SOUR CROP :( HELP!!!! I have 20 chicks with sour crop.

[MelanieOzuna]

Can anyone please help me. I am fairly new to the chicken world. This spring we hatched our chicks and they were doing really good. They are approximately a month and a half old now. We went on a weekend trip and left their care to our friends. When I came home they had these huge bulging crops that seemed warm to the touch. They are still active and drinking and eating but they look a little thin in the breast. I looked up sour crop on line and youtubed how to make the puke. Im not really sure what to do. Kind of in a panic. I only tried it on a few that seemed super engorged. Now I offer them warm water with electrolytes and vegetable oil in it to see if that helps loosen things up. I did not notice a fowl odor from the stuff that came up from the crops. I thought from the videos I viewed that there would be an smell from infection or something.

Thanks in advance!!!

Melanie

 

[sourland]

20 chickens with sour crop at the same time is highly improbable. Are you sure that they don't just have full crops?

 

[hdowden]

sounds like they have full crops

 

[speckledhen]

20 chicks do not all have sour crop. They may have very full crops.

Do NOT make them disgorge or you'll lose some! They'll aspirate and choke.


Your friends may have let the feeder get empty, then filled it and they gorged. Massage the crops gently and give them plain yogurt mixed with some plain veg/olive oil if the crops do not empty some overnight.

 

[MelanieOzuna]

Thank you all so much for the replies!!! So far they are all still up and running around. I DO NOT like the idea of disgorging them so I am stocking up on plain yogurt and veggie oil. That sounds yummy and healthy for them anyway. I still have them on the medicated food until the bag runs out. Then on to the grower. Using the vitamins with electrolytes in the water.

One more question......How big is too big for the crops? Chick are about game hen size now and crops were golf ball or slightly larger. Just freaked me out to see these masses.

 

[sourland]

What you have just described is completely normal. Relax and enjoy your chickens. Speckledhen is probably right on the money - they had filled up on feed just prior to your arrival home.