Sick Chicken and no local vets treat chickens :-(

[Heather Kaye]

This is my first post here. I'm desperate to help my hen. We were on vacation when it was realized by a caretaker that our hen had an impacted crop. The crop was cleared and a bunch of mealworms were expelled. She did okay for the next couple of days, though I still had to coax her out of the coop. A couple days later she was acting ill again. When I inspected her crop again, there still seemed to be a fair amount in there. I know it's controversial, but I helped her to expel the contents of her crop again and some hard corn kernels and liquid came out (these came from a treat block that was immediately thrown away. They normally get fine grit feed) Anyway, it was so foul smelling that I figured she must surely have a sour crop. There is ACV in her water (controversial again, I've read) and I also found a thread on here where a lady was giving her hen a probiotic in the form of Lifeway smoothie (plain, unsweetened) with Kefir for the active cultures, etc. I have tried this off and on for a couple days and have kept her segretated. She will drink water on her own, but immediately moves her head from side to side, as if trying to get the water past a blockage. She also has diarrhea. Today it was a yellow and thin, almost like mucus. I wanted to take her to the vet but after calling around, there are none in my area. The closest one I could take her to is quite far away on bedrest for two weeks. After calling their office, the only advice I got from him was to massage the crop as much as possible and to administer electrolytes in her water. Is there any advice that anyone can offer that I haven't already tried? Am I doing the right thing at all? I appreciate any help I can get.

 

[dixiebackyard]

Could you determine if the bird had sour crop? Large squishy crop . If its hard that could be an impancted crop . If it is sour crop you want to withhold feed and separate from other birds. Hang upside down and empty the crop as much as possible without causing harm to the bird. Then if the crop goes down in a day start feeding yogurt to induce some good bacterias.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would place her in a crate where you can control what she eats and drinks. Plain yogurt (a TB daily for probiotics,) raw or soft cooked egg would be good to feed at first. After massaging crop several times daily, if the crop is empty by morning, you could try some watery chicken feed, but no whole grains. I am no crop expert, but sour crop generally causes a sour or foul odor from the beak. They may vomit brown liquid if they are tipped forward and down--be very careful since many have lost chickens performing this. There is a proper way, and only done for a second or two, and it still can be dangerous. But it may be needed.
Impacted crop is a full, hard crop that won't empty. Sour crop may occur later in an impacted crop or be from a fungal or bacterial infection in the crop.
First of all, she may be sick with another problem, and just have a slow-to-empty crop. Worms, coccidiosis, and other problems can cause this.
Here are 2 good links to read about crop problems, and Two Crows is very good to explain things:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...d-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments.67194/
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/answers-from-chicken-vet-on-impacted.html

 

[Heather Kaye]

Thank you both. She has been crated for the last 2 days and only given water and the plain yogurt only twice. What I felt was the crop (lower right, above breast) is now flat but there is a fairly large "balloon" in the center, just above the crop. It's baseball sized and feels like it is full of air. I massaged it and nothing happens. The only reason I assumed the crop was sour in the first place was that when she puked the first time, my friend said the smell was awful. She had to take 2 showers to get the smell off her. She was only hand feeding her water with ACV and inadvertently "puked her" I believe. When I removed her from the coop initially, she began to drool when I picked her up. That hasn't happened since.

 

[dixiebackyard]

Thank you both. She has been crated for the last 2 days and only given water and the plain yogurt only twice. What I felt was the crop (lower right, above breast) is now flat but there is a fairly large "balloon" in the center, just above the crop. It's baseball sized and feels like it is full of air. I massaged it and nothing happens. The only reason I assumed the crop was sour in the first place was that when she puked the first time, my friend said the smell was awful. She had to take 2 showers to get the smell off her. She was only hand feeding her water with ACV and inadvertently "puked her" I believe. When I removed her from the coop initially, she began to drool when I picked her up. That hasn't happened since.

I think it sounds like you are on the right track Best of luck

 

[Heather Kaye]

So there is really no point in massaging that air sac is there? I don't even know what that is because it isn't her crop. I'm thankfully she is willingly drinking on her own though. I will hang onto that thread of hope.

 

[Heather Kaye]

Does anyone know what this large air sac is? It seems to be in her esophagus, not her crop. It's baseball sized and definitely air filled. I cannot find ANYTHING that mentions this so I don't even know if the treatment I'm doing is correct. I'm so frustrated and sad.

 

[The Golden Egg5]

It could be one of her air sacks? I'm not sure if they are located there, all I know is that chickens have them.

 

[Heather Kaye]

The pocket is exactly where this diagram points to the trachea which is why I'm so confused

 

[The Golden Egg5]

Maybe it's the cervicular air sac? Or maybe some sort of liquid filled cyst?