Sour crop (again!) any advice for recurring ailment?

[littlecoopnextdoor]

Sorry if you already said this but is a vet an option? I've never seen a chickens crop that big.

My local vet that everyone referred me to said that he doesn’t have time to see a chicken I am going to call the next city over to see if they can help. I’m isolating with covid so it adds another layer to the puzzle, but maybe the vet is doing curbside like a lot of the others. Her crop is almost the same size in the morning. I was so happy when she was better and now it’s so much worse

 

[azygous]

Try this to help the crop empty and to give her a bit of relief. Find a comfortable place to sit for twenty minutes and hold her in your lap facing away from your body. Then with one hand, cradle and lift the crop up to a more normal level. At the same time, with the other hand, slowly and gently massage the crop, aiming for the "drain" located about halfway up from the bottom. Us this diagram of where the crop and its drain into the proventriculus as a guide. A crop bra could help her at least with support so it isn't so uncomfortable.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

Try this to help the crop empty and to give her a bit of relief. Find a comfortable place to sit for twenty minutes and hold her in your lap facing away from your body. Then with one hand, cradle and lift the crop up to a more normal level. At the same time, with the other hand, slowly and gently massage the crop, aiming for the "drain" located about halfway up from the bottom. Us this diagram of where the crop and its drain into the proventriculus as a guide. A crop bra could help her at least with support so it isn't so uncomfortable.View attachment 3278520

Thank you for this information. I have been doing this since I saw it starting again. Massage/draining helped a lot last time but this time it’s not helping as much. I will continue! I think I need to isolate her tomorrow when I am out of the room because it’s easier to monitor her

 

[Eggcessive]

thanks everyone! @azygous that is what I'm hoping to do this time but I swear she sees it coming and closes her beak so tight! is there a trick to gently prying it open without hurting her? she's a sweetheart and very cuddly so I dont want to scar her through all this. last time she ate it mixed with yoghurt but won't do that anymore. and @Eggcessive yes very young for these issues, which is why I worry it might be genetic/chromic. I do sort of remember her adjusting her crop a lot more than the others when she was a tiny chick.

anyone have a good way to build crop support from 3" vet wrap? I have a lot of that to use (I can't get to my sewing machine because of where I'm isolating currently)

Since she is on the younger side, I would see if a vet could do crop surgery. She might have a wad of straw or something inside.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

Since she is on the younger side, I would see if a vet could do crop surgery. She might have a wad of straw or something inside.

I have no idea what it could be. They aren’t free range and the only treats they ever got was fresh greens from the garden in a suet-cage so they can take small bits, some bits of leftovers etc. but ya no straw and no grass. It’s perplexing the whole thing. I am going to phone the next towns over vet tomorrow. She’s only 19 weeks old so i hope she is ok!.

 

[Vickischics]

Sorry if you already said this but is a vet an option? I've never seen a chickens crop that big.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

Update - I am not sure she's sour as I don't feel the gas but I am worried now she is impacted. She stayed in the coop this morning. I gave her a massage, put cream into her beak (she is letting me now, which to me means she is getting weaker) and managed to get about half a tsp of coconut oil in her beak as well. I massaged her about 15 mins. She is slightly trembling which makes me think she's in pain. I have called three vets. I am calling the fourth one they have referred me to. Wanted to keep you updated. I'm trying to stay positive but she looked pretty rough this morning and she's never not come out of the coop in the morning before.

 

[azygous]

Are you able to feel a hard mass in the crop? If she's impacted in the crop, it should be easy to feel. Half a teaspoon of oil is not nearly enough. She would need at the very least, one teaspoon, and up to three to be effective.

There is also a chance the blockage extends down to her gizzard. A stool softener should also be considered before you throw up your hands in defeat. If you can get the crop to empty to a good degree, you then have the option of Epsom salt flushes over a three-day period to flush her digestive system.

You also need to think about ways to get nourishment into her to keep her strength up and her digestive system moving. I usually tube feed when a chicken has stopped eating due to exhaustion and weakness. It's often enough to get her going again so her system can fight back. Are you providing grit? That's invaluable when the chicken is struggling with an obstruction in the digestive system.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

Are you able to feel a hard mass in the crop? If she's impacted in the crop, it should be easy to feel. Half a teaspoon of oil is not nearly enough. She would need at the very least, one teaspoon, and up to three to be effective.

There is also a chance the blockage extends down to her gizzard. A stool softener should also be considered before you throw up your hands in defeat. If you can get the crop to empty to a good degree, you then have the option of Epsom salt flushes over a three-day period to flush her digestive system.

You also need to think about ways to get nourishment into her to keep her strength up and her digestive system moving. I usually tube feed when a chicken has stopped eating due to exhaustion and weakness. It's often enough to get her going again so her system can fight back. Are you providing grit? That's invaluable when the chicken is struggling with an obstruction in the digestive system.

It actually feels like her crop is full of grit this morning at the bottom No hard mass but gritty, which I've never felt before. Yes I know about the oil amount being too small - my goal is to get more in her and massage. I am trying to get it in her slowly without stressing her out. Last time oil worked well to get things moving. I was able to get a vet appointment for tomorrow morning thankfully. I am hoping the vet can help the poor girl! I'm not giving up on her.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

She is very poorly this morning and I am so glad we will be with the vet in a couple hours. Again she didn't leave the coop, didn't even stand up and won't take any food or water. Her crop feels very squidgy like there's sand inside now We have an hour drive to the vets, I have never travelled with a chicken before. I will put a soft towel in a crate for her and cover with a blanket so she's not scared. Please send all your well wishes for Squeaky, I hope she can pull through.