Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[RoyalChick]

Need advice
Shad, hope you are feeling better and that you don't mind me posting here for some advice.
I posted this over at Bob's thread and may make a thread on this in the illnesses forum, but I feel like there are a lot of experienced chicken tenders on here so hoping you can help.

I am worried about Bernie.

I think I have posted pictures before of how Bernie can stuff herself to the point you cannot believe she can stand upright with the size of her crop.
This picture is from August, 2023 as an example.

Anyway, her crop really was huge yesterday afternoon when she was torturing a pumpkin, but because she is molting heavily on her body I thought maybe it just looked more prominent without a nice covering of feathers.

She is behaving normally - not acting ill at all.

Anyway, I am a worrier, so I got up at an unholy hour this morning to examine her on the roost and was disturbed to see that her crop had not gone down overnight.

I wasn't prepared with my frozen coconut oil 'pills' so I gave her a vigorous massage (it was Shad who taught me how to do that) which maybe helped a bit but certainly didn't empty her crop.

It feels quite firm but not rock hard - a bit like dough - and I didn't feel any fibrous lumps. Her breath does not smell sour. She delivered a slightly loose poop onto my foot during this procedure - loose but not alarmingly so.

I will prepare coconut oil pills to pop in her beak tonight after dark and will do some night time and early morning massages and will keep sniffing for signs of sour crop.

My question to all of you is whether hens are more susceptible to crop issues when they molt and it might just resolve itself?
I wonder if I am worrying too much, or maybe not enough.
I worry that crop issues are usually a sign of other underlying disease and Bernie may actually be seriously ill.
I have had one girl who clearly just ate too much long grass - but all my other crop issues have been the start of a decline for some other reason.

Any thoughts or advice?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Perris]

I would offer advice if I had any on this to give @RoyalChick , but I'm afraid I don't know much about crop disorders. I do hope Bernie is OK though, of course.

 

[RoyalChick]

I would offer advice if I had any on this to give @RoyalChick , but I'm afraid I don't know much about crop disorders. I do hope Bernie is OK though, of course.

Thanks @Perris, I do hope it isn't anything serious. She is a quirky hen who probably isn't as fond of me as I am of her.
She was the chick I had that lost the use of her legs and who commanded her hatch mates from a seated position such that they didn't dare go to far from the brooder.
That turned out to be a neural issue from Vitamin B2 deficiency. On the off-chance that she is prone to that and has some neural issue with crop emptying, I will give her some vitamin B supplements as well.

 

[fuzzi]

Thanks @Perris, I do hope it isn't anything serious. She is a quirky hen who probably isn't as fond of me as I am of her.
She was the chick I had that lost the use of her legs and who commanded her hatch mates from a seated position such that they didn't dare go to far from the brooder.
That turned out to be a neural issue from Vitamin B2 deficiency. On the off-chance that she is prone to that and has some neural issue with crop emptying, I will give her some vitamin B supplements as well.

I hope she is feeling better. I am not someone to give advice: I fought a crop issue this year and lost, but learned a lot for any future issues. The input from people at BYC was very helpful.

 

[fluffycrow]

Yesterday went out to see the chickens and I could not find 5 of them.

I bought a shed to make into a chicken coop and they liked to get under it.

This morning I went out to see the chickens and I am missing another chicken, that makes 6.
I have one RIR left and she is pitiful and is staying hidden.

I have a feeling this is a hawk.

I'm so sorry. That's horrible

 

[fluffycrow]

Need advice
Shad, hope you are feeling better and that you don't mind me posting here for some advice.
I posted this over at Bob's thread and may make a thread on this in the illnesses forum, but I feel like there are a lot of experienced chicken tenders on here so hoping you can help.

I am worried about Bernie.

I think I have posted pictures before of how Bernie can stuff herself to the point you cannot believe she can stand upright with the size of her crop.
This picture is from August, 2023 as an example.

Anyway, her crop really was huge yesterday afternoon when she was torturing a pumpkin, but because she is molting heavily on her body I thought maybe it just looked more prominent without a nice covering of feathers.

She is behaving normally - not acting ill at all.

Anyway, I am a worrier, so I got up at an unholy hour this morning to examine her on the roost and was disturbed to see that her crop had not gone down overnight.

I wasn't prepared with my frozen coconut oil 'pills' so I gave her a vigorous massage (it was Shad who taught me how to do that) which maybe helped a bit but certainly didn't empty her crop.

It feels quite firm but not rock hard - a bit like dough - and I didn't feel any fibrous lumps. Her breath does not smell sour. She delivered a slightly loose poop onto my foot during this procedure - loose but not alarmingly so.

I will prepare coconut oil pills to pop in her beak tonight after dark and will do some night time and early morning massages and will keep sniffing for signs of sour crop.

My question to all of you is whether hens are more susceptible to crop issues when they molt and it might just resolve itself?
I wonder if I am worrying too much, or maybe not enough.
I worry that crop issues are usually a sign of other underlying disease and Bernie may actually be seriously ill.
I have had one girl who clearly just ate too much long grass - but all my other crop issues have been the start of a decline for some other reason.

Any thoughts or advice?
Thanks in advance.

I'm sorry to hear this, RC. I too have not experienced many crop issues in my time, and don't have any advice or knowledge. I sincerely hope that Bernie is well

 

[no fly zone]

Need advice
Shad, hope you are feeling better and that you don't mind me posting here for some advice.
I posted this over at Bob's thread and may make a thread on this in the illnesses forum, but I feel like there are a lot of experienced chicken tenders on here so hoping you can help.

I am worried about Bernie.

I think I have posted pictures before of how Bernie can stuff herself to the point you cannot believe she can stand upright with the size of her crop.
This picture is from August, 2023 as an example.

Anyway, her crop really was huge yesterday afternoon when she was torturing a pumpkin, but because she is molting heavily on her body I thought maybe it just looked more prominent without a nice covering of feathers.

She is behaving normally - not acting ill at all.

Anyway, I am a worrier, so I got up at an unholy hour this morning to examine her on the roost and was disturbed to see that her crop had not gone down overnight.

I wasn't prepared with my frozen coconut oil 'pills' so I gave her a vigorous massage (it was Shad who taught me how to do that) which maybe helped a bit but certainly didn't empty her crop.

It feels quite firm but not rock hard - a bit like dough - and I didn't feel any fibrous lumps. Her breath does not smell sour. She delivered a slightly loose poop onto my foot during this procedure - loose but not alarmingly so.

I will prepare coconut oil pills to pop in her beak tonight after dark and will do some night time and early morning massages and will keep sniffing for signs of sour crop.

My question to all of you is whether hens are more susceptible to crop issues when they molt and it might just resolve itself?
I wonder if I am worrying too much, or maybe not enough.
I worry that crop issues are usually a sign of other underlying disease and Bernie may actually be seriously ill.
I have had one girl who clearly just ate too much long grass - but all my other crop issues have been the start of a decline for some other reason.

Any thoughts or advice?
Thanks in advance.

Hope you get her crop under control.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Sorry to hear that; I hope you find and can stop the culprit quickly.

I do not have to worry, as I had a friend come get the seventh chicken.

I could not leave her out there by herself.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

ex Batts good morning one and all!

Tea is ready.

Temperature is in the 70s mostly sunny.

Have a great day!

 

[RoyalChick]

I hope she is feeling better. I am not someone to give advice: I fought a crop issue this year and lost, but learned a lot for any future issues. The input from people at BYC was very helpful.

I'm sorry to hear this, RC. I too have not experienced many crop issues in my time, and don't have any advice or knowledge. I sincerely hope that Bernie is well

Hope you get her crop under control.

Thanks everyone for the well wishes.
Hoping for the best.