Sick chickens -almost ready to cull. Crop/upper respiratory problems?

[Bricore]

Hello!
I have 11 chickens with some kind of problem. I hope someone can help point me in the right direction. I am at the point that I might just cull them and start over but I hate to do that unless it has to be done.

No dead birds.
Colors seems to be ok (combs and feathers not dull.)
Poo seems ok.
Laying fine for the amount of day light (about 6-7 eggs a day with no extra light right now. 1 is a roo, 2 of the girls are 3-4 yrs old. The others are 1.)
Eyes look ok.
Active.
Feathers aren't ruffled.
Legs are fine, no signs of mites.
Weight seems fine.

No nasty smell in their mouth or in the coop.

They get 22% layer feed. I was feeding Pellet but just switched to mash two days ago.
Fresh water.
Crush oyster shells.

Dust bath- small sandbox with DE in it.

History-
They free range but they started to get attack by dogs and coons so I locked them up in their coop. I did NOT give grit when they free ranged and forgot to give it to them when I locked them up. I am thinking this might have something to do with my problem now.
A while back I noticed some kind of liquid coming out of some of the chickens' mouths. At first I was thinking it was some kind of upper respiratory infection. I gave them some Terramycin for 5 days. It did not go away. I waited 1 1/2 weeks after treatment and went to the feed store and talked to some people there. They suggested Sulmet. I gave that for 5 days. That did not stop it.
I did notice today when I gave them fresh water that they were taking drinks and would shake their heads afterwards! Could this point to a crop problem or something else, maybe gapeworm?
I have read to feel the crop, but I really don't know what it should really feel like in the first place so I wouldn't know if it was ok or not.
I did buy some grit and switched to mash two days ago, when I thought that it might be because of crop problems.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Dora

***I forgot to say that they are eating well.

 

[tinychicky]

DON'T CULL YET! it sounds like sour crop. if you hold a bird gently upside down and press on the crop, does liquid come out? is the crop "squishy" feeling? that's sour crop. feed them minimally or nothing for a couple days, but do give them plenty of water with vinigar, preferably apple cider vinigar, in it. use probably about 1/2 cup per gallon of water or more. press on the crop to get the liquid out of their beaks to releive some of the pressure. check them again after 2-3 days. if it hasn't gone away, give them a while longer, it usually goes away by itself if the chickens are kept warm and given LOTS AND LOTS of water with apple cider vinigar. the worst thing you can do right now is skimp on water changing. it should clear up soon.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Heres a link about sour crop after reading what other poster says and this too get back with us about what you think.

http://sites.google.com/site/moodysbantams/poultry-health-1/crop-impaction



and pardon my manners

 

[JayDee]

Have a feel of the crop. If you haven't been feeding grit, it's possible the crops are impacted as opposed to sour (with sour you'd normally have a bad smell from their mouths).

Impacted crop feels like tough plasticine. You can mould it into shapes if you pinch or massage it. It's really obvious when you feel it that it cannot be normal.

 

[Bricore]

I picked up one of the birds and before I could turn her upside she had liquid that came out.

I pulled their feed and am giving them just water for now.

I did notice that when some of them drink the water that it looks like they are trying to "CHEW" (I know they don't "chew", but it's not how they normally drink. I just can't think of another word to use for it.) They are also cleaning their beaks afterwards.

Thanks everyone for your help!

 

[jojobobo61]

Its proboly sour crop...Put viniger in their water and change their water daily