Sick rooster

[dawg53]

Neck stretching while eating or after eating means that the bird is adjusting his crop which would be normal. What you need to do is feel his crop to see if it's hard (full) just after he goes to roost for the night. Then early the next morning before he eats, feel his crop again. It should be squishy, kind of loose (empty.)
If it's still hard, that means he has an impacted crop. There is also the possibility of impacted gizzard. Let us know how it goes.

 

[DS17]

Last night his crop did not feel full like the had been eating all day. This morning it felt small but a little hard. I compared it to the same hen as I did last night and her crop is completely empty. Does this sound like impacted crop? It’s very small, and it doesn’t fill up during the day even though I see him eating.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would try massaging the crop several times a day. Do you have any stool softener, such as Colace or doccusate sodium? That can be given to help soften and move along an impacted crop. Mineral oil (1 tsp) can be mixed into some egg or yogurt abd given orally instead. If you don’t have those, try coconut oil. Water is very important to give, and keep massaging. Give soft or mushy foods, but no whole grains while this hard area is felt in the crop. Try this first, and let us know if the mass starts to dissolve or move on.

 

[DS17]

I have some MiraLax powder (polyethylene Glycol 3350) would that work? If not, eggs and coconut oil or on hand.

 

[DS17]

So I brought the rooster into the garage in a kennel today so I could keep a better eye on him when I was home. I feed him hard boiled eggs with coconut oil & wet cat food. He gobbled up the food but he had stinky fluid coming out of his mouth. This sounds (& smells) like sour crop but his crop isn’t big and squishy. I massage it and it sounds like there is air in there too. I’m thinking of treating for sour crop but am wondering if I’m missing something else since his crop isn’t big & squishy and definitely not big & squishy in the morning before eating. What do y’all think?

 

[Eggcessive]

It does sound like sour crop. Sorry I had not seen your post about Miralax. I would not use that—it takes a few days to work, and I do not know how safe it is in chickens. I would look into his beak and throat with a flashlight for any yellow plaques or patches, and anything out of the ordinary. Here is some reading on sour crop:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[DS17]

It does sound like sour crop. Sorry I had not seen your post about Miralax. I would not use that—it takes a few days to work, and I do not know how safe it is in chickens. I would look into his beak and throat with a flashlight for any yellow plaques or patches, and anything out of the ordinary. Here is some reading on sour crop:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

I’ll get some help to look down his mouth. What do the yellow patches or plaques indicate??

 

[DS17]

I’ll get some help to look down his mouth. What do the yellow patches or plaques indicate??[

Just checked inside his mouth and didn’t see anything unusual....

 

[Eggcessive]

Plaques inside the beak can be canker, a protozoan infection that smells bad, and wet fowl pox, ILT, and some other bacterial or fungal infections may cause the yellow plaques as well.

 

[DS17]

So I think the sour crop is dealt with but the boy has really pale comb and wattles. He is eating (some) and drinking but is lethargic and his tail is droopy. I’m at a loss. Anything else I can do to help him??