Sour crop in 13 wk old bantam

[CedarCrestFarm]

My little girl is really struggling. I brought her to the avian vet this morning suspecting sour crop. However, he did not think she had sour crop and treated her with sub fluids and an antibiotic. (her temp was 90*) However, when I brought her home and warmed her up, she expelled a runny liquid that smelled horrible. After reading posts, I am convinced it is sour crop but not sure how to treat her.

I did phone the vet back but he is gone for the day. Besides, I am convinced he thinks I am whacked for spending money on my chickens.

Can someone please clarify a few things:
** What is the dosage of monistat or the like?
** How does one empty the crop?
** Does massaging the crop help or harm?

I am feeling like I just want to throw my hands up and give up! I have lost 2 bantams in the past month to sinus infection and some awful neurological illness. (the latter did not show up in the blood test as Marek's)

Any help or guidance would be greatly, greatly appreciated!!

 

[Eggcessive]

A slow crop can occur with many other chicken illnesses, such as when they also have coccidiosis, Mareks, and other diseases as a kind of side effect. But with her expelling the bad smelling fluid from her crop, it does sound more like sour crop. Other than reading a lot of conflicting advice on how to treat it, I don't have any experience with sour crop. It usually occurs after a crop impaction from eating long grasses, or from too large of pieces of food that decays over time, while causing either a bacterial or fungal infection. Some vets try to remove the impaction by surgery ito the crop, but sour crop may be treated by giving both an antibiotic as well as an antifungal at the same time. The thread on Monistat I think advises to give 1/3 of a suppository orally. I'm not sure if anyone has used the cream orally, but that seems like it would be absorbed better than a waxy suppository. Vomiting the chicken is usually performed by tilting the chicken forward in a 60 degree angle. I have not done this, and be aware that many people will lose chickens performing this. But it does seem to be a method that helps. Here are a couple of threads to read by people that have veterinary advice:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/answers-from-chicken-vet-on-impacted.html
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/digestive-problems/index.aspx#sour_crop
http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/01/crop-issues.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/630307/sour-crop-cured-with-monistat

 

[CedarCrestFarm]

Well, sorry to report that my little bantam just lost her battle with whatever illness grabbed hold. We all lose chickens, this one has truly broken my heart. Went out to get the Monistat and before I could administer, she died. Hindsight has revealed that perhaps I should have offered "chick grit" rather than Oyster shell to the Bantam group. Maybe too many grapes, spinach, sunflower seeds? Although I sift the Oyster shell and give the larger pieces to the Standards, I should have taken notice to the amount they were digesting. Not sure what happened.

Tough lesson.....again.
.

 

[Eggcessive]

Oh so sorry for your loss. Grit is needed by all chickens getting foods other than plain chicken feed only. I used to throw out sunflower seeds as treats until one of mine died, and when I opened her abdomen to necropsy her, I found an impacted black dead gizzard with sunflower shells blocking the opening. None of my other chickens had a problem, so I don't know if she ate too many, or wasn't taking enough grit. Just for the record, some have had negative tests for Mareks, even though other chickens have had positive testing during necropsy. I hope you don't lose any more.

 

[CedarCrestFarm]

Good information, once again. Thank you! Bantams are surely a bit more fragile. I have often wondered about the black seed sunflowers.... Sure hope I don't lose anymore. Big sigh