Severely impacted crop: is euthanasia the only solution?

[AlexandraMontenegro]

Hi chicken backyard peeps!

My question: is my chicken in pain? Do I need to euthanize her? My vet told me it is the only thing to do ... her crop is seriously impacted (she was already like that when I got her 4 months ago, but I didn't know what she had, I just thought she had a big boob ...!) I tried quite a lot of things already: massaged her crop, tried to make her puke in different way, gave her yoghurt, olive oil, made her fast ...she has a massive clay-ish ball in her crop (you can even give it shape by pressing it)... any recommendation? Thanks a lot ! A little video here of her crop https://photos.app.goo.gl/1eHEYGzfRDjzu2d9A and 1 photo attached.

Alexandra

 

[DobieLover]

Your vet has never suggested crop surgery? I'd get a different vet.
https://www.communitychickens.com/impacted-crop-surgery-zbw2001ztil/

https://www.greenwillowhomestead.com › ...
How To Operate On Your Chicken's Impacted Crop - Green Willow Homestead

https://www.google.com/amp/s/bitchinchickens.com/2021/02/18/case-study-impacted-crop-surgery/amp/

 

[AlexandraMontenegro]

Your vet has never suggested crop surgery? I'd get a different vet.
https://www.communitychickens.com/impacted-crop-surgery-zbw2001ztil/

https://www.greenwillowhomestead.com › ...
How To Operate On Your Chicken's Impacted Crop - Green Willow Homestead

https://www.google.com/amp/s/bitchinchickens.com/2021/02/18/case-study-impacted-crop-surgery/amp/

Thanks for your reply! I forgot to mention that I live in Montenegro, there is only ONE vet willing to handle chicken in the whole country and he says surgery is our of question ..... :-/

 

[HollyWoozle]

Does your hen eat and drink and behave as normal? Does the crop go down by morning? If she has been this way for 4 months then her crop is not totally impacted/blocked, some nutrition is getting through.

We have a hen who has had an absolutely wild looking crop for years now… it gets absolutely massive and hangs low and never seems to fully empty, but she’s otherwise very bright and healthy so we just leave her to it these days. I always assume she’ll get sick from food rotting in there but she’s been that way for so long, the crop must clear slowly.

Your hen looks quite healthy otherwise?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

she was already like that when I got her 4 months ago, but I didn't know what she had,

Are you sure it isn't a tumor.. that doesn't look like a hen that's had impacted crop for 4 months.

 

[AlexandraMontenegro]

Does your hen eat and drink and behave as normal? Does the crop go down by morning? If she has been this way for 4 months then her crop is not totally impacted/blocked, some nutrition is getting through.

We have a hen who has had an absolutely wild looking crop for years now… it gets absolutely massive and hangs low and never seems to fully empty, but she’s otherwise very bright and healthy so we just leave her to it these days. I always assume she’ll get sick from food rotting in there but she’s been that way for so long, the crop must clear slowly.

Your hen looks quite healthy otherwise?

Dear HollyWoozle,
thanks so much for your message!
She does eat and drink quite normally (actually she eats a lot!) but I didn't noticed her crop was going down by the morning (it is just so big!). So I think you are quite right, her crop must not be totally blocked as she is still alive after so many months!
Our hen is very slow, she likes to sit down many hours a day, and eat what is around her (probably because her crop is so heavy) and she rests a lot, but besides that, she talks to us, and is always excited when I bring some worms! However, she gets often badly bullied by some others ... So you think she is ok to go on like that without pain?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If it's doughy and you can manipulate it, then I'd try treating as a doughy crop. First step I'd take is getting coconut oil into her twice a day and massage the crop.
You may want to treat for Doughy Crop as described in the first link below. I've used this method and it did help. Keep in mind, the crop didn't get like this overnight, so it's not going to resolve overnight.
Second article is very good, I mainly use it for treating sour crop, but another option to see if you can get doughy crop to work loose is coconut oil and stool softener. Not sure how well this will work since it's been like that for a while, but worth a try.
3rd link is how to make a crop bra. This may be needed, but I'd work on getting the crop to empty first before using a bra. The crop may be stretched out and won't go back down in size, so a bra can help with that.
Good luck with your hen. If she's still mobile, able to eat/drink and poop, then I'd try to treat until she shows signs she's had enough.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/making-a-crop-bra-for-a-hen-with-pendulous-crop.1464848/

 

[AlexandraMontenegro]

Thanks a lot for your recommendations! I've started massaging her crop twice a day and I can feel it is getting looser. It is not shrinking yet though but doesn't feel like a clay ball anymore (it feels there is long pieces of grass and little stones and soil in it) and she often burps when I massage her so it must be sour as well... But as you say, it will take time! So it encourages me to keep on trying!
I made her a crop bra a few weeks ago, but it didn't feel it helped and she was trying to remove it with her feet and got entangled in it so I removed it. I may follow the version you sent me above once her crop is smaller!
Thanks again, and sorry for the slow reply, I have been in bed with Covid for the last few days ....
Alex

 

[The Chick Addict]

I glad you are giving her another chance at life, especially if she doesn't seem in pain!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks a lot for your recommendations! I've started massaging her crop twice a day and I can feel it is getting looser. It is not shrinking yet though but doesn't feel like a clay ball anymore (it feels there is long pieces of grass and little stones and soil in it) and she often burps when I massage her so it must be sour as well... But as you say, it will take time! So it encourages me to keep on trying!
I made her a crop bra a few weeks ago, but it didn't feel it helped and she was trying to remove it with her feet and got entangled in it so I removed it. I may follow the version you sent me above once her crop is smaller!
Thanks again, and sorry for the slow reply, I have been in bed with Covid for the last few days ....
Alex

I'm sorry that you haven't been well.

I've found the burping sound does usually indicate Sour Crop, so I would get on top of treating that too. You can use an anti-fungal or yeast cream, nystatin, etc. to treat that. Getting the infection under control will be helpful.
Being doughy, the coconut oil may help break it up, but you may need to try a stool softener to see if that helps.
Sometimes long strands of fibrous material just won't pass and surgery is needed, that's the last option. There's plenty of youtube videos, as well as, some tutorials here on BYC, just look those up.

All treatment options are listed in those links I previously posted.
Hope she improves and that you are on the mend as well.