Hi. I’m sorry to hear about your hen’s crop. I have been afraid to tube for years, and finally got into a life or death situation with a hen who was molting so heavily in winter she completely stopped eating or drinking. i’ve had her inside for warmth and tubing for two weeks. I’m just transitioning her back outside now.
I have found that just the fluid gets the crop going. I swear her digestion seems more active if I tube fluids before anything else. If you do decide to tube fluids, I have found that remaining calm seems to be the most important factor. That combined with the upper beak grasp described by @Overo Mare in her video really help. I need to read this thread before commenting on treating the crop itself. However, if you have determined that she needs fluid in her crop, I highly recommend it. I would start with a low volume until you get a little experience and confidence, especially if her crop is already full.
Edited: I had some voice to text errors... warmth, not worms!
I have found that just the fluid gets the crop going. I swear her digestion seems more active if I tube fluids before anything else. If you do decide to tube fluids, I have found that remaining calm seems to be the most important factor. That combined with the upper beak grasp described by @Overo Mare in her video really help. I need to read this thread before commenting on treating the crop itself. However, if you have determined that she needs fluid in her crop, I highly recommend it. I would start with a low volume until you get a little experience and confidence, especially if her crop is already full.
Edited: I had some voice to text errors... warmth, not worms!
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