sick chicken

[Mallory F]

I have a 6 mo. old EE. This morning she didn't want to come out of the coop. She hunkers down and puffs up with her eyes closed. She has not started laying yet. She's not eating or drinking. She was fine yesterday. She will occasionally open and close her mouth, but it doesn't seem like she is gasping for air. I don't hear any wheezing or gurgling. Her crop is a little firm and I tried to massage it, but nothing came out. Any suggestions?

 

[azygous]

With a bit more information, I have a hunch we'll conclude your young gal has impacted crop.

1.Did you feel her crop first thing this morning before she had anything to eat or drink?
2.Is it hard and lumpy?
3.Is she extending her neck while gaping her beak?
4.What did she have to eat over the last couple days?
5.Does she have access to grit? (gravel, not oyster shell)
6.Do you smell an odor similar to sauerkraut when you get near her head?
(This may or may not be a feature of all crop disorders.)

With any crop problems, you do not want to try to make a chicken vomit. It will risk getting nasty fluids into the trachea and lungs which can lead to much worse problems than a crop disorder.

Here's my article on crop disorders. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/ Read through it and come back and I and others can try to answers questions you have.

 

[ChickenLeg]

Whats the poop looking like? Read up on coccidiosis and see if your chicken has any weird poop liquidy, green, or blood in the stool.

 

[Mallory F]

With a bit more information, I have a hunch we'll conclude your young gal has impacted crop.

1.Did you feel her crop first thing this morning before she had anything to eat or drink?
2.Is it hard and lumpy?
3.Is she extending her neck while gaping her beak?
4.What did she have to eat over the last couple days?
5.Does she have access to grit? (gravel, not oyster shell)
6.Do you smell an odor similar to sauerkraut when you get near her head?
(This may or may not be a feature of all crop disorders.)

With any crop problems, you do not want to try to make a chicken vomit. It will risk getting nasty fluids into the trachea and lungs which can lead to much worse problems than a crop disorder.

Here's my article on crop disorders. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/ Read through it and come back and I and others can try to answers questions you have.

Thank you for your information. Her crop is firm and she does extend her neck while gaping. It almost looks like she wants to vomit. She does have access to grit. She free ranges, but there is also grit in the coop. She eats layer feed and yesterday she had some dried meal worms along with whatever she finds in the yard. I don't smell anything around her head.

 

[azygous]

Try introducing some oil, coconut, mineral, olive oil, about two teaspoons to begin with. Very gently massage her crop, trying to direct the contents toward the middle of the crop where the crop drain is located.

Wait an hour and repeat this. After another hour, if the crop hasn't emptied, you may need a stool softener.

 

[aart]

After another hour, if the crop hasn't emptied

Curious, it takes an hour(in general) after a chicken has filled the crop, with no other access to feed, for the crop to empty?
I have never had the opportunity, or need, to observe this closely enough to know...
..but I'll bet you have.

 

[azygous]

I didn't make it clear that the impaction should break up and go down with gentle massage. Massage is an important step in clearing an impacted crop. After the oil has a chance to work, half hour to an hour, massage should pretty much empty the crop of the impacted material.

If the crop is still being stubborn, then a stool softener will almost always do the trick. Again, massage is an important step to clear the obstruction.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

With a bit more information, I have a hunch we'll conclude your young gal has impacted crop.

1.Did you feel her crop first thing this morning before she had anything to eat or drink?
2.Is it hard and lumpy?
3.Is she extending her neck while gaping her beak?
4.What did she have to eat over the last couple days?
5.Does she have access to grit? (gravel, not oyster shell)
6.Do you smell an odor similar to sauerkraut when you get near her head?
(This may or may not be a feature of all crop disorders.)

With any crop problems, you do not want to try to make a chicken vomit. It will risk getting nasty fluids into the trachea and lungs which can lead to much worse problems than a crop disorder.

Here's my article on crop disorders. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/ Read through it and come back and I and others can try to answers questions you have.

Try introducing some oil, coconut, mineral, olive oil, about two teaspoons to begin with. Very gently massage her crop, trying to direct the contents toward the middle of the crop where the crop drain is located.
Wait an hour and repeat this. After another hour, if the crop hasn't emptied, you may need a stool softener.

Agreed! Good information