Sick chicken..losing feathers and crop issues. Help!

[Wyorp Rock]

I noticed a few days ago she was moving her neck weird...I guess jerky and side to side?

She is also very skinny. She lost alot of weight during her last crop problem

her crop feels squishy again

She has lost alot of feathers on her head, and when I looked closer at her it's as if they broke off and the quill is still there.

9 months old

Well now her crop isn't as full and hanging as much as the first time, but it is fuller than it should be and squishy, or doughy. I think maybe it's just a slow crop, proably pendulous

She's on her second day of corid. She's been doing her neck winding more

What type of food/treats do you feed?
Does she have grit available?
Can you post photos of her or a video of her actions?
When was the last time she laid an egg?
Do you have a rooster?

What's the purpose of the Corid? Do you suspect Coccidiosis - can you take a fresh poop sample to your vet for a fecal float?

Since she is having crop problems, the neck movement could be due to adjusting the crop. Vitamin E deficiency also some to mind.
If the crop bra worked for her, you may want to put that back on. Provide her with plenty of water, poultry grit free choice and give only her normal feed along with a little chopped egg and yogurt as a treat (no scratch or hard to process foods). See if you can get the crop moving it's contents.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments
Adding some poultry vitamins that contain Vitamin E and B1 is also a good idea, the chopped egg will supply enough Selenium for Vit. E uptake.

The broken feathers on the head sounds like she has been picked on, or if you have a rooster/cockerel it could be from mating.

 

[scoopsmom]

Her crop is very full and squishy so my mom tipped her upside down and she threw up alot several times. I still do not think she has sour crop- only a slow pendulous crop. Her breath and her vomit have no odor at all. We WERE giving her the regular wet crumble she always gets along with some yogurt or baby food. But after today, we have removed her food for 24 hours. She finished the Corid yesterday and I started her on probiotics. Tomorrow I will add vitamins and the aloe vera juice. She will also be wearing her bra tomorrow. Poor thing :-(
Her poop varies between normal and very wet. After we threw her up she had diarrhea for a bit afterward. I do not see any worms in her poop. I will look into getting a fecal float test.
As far as 'starting from the beginning' on naming symptoms:
Just about all the feathers on her neck and head are broke off
She has the odd neck movement
She's very thin
Full squishy crop- it's gurgly when I massage it sometimes
She threw up alot when tipped upside down
Her feathers don't seem to be falling out as much (they would fall out alot before when she would move)

Other than all that she is pretty normal- she isn't lethargic or anything.

Wyorp Rock-
When she was down with the other chickens she had grit but now that she is up in the cage she hasn't had any. Thank you for mentioning it...just another thing I've forgotten! Also...I have her in a cage in the house because it's cold outside but when it's sunny enough I move her outside. I made a little run outside for her on the grass so she can "stretch her legs" but now that she has a full crop again...is it ok for her to be on grass?
I will try to post a photo of her within the next few days. She hasn't laid an egg in a month or so...she never started back laying after the last crop issue. I do have a rooster. The purpose of the Corid was because there was a possibility of Coccidiosis. As far as being bullied or feather loss from trying to mate..she is one of, if not, the top hen in the coop. Also, I don't work so I see those little ladies alot throughout the day and I only have 5 chickens so it's not hard to keep track of their little behaviors.

 

[azygous]

Chances are that installing the crop bra could help her crop empty naturally, and that will help this hen feel much better. She should regain an appetite and slowly regain weight.

Your hen may need to wear the crop bra from now on. Wait and see how it goes. She has been drinking a lot of water because it's a reaction to having a crop that refuses to empty. That adds to the hopeless cycle of having a squishy crop that feels full and makes your hen not feel like eating. Hopefully, the crop will empty with the support of the bra, and she will soon be back to normal.

Could her shabby feathers be due to molt? Do you see any pin feathers in any of the areas that have the least feather coverage?

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Scoopsmom,

Sounds like you are on top of things. I do believe that her digestive process has been altered by the copper sulfate. So, it will take time to re-establish her gut flora. Aloe Vera in the water for a week or so will help heal any damage to the intestines and boost her immune system. She also needs probiotics to replace the beneficial bacteria that were killed off during the Corid and copper sulfate treatment.

Small meals of wet mash, one diced grape for a treat. I would not feed pellets right now. Ground feed is easier to digest. You can also give a crop tonic if she is twisting her neck/ adjusting her crop or when you think she needs it. I think you are right, this is what she is doing when twisting her neck.

Here is my recipe for Crop Tonic.
Crop Tonic:
1 tsp. thick yogurt with at least 3 bacteria cultures in it.
1 drop, Oregano Oil
4 drops Coconut Oil, melted or Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil
4 drops water

Mix in a shot glass, stir well, and administer 1 mL, orally with syringe.

I was going through this with my 2.5 year old hen since Friday! She relapsed yesterday, but is doing good now. Her problem started from something she ate in the yard.

Hope this info is useful.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

 

[scoopsmom]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING everyone and thank you for all of your suggestions!

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Back to you scoopsmom.

God Bless you and your family.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

 

[scoopsmom]

Here's pictures of the back of her head. You can see her feathers are coming back in. Before it was so bad you could see her skin. The other picture is her hanging out with my dog. She has her bra on so it's lifting her up but you can see how full she is.

She seems to be doing better. As I said her feathers on her head are coming back and they aren't falling off her body as much. Her poop is normal for the most part. She's been wearing her bra for 4 days now. Her crop is still full and squishy though. Right now I'm still limiting her food to 3xs a day. And she's getting the probiotics, vitamins, and aloe vera juice in her water. By wearing the crop bra should her crop eventually go back to feeling how it's supposed to?

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Oh-h-h...what a precious white hen!

Well, from what I have read, she may always have issues with her crop, or, not. Just give her crop a gentle little massage each evening, and check it each morning, to see if it is emptying. Do this for a few days each week, till you get an idea of what is normal for her.

Give her time, she is in her last stage of the molt, and had the crop issue too. Just keep an eye on her. You'll know when to step in and help her.

He-he-he, that dog looks like she just loves that little chicken!
What a sweet picture!


God Bless!

 

[azygous]

Thanks for the update.

The crop should be emptying every night with the crop bra - if pendulous crop is the only issue. If the crop is still squishy in the morning, then she likely still has a yeast colonizing the crop.

If it responded the first time to the copper sulfate, then I'd got another round. If that didn't resolve it the first time, then I'd go with miconazole twice a day for one week.

What may have happened was the crop was still yeasty when you started her with the crop bra, and now it needs help conquering the yeast infection. After that's cleared up, I expect her crop to empty nicely every night as long as she wears the bra to support it.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Scoopsmom,

Have you tried the crop tonic on your hen?

Because she had such a lengthy treatment on copper sulfate, I would try using a natural treatment that is effective against the yeasts that cause sour crop. The oregano oil and coconut oil are anti-fungal and the yogurt will introduce beneficial bacterial to her gut. You can give her 1 mL, with a syringe in the evening. Then, check her crop in the morning, to see if it has emptied. A little goes a long way...you can give another dose the following evening if she needs it.

This way you are helping her own body to regain control of the crop. With the use of the crop bra, re-established gut flora and immune system, and treatment of the yeasts, she will develop good crop tone.

You also, need to address the waterers. They should be thoroughly cleaned with some bleach and water, then rinsed well. Also, be sure to clean and dry the feeders for Winter.

If she just can't get rid of the yeasts, then, I would try Nystatin or Oznystatin oral anti fungal medication.

Anyways, again...these are my thoughts on the issue.

God Bless!