3JT
In the Brooder
Hi everyone. I have a year old hen who has sour crop. Approx 2 months ago I noticed one of my other hens started to lay some soft shell eggs. I immediately realized something was wrong. She was eating, drinking and acting normally otherwise. Poop was also normal. I hadn’t wormed the girls in a year and whenever I had their poop checked in the past only roundworms were found so that is what I treated for with Safeguard for 5 days. Hen started laying normal eggs again and all was good.
A couple weeks after that the same hen started to get a purplish color to the back top end of her comb. It would occasionally go away for a bit but would return. I noticed her poop was a little soft but not runny. Then one of my other hens also started with the same purple on the back top part of her comb that would come and go. Her stool stayed solid. I checked the girls for lice and mites; nothing. All acting normally. I ended up taking a stool sample in for fecal float and round worm eggs were still found. Vet told me to retreat with Safeguard for 3 days and then repeat in 3 weeks. I find that direction odd since it doesn’t match anything else I’ve read. But I did finish the first of 3 day retreat.
About 4 days after I completed that dose, the 2nd hen from above developed a flopped comb after she lay an egg and just sat in the nesting box. I went to get her out to see what was going on and realized her crop was like a balloon. I separated her from the flock and removed her food and water, though she didn’t seem to want it anyway. When I picked her up clear liquid came out of her beak; no odor. The next morning her crop was still full and squishy like water filled. I had tried to massage it several times the previous day and that morning but it did not seem like anything was draining. She had a little liquid come out of her beak again when I moved her and it was starting to have a faint sour smell so I started miconazole.
She would not drink anything. I realized she would die if I didn’t do something so I decided to make her vomit later in the day. I was able to clear half of her crop contents which was mostly milky white water and a couple meal worms and pieces of feed. She then started drinking garlic water. That evening I gave her some scrambled egg with probiotics which she gobbled up.
This morning I emptied her crop again but only got a little out. There is still liquid in it and does not seem to drain on its own. I am giving the miconazole twice daily. She took a few bites and sips today so far but not much. I am wondering if there is a big worm load and the safeguard hasn’t been effective and that is why they also have the purplish combs. I was thinking of giving her Valbazen. Will it absorb and be effective if her crop isn’t draining? Also she is pooping diarrhea about 2-3 times/day now. Thank you so much for your help!
A couple weeks after that the same hen started to get a purplish color to the back top end of her comb. It would occasionally go away for a bit but would return. I noticed her poop was a little soft but not runny. Then one of my other hens also started with the same purple on the back top part of her comb that would come and go. Her stool stayed solid. I checked the girls for lice and mites; nothing. All acting normally. I ended up taking a stool sample in for fecal float and round worm eggs were still found. Vet told me to retreat with Safeguard for 3 days and then repeat in 3 weeks. I find that direction odd since it doesn’t match anything else I’ve read. But I did finish the first of 3 day retreat.
About 4 days after I completed that dose, the 2nd hen from above developed a flopped comb after she lay an egg and just sat in the nesting box. I went to get her out to see what was going on and realized her crop was like a balloon. I separated her from the flock and removed her food and water, though she didn’t seem to want it anyway. When I picked her up clear liquid came out of her beak; no odor. The next morning her crop was still full and squishy like water filled. I had tried to massage it several times the previous day and that morning but it did not seem like anything was draining. She had a little liquid come out of her beak again when I moved her and it was starting to have a faint sour smell so I started miconazole.
She would not drink anything. I realized she would die if I didn’t do something so I decided to make her vomit later in the day. I was able to clear half of her crop contents which was mostly milky white water and a couple meal worms and pieces of feed. She then started drinking garlic water. That evening I gave her some scrambled egg with probiotics which she gobbled up.
This morning I emptied her crop again but only got a little out. There is still liquid in it and does not seem to drain on its own. I am giving the miconazole twice daily. She took a few bites and sips today so far but not much. I am wondering if there is a big worm load and the safeguard hasn’t been effective and that is why they also have the purplish combs. I was thinking of giving her Valbazen. Will it absorb and be effective if her crop isn’t draining? Also she is pooping diarrhea about 2-3 times/day now. Thank you so much for your help!
