Soft crop?

[MegMicheleW]

Hey guys, new chicken owner here. Recently got 2 red laying hens about two weeks ago. Everything has been going great with them. I’ve done lot’s of research before committing and i’m unsure if I’m being paranoid.

The ladies are approximately 5 months, ordered them from the local co-op. Couple days after having them, the one started laying eggs for us. We’re getting 1 egg every other day, sometimes daily.

I’ve been religiously handling them often, and kind of examining them closely. I’ve discovered their crops and have heard a lot about sour crop. Their crops have been palpable but grainy and what I assume a decent size.

This morning, my layer had a soft “fluffy” crop. She laid an egg after i discovered the soft crop, and has been acting normal otherwise. She has been having very liquid poops, and had been since we got her.. but i had read that 1 in 10 poops can be cecal(spelling?). But this morning it was clearly 2 decent piles of diarrhea.

I took away the food, added ACV to their water and offered plain greek yogurt. I was worried about fasting the unaffected chicken so i tried closing the soft crop hen in the coop and left the other in the run with food so she could snack. They really dont like being separated unfortunately.. throughout the day i’d been massaging the crop and near the end of the day the softness had gone down significantly so i let them free range. She had a normal poop. But then this evening it has swelled up a little bit again. I’ve now put them in their coop for the night with just their water.

My main concerns are:

Do we think i’m dealing with beginning stages of sour crop? Even though there is no foul smell, she’s eating normal and acting normal.

If yes, what do we recommend doing? There’s so much info and I honestly dont know where to start?

Lastly, if i need to treat, do i really need to separate them? They get so stressed and are constantly looking/calling for each-other. Is it okay to periodically fast the unaffected chicken and then give her access to feed a few times a day?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I took away the food, added ACV to their water and offered plain greek yogurt. I was worried about fasting the unaffected chicken so i tried closing the soft crop hen in the coop and left the other in the run with food so she could snack. They really dont like being separated unfortunately.. throughout the day i’d been massaging the crop and near the end of the day the softness had gone down significantly so i let them free range. She had a normal poop. But then this evening it has swelled up a little bit again.

Welcome To BYC

Check the crop First Thing in the morning Before she eats/drinks, the crop should be empty.

If she's had anything to eat/drink, then you will feel food/water in the crop. A crop can be soft to hard depending on how much food/water is in there and when you feel of it.

If the crop is not emptying, then you'll want to address the Symptom. The article below will walk you through that.

When I treat a crop issue, I do not separate out a bird unless she's getting picked on. Separation is stressful. I do not withhold food nor water. I let her eat her normal feed if she feels like it. She also needs to be drinking, so water is available during waking hours.

Provide a nutritionally balanced poultry feed. Provide oyster shell and poultry grit (crushed granite) free choice. Plain fresh water daily.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[MegMicheleW]

Welcome To BYC

Check the crop First Thing in the morning Before she eats/drinks, the crop should be empty.

If she's had anything to eat/drink, then you will feel food/water in the crop. A crop can be soft to hard depending on how much food/water is in there and when you feel of it.

If the crop is not emptying, then you'll want to address the Symptom. The article below will walk you through that.

When I treat a crop issue, I do not separate out a bird unless she's getting picked on. Separation is stressful. I do not withhold food nor water. I let her eat her normal feed if she feels like it. She also needs to be drinking, so water is available during waking hours.

Provide a nutritionally balanced poultry feed. Provide oyster shell and poultry grit (crushed granite) free choice. Plain fresh water daily.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Thank you so much for the info! I’m relieved to say that her crop was less balloon like and more crop like this morning. Thank goodness. I’ll keep monotoring.

Question regarding grit. I have crushed oyster shells available at all time and the bottom of their run is dirt. They also have access to dirt when they free range. Should i still provide grit?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you so much for the info! I’m relieved to say that her crop was less balloon like and more crop like this morning. Thank goodness. I’ll keep monotoring.

Question regarding grit. I have crushed oyster shells available at all time and the bottom of their run is dirt. They also have access to dirt when they free range. Should i still provide grit?

Oyster shells are not hard enough to be used as grit.

While your birds may find suitable grit in the soil, it's a good practice just to provide purchased Grit (Crushed Granite) so you know they have what they need. Grit is fairly inexpensive and will last a very long time. You don't need to put out a lot at a time, just scatter a small amount and they will pick up a few pieces as needed or you can put a little in a small container within the coop/run.