Reflections on Impacted Crop

[Gallina8]

Hi All. My chicken has had an impacted crop for a few weeks now but only this week decided to begin treating it. I wasn't sure if it was disease or something simpler... in any event. SHe was doing great yesterday. I had been letting her chow down on some grapes that I served in a dish of olive oil. I massaged her crop, but not a ton because I didn't want the whole lump to pass through her digestive tract as one mass...

Long story short, I woke up this morning and checked on her. The lump is gone, but she is now in the throws of death. What did I do wrong? So sad, I adored this little hen.

~K

 

[cowcreekgeek]

Hi All. My chicken has had an impacted crop for a few weeks now but only this week decided to begin treating it. I wasn't sure if it was disease or something simpler... in any event. SHe was doing great yesterday. I had been letting her chow down on some grapes that I served in a dish of olive oil. I massaged her crop, but not a ton because I didn't want the whole lump to pass through her digestive tract as one mass...

Long story short, I woke up this morning and checked on her. The lump is gone, but she is now in the throws of death. What did I do wrong? So sad, I adored this little hen.

~K

For starters? You waited "for a few weeks [before deciding] to begin treating it." Chickens, by their very design, are fragile and temporary ... they rarely have the luxury of time, if we hope to successfully intervene on thier behalf.

And, I apologize if my truthful nature seems offensive, or uncaring ... truly am sorry for the pain her loss has caused you, and I'm sure you wouldn't have wished to have such a thing happen.

Although grapes appear to be ok for chickens, I've seen some that say never to the seeds for some reason ... also not sure about feeding 'em w/o cutting them first, but -- just a guess.

 

[NYRIR]

Hi,
Sorry to hear about your hen! Sometimes we learn the hard way. Cowcreekgeek is right...waiting is a lot of times in itself a death sentence. Chickens are prey animals and therefore hide illness very well as a survival tactic.

She (IMO) is probably very thin since she may have still been eating but not getting any nutrition....so in essence, she could have been starving, although eating. The stress on her organs would be tough, as without proper digestion they would start shutting down.
What are her symptoms now?

 

[cowcreekgeek]

NYRIR's response made me realize that your bird's still around ...
you can try immediately giving her either one of the following two laxative solutions:

1 teaspoon of Epsom Salt in 1 fl oz water​

Place the solution in the crop of the affected bird.

~ OR ~

Castor Oil Therapy
Dose individual birds with .5 oz castor oil.

The epsom salt would be best; be sure 'n update this thread, as there's follow-up if all goes well ~'-)

 

[Gallina8]

So, when I wrote the thread she was very close to dying. Beyond care, really. I'd been taught all along that chickens are hearty creatures that need little if any Tx, so finding her in her last moments was very troubling to me. I joined BYC and wrote the message above.

She died a few hours later. I really adored her and this is a solid lesson in the fragility of these bionic healers (I had a chicken recover from awful injuries to her head after sneaking into the neighbors' chickens' territory. In any event, I know to treat earlier in the future. Thank you for the advise and candid response.

~K

 

[cowcreekgeek]

So, when I wrote the thread she was very close to dying. Beyond care, really. I'd been taught all along that chickens are hearty creatures that need little if any Tx, so finding her in her last moments was very troubling to me. I joined BYC and wrote the message above.

She died a few hours later. I really adored her and this is a solid lesson in the fragility of these bionic healers (I had a chicken recover from awful injuries to her head after sneaking into the neighbors' chickens' territory. In any event, I know to treat earlier in the future. Thank you for the advise and candid response.

~K

We that keep chickens, despite any levels of learning or experience, are still gonna lose a few we shouldn't have ... in the case of my own flocks? My own errors/oversights account for over half of the losses for this year, which still ain't quite over yet.

And, I thank you for recieving my response as it was intended ... I'm sorry for your loss, and that it was one closest to you (most all of my favorites are gone as well )-;~

But, we've flocks to tend to ... and, that's what we should do, so as to help us feel happy again, when such sad things find any of our birds.

 

[cafarmgirl]

We that keep chickens, despite any levels of learning or experience, are still gonna lose a few we shouldn't have ... in the case of my own flocks? My own errors/oversights account for over half of the losses for this year, which still ain't quite over yet.

And, I thank you for recieving my response as it was intended ... I'm sorry for your loss, and that it was one closest to you (most all of my favorites are gone as well )-;~

But, we've flocks to tend to ... and, that's what we should do, so as to help us feel happy again, when such sad things find any of our birds.

Very well said. I lost my two favorite birds this last year, one due to me just not catching her illness soon enough and the other to a dumb mistake I made. It just happens and it happens to everybody eventually if you own chickens long enough. Hindsight is always 20/20 that's for sure.

 

[cowcreekgeek]

Very well said. I lost my two favorite birds this last year, one due to me just not catching her illness soon enough and the other to a dumb mistake I made. It just happens and it happens to everybody eventually if you own chickens long enough. Hindsight is always 20/20 that's for sure.

Thanks. My vision is at it's very best 20/235, and virtually gone in certain central fields of view, but sometimes? My hindsight ain't always that much better ... that requires me to accept that whatever I'm tryin' to do just simply ain't gonna work, which I'm most often far too stubborn to do ~'-)

 

[NYRIR]

So, when I wrote the thread she was very close to dying. Beyond care, really. I'd been taught all along that chickens are hearty creatures that need little if any Tx, so finding her in her last moments was very troubling to me. I joined BYC and wrote the message above.

She died a few hours later. I really adored her and this is a solid lesson in the fragility of these bionic healers (I had a chicken recover from awful injuries to her head after sneaking into the neighbors' chickens' territory. In any event, I know to treat earlier in the future. Thank you for the advise and candid response.

~K

Awe, so sorry to hear!

I have made many a mistake as well. It's how we all learn...I'm so sorry for your loss!

 

[janinepeters]

Hi All. My chicken has had an impacted crop for a few weeks now but only this week decided to begin treating it. I wasn't sure if it was disease or something simpler... in any event. SHe was doing great yesterday. I had been letting her chow down on some grapes that I served in a dish of olive oil. I massaged her crop, but not a ton because I didn't want the whole lump to pass through her digestive tract as one mass...

Long story short, I woke up this morning and checked on her. The lump is gone, but she is now in the throws of death. What did I do wrong? So sad, I adored this little hen.

~K

I'm sorry you lost her, but I doubt earlier treatment would have made a difference, anyway. It seems that she took a turn for the worse after passing the mass of food out of the crop, so I am guessing total obstruction of the GI tract further south. This does lead to rapid deterioration and death, just as you saw. It can occur at any time and would kill her regardless of her nutritional status and overall health. The only effective treatment would have been surgical, and frankly I think that itself probably involves a lot of pain and suffering, so it might be kinder to let the bird pass. These things happen. You are doing fine with your chickens.