Sour crop diagnosis AND I’m going out of town this morning!!! Help asap! Please!

[ljkraemer]

Please someone help asap. I’ve been keeping an eye on my 1 year old hen for the last couple of days. She was doing this odd sideways jerking behavior at night. Her crop would be empty in the am so I just assumed it was her adjusting her crop. Fast forward to this morning. She definitely has sour crop. It is squishy, like a balloon, and I can finally smell a slight sour smell. I had checked for sour smell the last few days and there was none, until this am. I preemptively bought monistat and read the guide that Azygous created. I’ve given my hen the monistat this am. And will continue for 2x a day for 7 days. Here’s the kicker. My family is leaving for Costa Rica, in 3 hours! (It’s 430am as I write this!) We’re going on spring break. I have my dad taking care of our chickens while we’re gone. I’ve sent him the guide on Sour crop and told him what to do with the monistat. But here’s my questions. Does my hen need to be isolated? If so, how? Will it be more stressful for her to be in a new place (my dad’s house) away from her mates? Do we need to withhold food for the first day? I can’t find a concrete answer on that. My dad and I both live in cities just outside Minneapolis. So this isn’t a farm situation. My dad’s wife will not allow him to keep the chicken in the house, crated or otherwise. So if we do need to isolate her, she’d likely be in the garage in a dog crate? What would you advise? I’m so thankful for any advice. This is, of course, our favorite bird of the 6. My children are beyond attached to her. What terrible timing but I’m so hopeful that my dad can treat this and take care of her while we’re gone. I just want to know what to do here for the first couple of days. Thank you so much!

 

[ljkraemer]

Also, to add, should we bring her to a vet?

 

[NatJ]

Does my hen need to be isolated?

Sour crop should not be contagious. So isolation to protect other chickens: no.
Isolation to protect this hen from bullying: not unless someone sees actual bullying happening.

Putting her in a small pen so she is easy to catch for daily treatments, maybe. That would depend on how easy she is to catch, and how much she looks like any of your others. (You wouldn't want your dad treating the wrong chicken by mistake!)

Will it be more stressful for her to be in a new place (my dad’s house) away from her mates?

Yes, that would probably be more stressful for her.

Do we need to withhold food for the first day? I can’t find a concrete answer on that.

I don't know the answer, but if you are finding conflicting information, try the easy option first!

(Easy option probably being to allow food & water, rather than think about how long to withhold what. And if you leave her in the usual pen, there is no way to withhold food anyway, unless you were willing to make the whole flock go hungry-- which doesn't seem like a good idea to me.)

if we do need to isolate her, she’d likely be in the garage in a dog crate? What would you advise?

I would leave her in her usual pen, unless you dad is not able to identify her or catch her for treatment. If he cannot catch her in her usual pen, or cannot tell which hen she is, then a dog crate in his garage might be better. That way he could be sure of treating the right hen, and he could catch her more easily.