Sour crop in scissor beaked chick?

[Georgina Fritznoodle]

A couple of weeks ago when I was at the feed store I noticed a chick by itself in one of the brooders. I took a closer look and realized it had scissor beak. I asked an employee about it and was told that she was free, and that she wouldn't be much harder to care for than a regular chicken. They said that she would just need to have a deep food dish and some time by herself each day to eat since it would take her longer. So I decided to take her. I quickly realized that she was underweight and started to observe her as she ate. To me it didn't look like she was really getting much of anything. I tried wetting the crumbles to see if that would make it easier for her. It did, but she still wasn't getting much. I started trying to force feed her every hour or two for several days, but I was not able to get enough in her that way. She was just losing more weight each day. That's when I decided to go to the vet and learn how to tube feed her. The tube feeding went well for the first couple of days and she was gaining lots of weight. But for the past two days, her crop has started to take a long time to empty. I felt it this morning, and there is still food in it from her last feeding last night. She has been stretching out her neck and cocking it from side to side as if something is stuck in her throat. I've tried researching online some to see if I could figure out what was wrong with her, and sour crop is the only thing I have found that sounds like it could be a possibility. I have read some of the treatments that people use to get rid of it, but I'm not sure what things would be best to try. And how they will work with the tube. Any suggestions?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you post some photos?
What are you feeding through the tube?
Is she pooping?
How old is she now?

Sometimes a bird that has a cross/scissor beak may have other genetic/developmental defects that causes them to fail to thrive.

You can treat sour by giving vaginal yeast cream. This can be drawn up into a small syringe or probably mixed with a bit of what you are tubing into her.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Georgina Fritznoodle]

Can you post some photos?
What are you feeding through the tube?
Is she pooping?
How old is she now?

Sometimes a bird that has a cross/scissor beak may have other genetic/developmental defects that causes them to fail to thrive.

You can treat sour by giving vaginal yeast cream. This can be drawn up into a small syringe or probably mixed with a bit of what you are tubing into her.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Thank you for your response!
I am currently feeding her Kaytee Exact Hand Feeding Formula. That is what was recommended to me by the vet. I don't know her age for sure, but I am guessing around 5 weeks. She is small and very thin, but the amount of feathers that she has makes me think she is at least that old. She is pooping, but not as much as the other chick that we got to keep her company. Her poop also always has a lot of water in it, but that could just be from there being so much water in the formula.
Her crop has been emptying a little better today, but no matter how much time I give it, it never seems to completely empty. Could it maybe be pendulous crop?
Here are some pictures.

I also have a video of the neck cocking thing she keeps doing.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It looks like she's trying to adjust her crop.

Bless her sweet little heart I think you are doing what you can. So she's basically on a liquid diet (Kaytee is supposed to be very good for tube feeding!). She's not eating anything else on her own - a little wet feed, crumbles, etc.?

I wouldn't think it's pendulous - usually with Pendulous Crop, the crop is pronounced and hanging down.

Try treating as sour crop and see if that makes a difference.

 

[Georgina Fritznoodle]

Thank you! I will try treating for sour crop then.
Yes, pretty much just a liquid diet. I have dry and moistened crumbles always available as well. She likes to peck at that, but doesn't get much from it.