Rooster has Sour Crop - Can it be cured or is it just old age?

[HippieAtHeart]

So my rooster has been off a few days. I noticed 2/3 days ago and went to check on him, he seemed fine and was eating the treats I gave so I figured he’d sort it out. Fast forward to today he’s been laying by himself and when I checked on him he wasn’t eating and had liquid come out his beak which was sour smelling. Felt his crop and it’s squishy, I don’t doubt it’s sour crop. I am going to get monistat and work to treat him with that based off the BYC article but I am wondering if I’m just delaying the inevitable or if this could just be a one off issue for him?

*I don’t know how old he is because we inherited him, thinking roughly 6/7/8.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I had a rooster that had where the crop sags and then nothing was moving so i culled him

 

[HippieAtHeart]

I had a rooster that had where the crop sags and then nothing was moving so i culled him

What is your preferred method of culling

 

[Poultrybonkers]

What is your preferred method of culling

Same way I do it for processing meat birds slicing the jugular
This is what was in my roosters crop

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would treat him for Sour Crop.
Also consider deworming as well if you haven't dewormed him lately.
Photos of the rooster and his poop may be helpful.

He may benefit by being placed somewhere warmer if your temps are quite low, this way he's not struggling to stay warm.
Do provide water during waking hours. I normally don't withhold food, a bird with a crop issue usually self limits food to begin with, so I would make a small amount of wet mash available.
Even if he gets better in a couple of days, finish the course of yeast cream. That's give 2X a day for 7 days, it's important to finish treatment.

Look him over for lice/mites - if any, get rid of those too.
With him having a little age on him, he may naturally be in a decline. Most crop problems are a symptoms of an underlying condition or illness. Worms, Coccidiosis, Infection are few.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[HippieAtHeart]

I would treat him for Sour Crop.
Also consider deworming as well if you haven't dewormed him lately.
Photos of the rooster and his poop may be helpful.

He may benefit by being placed somewhere warmer if your temps are quite low, this way he's not struggling to stay warm.
Do provide water during waking hours. I normally don't withhold food, a bird with a crop issue usually self limits food to begin with, so I would make a small amount of wet mash available.
Even if he gets better in a couple of days, finish the course of yeast cream. That's give 2X a day for 7 days, it's important to finish treatment.

Look him over for lice/mites - if any, get rid of those too.
With him having a little age on him, he may naturally be in a decline. Most crop problems are a symptoms of an underlying condition or illness. Worms, Coccidiosis, Infection are few.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Thank you so much for your response, I always value your thoughts. I gave him his first dose of miconazole cream and some water. He took it with no issues so that was positive.

I just treated all my chickens for roundworms about a month or two ago because I found worms in the feces under the roost. I gave the horse dewormer for I think it was a week (maybe 5 days, I can’t remember, I’ve had a baby since then and life’s been jumbled lol).
Also I did a check for mites and lice and none to be seen thank goodness!

I’ll see if I can get pictures of his poop, as far as he goes he looks normal minus sitting down. Difference is he will stretch up his neck, shake it and then huddle back down. It is cold here, about 18 degrees Fahrenheit. I do not have an option for additional warmth as my shed I once used has since been converted to my husbands home office. My rooster has been enjoying the sunshine parts of the run today though.

I put a bowl of fresh water out in addition to my heated 5 gallon bucket with nipples and will continue to do so.

I hope this helps, I’ll make sure to do the full 7 days. He is a wonderful rooster and still has so much to show his rooster “son” that was hatched this summer.

 

[BrickCoop15]

Have you tried massaging the crop? Sometimes by gently massaging the crop a few times a day you can get the contents of the crop to go down.

 

[HippieAtHeart]

Have you tried massaging the crop? Sometimes by gently massaging the crop a few times a day you can get the contents of the crop to go down.

I did do some earlier today, I will try again tomorrow morning before giving him the cream again and again in the afternoon. I know he’s old, but if I can help it I’d like him to live another year or two

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you so much for your response, I always value your thoughts. I gave him his first dose of miconazole cream and some water. He took it with no issues so that was positive.

I just treated all my chickens for roundworms about a month or two ago because I found worms in the feces under the roost. I gave the horse dewormer for I think it was a week (maybe 5 days, I can’t remember, I’ve had a baby since then and life’s been jumbled lol).
Also I did a check for mites and lice and none to be seen thank goodness!

I’ll see if I can get pictures of his poop, as far as he goes he looks normal minus sitting down. Difference is he will stretch up his neck, shake it and then huddle back down. It is cold here, about 18 degrees Fahrenheit. I do not have an option for additional warmth as my shed I once used has since been converted to my husbands home office. My rooster has been enjoying the sunshine parts of the run today though.

I put a bowl of fresh water out in addition to my heated 5 gallon bucket with nipples and will continue to do so.

I hope this helps, I’ll make sure to do the full 7 days. He is a wonderful rooster and still has so much to show his rooster “son” that was hatched this summer.

I wouldn't massage the crop if it's sour and full of fluid, you risk pushing the fluids up and he aspirate on them.

Are you able to look inside his beak to make sure there's no yellow or white pasty material? Next time you give him the miconazole, take a look.

Congratulations on your baby!

In temps like that since he's sitting a lot, I would provide him with extra straw for him to snuggle in to.

 

[HippieAtHeart]

I wouldn't massage the crop if it's sour and full of fluid, you risk pushing the fluids up and he aspirate on them.

Are you able to look inside his beak to make sure there's no yellow or white pasty material? Next time you give him the miconazole, take a look.

Congratulations on your baby!

In temps like that since he's sitting a lot, I would provide him with extra straw for him to snuggle in to.

Thank you for the congratulations! It was interesting having my husband help with the chickens when I couldn’t lol.

I didn’t notice any pasty material. What does that indicate?

I did give him some extra dry bedding yesterday after doing a basic poop cleaning out of the coop. My rooster sleeps in the nesting boxes not the bar that I have, not sure why since all the hens sleep on the bar but it’s not really been a big deal to me.

He’s still alive, he was still in the coop longer this morning staying warm I’m sure. I gave him the cream and he’s been out with the hens, mostly laying with them. He’s still “gagging”. How long until I would see improvement from the treatment in his sour crop?