Recurring sour crop help please!

[tanchick]

Hi All
One of my hens has been suffering with what I believe to be sour crop for well over a month now 5 weeks or so.
At first I thought it could be coccidiosis so I was about to treat her for this however 4 days into her feeling unwell I smelt the sour breath and immediately knew it had to be sour crop
I started her on strong garlic water for around 7 -14 days which helped here and there but never fully cured it. Whilst in between I was starving her and then feeding her Greek yoghurt, scrambled eggs. I then read it could be a worm issue so I started worming her for 7 days which also didn’t help. As expected she’s off her food so worming her was a bit of a task. The wormer says to worm her again in 3 weeks. Whilst working I took her into our vets who uselessly said they can’t see anything majorly wrong with her and to come back in 3 weeks after deworming her again. I’ve read the article on here saying Clotrimazole (vaginal cream) can help if it’s fungal. I’ve had her on this 9 days now and again it helped intermittently where sometimes she gains her excitement for life back and wants to come out with the other hens (who are all in good health). Today I smelt her sour breath again.
I’m in the U.K. so I’ve not Been able to find avoided copper sulphate which the article on BYC says can help so I’m asking anyone who has any other ideas on what I could possibly do! Thank you in advance

 

[tanchick]

Also to add as I can’t find acified copper sulphate here in the U.K. can I use copper sulphate that isn’t acified? Can I buy it in it’s crystal form and somehow work with it? This is the one I’ve been looking at https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/772...R_6917314vmg2akKOwwHV0koWpYJhbHBoCJ6YQAvD_BwE

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Usually, in adult birds, sour crop is a result of crop impaction. Stay away from anything fibrous like tall grass.
What makes up their total diet?

 

[tanchick]

Thanks for the response.
Their normal feed is bird feed made up of different seeds, 3x per week grass as where they free range has no grass, mealworms, scraps etc. I’m worried as she’s been suffering for a month and has lost some weight. She’s not completely lost the will to live so I know she’s still got some fighting life in her as she’s excited to eat sometimes.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Thanks for the response.
Their normal feed is bird feed made up of different seeds, 3x per week grass as where they free range has no grass, mealworms, scraps etc. I’m worried as she’s been suffering for a month and has lost some weight. She’s not completely lost the will to live so I know she’s still got some fighting life in her as she’s excited to eat sometimes.

Well maybe there's your sign.
Is there no chicken feed available where you live in the world?
Chickens are omnivores, not specifically seed eaters and grass is usually avoided and has little nutrition for non-grazers. If they consume greenery, they prefer tender forbs like clover, alfalfa, radish, peas, buckwheat, dandelions, chicory, etc.. They also like berries but they still need a complete chicken feed as their primary intake making up at least 90% of their intake. Chicken feed has the proper ratio of the 40+ nutrients chickens are known to need based on well over a century of research.
If you should feel the need to treat, go for meat or fish in bite size pieces so the crop doesn't get impacted. Animal protein makes up as much of their diet as seeds and a bit of greenery.
Switch to a chicken feed exclusively and your crop issues should go away.
The better blend of essential amino acids will give her a much more fighting chance.
You may also want to have a fecal sample read for parasites.

 

[tanchick]

It’s not her normal feed that’s done this, they’ve been eating this feed for over 3 years. Even if it was this feed, she’s not eaten this feed in the month she’s been unwell and went off it. All she’s eaten this past month are soft foods Such as potatoe, Greek yoghurt, scrambled eggs and I gave her some apple as I read it’s good for yeast if it’s a fungal issue

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Is this bird actively laying eggs?
Egg is ok, potato and yogurt are not really chicken food.
Trust me on this and provide the nutrition chickens are known to need and see if the condition goes away.
Are you unable to obtain a chicken starter, grower, all flock or layer feed?

 

[tanchick]

Thanks, I will try and get some tomorrow and see if she eats it
I’ve tried chicken feed for them before and they wouldn’t eat it, tried turning into mash and also fermenting it and they wouldn’t eat it, the bird feed is from a local store which I tried as last resort and they’ve been happily eating it so I didn’t try going back to chicken feed

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Let me clarify. I understand that you like the foods you are feeding but they aren't necessarily providing the nutrients they need.
When you give seeds, potato and grass, do you know what the ratio of calcium to phosphorus is? Do you know if they are getting selenium? Are they getting enough lysine, methionine, arginine or tryptophan? I'm not making this stuff up. You are the one with the thinning bird that is weak and with recurrent sour crop.
Is this bird actively laying eggs?
https://extension2.missouri.edu/g8352
I'm curious what part of the world you are from that you don't have chicken feed available.
ETA
If one feeds, candy in the form of seeds, they will opt for that rather than a complete feed.
Feed nothing but a complete chicken feed and they will eat that to the benefit of their good health.

 

[tanchick]

I didn’t say I couldn’t find chicken feed in my part of the world, not sure what I said that implied that? I said I’ve tried it for them before and they just wouldn’t eat it but I would try again.
Nor did I say anywhere that you were making this stuff up, I said thank you and I would try getting some chicken feed for her tomorrow.