickens have access to grit?

Simply having a hard lump in the crop isn't any indication of a crop disorder. You're wise to check the crop in the morning, but sometimes there may be a little bit of gravel left in the crop. So you need to go by the behavior of the chicken you're concerned about.

A chicken with a crop issue will be droopy, eyes pained, tail may be down low and flat and no appetite. With an impacted crop, a chicken will usually be drinking a lot of water and picking up a lot of grit in addition to feeling sick and sluggish.

Check on the poop in the morning, as well. Poop from a chicken with impacted crop will be tiny or no existent, perhaps just some watery mucous. Sour crop will be watery, too, and the chicken will have a poor appetite.

 

[Levilon]

Do your chickens have access to grit?

Simply having a hard lump in the crop isn't any indication of a crop disorder. You're wise to check the crop in the morning, but sometimes there may be a little bit of gravel left in the crop. So you need to go by the behavior of the chicken you're concerned about.

A chicken with a crop issue will be droopy, eyes pained, tail may be down low and flat and no appetite. With an impacted crop, a chicken will usually be drinking a lot of water and picking up a lot of grit in addition to feeling sick and sluggish.

Check on the poop in the morning, as well. Poop from a chicken with impacted crop will be tiny or no existent, perhaps just some watery mucous. Sour crop will be watery, too, and the chicken will have a poor appetite.

They've got access to fine granite chick grit, but she's not to interested in it. I don't think she'll be showing any behavioral symptoms soon because this development was made just today, but I will definitely be keeping a very close eye on her for any changes