Sour crop, crop not emptying overnight

[Agathe]

I have a chicken with sour crop and I got great help here yesterday. After trying different things with no success, I finally made fennel seed tea as suggested on here, and I saw significant improvement within a few hours. Her crop emptied out quite a bit and she made several poops, her tail went from hanging down to coming back up again and she started walking around more and seemed more interested in the world around her. I had expected to continue to see improvement overnight, but it appears she hasn't pooped at all and her crop is fuller again and she is back to being lethargic. I'm continuing with the fennel seed tea but all the fennel seed tea in the world won't help unless her crop won't empty during the night. The directions I followed said you could offer some food when the crop has started to empty so I did give her some scrambled eggs in small pieces as she's getting quite skinny. I didn't offer grit but could feel the grit in her crop. Maybe I was too quick with the food, but I'm not sure that is the problem as I did monitor her for hours after eating and it didn't lead to her crop filling up at all again and she pooped afterwards. Rather I fear the underlying issue is something more complicated, but still I'm looking for some final suggestions in hope of saving her. As mentioned in my previous post I did find blood on and under the roost one morning a week or two ago on the spot where she often sits. None of the chickens appeared to be injured so I wonder if she might have had an internal bleed of some sort.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

In my experiences crop problems are because of other internal problems that keep the crop from emptying. Tumors or enlarged organs. I personally have had no luck fixing crop problems long term.

 

[Agathe]

In my experiences crop problems are because of other internal problems that keep the crop from emptying. Tumors or enlarged organs. I personally have had no luck fixing crop problems long term.

Thank you. I fear this is the case too. I've started her on vaginal cream but it's now day 5 and although she has improved enough to move back with the others, her crop still isn't emptying properly and she's still not her usual self. If sour crop was the main issue, I would have expected to see more improvement by now. She is more active and smells less, but I'm guessing we're only camouflaging the issue. Do you cull birds with these issues or let them go on their own? She doesn't seem sick enough right now for me to justify culling her.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you. I fear this is the case too. I've started her on vaginal cream but it's now day 5 and although she has improved enough to move back with the others, her crop still isn't emptying properly and she's still not her usual self. If sour crop was the main issue, I would have expected to see more improvement by now. She is more active and smells less, but I'm guessing we're only camouflaging the issue. Do you cull birds with these issues or let them go on their own? She doesn't seem sick enough right now for me to justify culling her.

I generally let them go until they start to go downhill. Once they aren't eating it's getting to be time. Culling is better than starving to death. Each bird is different.

Since it isn't anything contagious I just wait and see. I have read posts on here where people have found thread, and nails inside the crop after culling. So it's always possible she ingested something she should not have.