Sour Crop? Diarrhea? ACV and yogurt?

[mardilove]

Good evening everybody. I was away working for three weeks and when I returned, I came home to find my 5 year old Wyandotte in a bad state. She was being looked after by room mates, who said they never noticed anything unusual (sigh). My hen's backside was coated in dark green stool and she looked miserable. She promptly received a warm bath and seemed happier (of course), and when I woke today she came out with her pal (leghorn) and hung around the garden until we put them back in their room. I saw her poop, this time gooey clear with a little white. Hardly any new staining on her backside. Input her on my lap to give her a little yogurt. At one point she struggled, and she spit up a little....about a teaspoon. Clear, looked like water with a small speck of leaf and a bug. It didnt smell great, though I wouldn't really describe it as putrid. Her breath the same...not healthy, but nothing that would knock me over. I felt her crop, contents about the mass of a golf ball, squishy, you can sense grit at the base of the crop when gently massaged. I gave her several drops of water with a splash of ACV in it. She accepted the water quite willingly, though after about a teaspoon she moved her neck a few times, as if she might throw up more. She looks like she feels very poorly. Her weight doesnt seem bad but shes obviously miserable this evening. Does this seem like a crop issue? The one unusual thing is that the two hens received three cans of tuna throughout the last week (room mates). Could this have spawned a gastronomic catastrophe?
Besides seeing that she is warm and offering yogurt, probiotics and ACV in water, Im not too sure where to go with this....thanks and sorry for the novel-length description of the problem.

details...
gold lace wyandotte
age 5
this bird did not begin laying this year
lives with a leghorn hen who is laying
i travel with work and these birds are not out as much when I am away...their routine is disturbed and they end up with a much less diverse diet at these times.
feed...scratch and peck organic soy free layer mash

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Mardilove: it almost sounds like sour crop. Green stool now can be a sign of distress as a result. There is a good thread with a good out come on here simply called "Sour Crop" by Shell3. There are lots of links also for recommendations. It's a wade through but I think you'll find some good things to try. If you PM her with questions I'm sure she can help you with some steps to take.

First step would be trying to vomit her right now. Tipping her forward and massaging crop contents down ward. Careful if she starts choking a bit...you don't want her to aspirate. Then several mLs of olive oil to massage mass to see if it will pass. Basically you'll need to remove fibrous food and soften her food/mash with water at this point and indefinitely until this is over. Shell 3 also tried baking soda solutions to neutralize the acid or sour. And also used miconazole. (yeast infection tablets) You may have to ask a vet for flagyl as well which is antibiotic (unfortunately) if you don't know how long for sure it's been going on.

Sour Crop can be a marathon but the birds seem to do okay with intervention. If you don't do anything, you will most likely lose her. I would watch for foods that have yeast...like breads at this time. I've seen some recommendations for that, Yogurt and ACV may not be good things right now as well. as they are acidic and just adds to the problem.

Good luck.