Sour Crop?? Need Advice

[Eggcessive]

Keep massaging her crop. Generic doccusate sodium is what I would buy. Most stores have their own brand. Below is the brand name:

 

[cparr73]

Thank you so much!! I will try this today and post any updates.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are some good articles to read about crop problems that I would recommend reading:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments
http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2012/02/sour-crop.html
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/answers-from-chicken-vet-on-impacted.html

 

[cparr73]

I did read all those already plus some, haha. I tend to read too much cause I worry. I didn't try the stool softener yet but when I got home I went out to rub her crop for awhile and I though I'd try to get her to throw up again as her crop felt pretty big and still like a water balloon. One big squeeze of her crop and alot of light brown, like the color of the layer feed, throw up came out. It was kind of sticky and she did throw up some hay (straw). It really freaked me out this time cause she gasped for air when she was done throwing up but she seemed to be ok and I felt her crop get smaller, though it was still there a bit. The other hens tried to come and eat it so I kicked dirt over it in a hurry to get them away from it. I'm not sure I will have her throw up anymore. Why would she be eating hay? Do I need to give her some extra vitamins or something? I saw one of my other hens eat a piece of hay too. I just ordered a big bag of meal worms today, just to throw that out there. I have not been feeding her any scratch or seeds. She was in the coop all day today, so she probably just ate layer feed and drank water. The throw up did smell bad, it had a hint of a vinegar smell too. She poop as well, which smelled reeaaallly bad and strong. It was a wet poop too. I couldn't tell if it was of a mucus consistency though as the dirt soaked it right up but I tried to take some pics. So I fed her some plain yogurt and up in the coop she went. I took their food out so they won't eat it in the morning before I get out there. I want to see if her crop empties tonight, I am hoping so.

This is the poop, the dirt soaked up the wet part pretty quick.



This is McFly after she threw up. I raked all that straw out of the bottom of the coop area after they went up for the night. I rake it often as one of my other girls, Bigbird, like to scratch it all out from above when I put new straw in.





This was the throw up after I had to kick dirt over it. haha. I was hoping to get a normal pic of it but the other girls came over to eat it.

 

[Eggcessive]

Getting them to vomit is very risky and can cause aspiration or choking to death. I'm sure in your reading that you have seen that some recommend it while others don't. If you have a vet locally who may be experienced in sour crop, I would consider going to see one tomorrow, since you know the straw may be a problem. They can flush the crop with a crop tube and water if they know birds or chickens. I have only seen crop problems twice within a couple of weeks of each other, and both chickens died, even though I tried flushing their crops with a feeding tube and water. But mine were advanced before I noticed it. If the vet isn't possible, then I would PM Casportpony or Two Crows. They know more than I do about sour crop. I will help if I can. But keep us informed since we are concerned about her.

 

[cparr73]

Yes, I was very nervous to make her throw up again as I have read lots of stuff on the goods and bads. I was really just rubbing her crop at first and was thinking of making her throw up and then then saw stuff coming out her mouth so I squeezed her crop and it all came out. Taking her to the vet is not really an option for me but I will do everything I can for her. I will check her in the morning and post updates. Thank you for your help and advice. All I want to do is cry for her, even though she is acting normal in every other way. I hate to see her crop like that while all the other hens seem to be just fine. I have some de-wormer pellets that I am going to start putting in their food as well. I forget which brand it is but when I bought it, the girl at Murdochs said it was a good product and worked well. Not sure if my girl has worms but I have not done any de-worming with them yet and they are now about 9 months old (got them when they were like 5 days old). Any advice @TwoCrows ?

 

[cparr73]

So I checked McFly this morning, as well as all my other hens, and her crop was still slightly there but not as much as it was before. So I think it has gone down for the meantime. All my other girls crops were empty. I took their food out again last night so McFly would not eat anything before I got to her and so she doesn't eat anything for today. I want to see how her crop feels when I get home from work. I am having my husband make a separate area for her so we can give the other hens their food back. She is her normal peppy self though. I saw some dark green, kind of wet poops in the run that I think came from her, as the other girls are not pooping like that. I'll have my husband give her some more yogurt today as well as electrolyte water and keep massaging her crop.

 

[cparr73]

Update: Mcfly's crop is still small in the mornings but it hasn't gotten huge like it was unless she has eaten, but it seems to go down at night ; just not all the way. Her poop today was normal, not wet or runny or bright green. I am still giving her yogurt and I started all my hens on the rooster booster dewormer pellets. During the day we have taken McFly out of the main coop in a separate area so she is not eating too much and not eating the hay in the main coop area. I'm not sure when the last time she laid an egg was so hopefully shes doing alright there. I checked her and nothing seems to be wrong "down unda". When she was eating layer feed after I had given her some yogurt, today, she did make a squeak noise a couple times, kinda like a cough. I really hope her throwing up didn't cause that in some way or maybe it was because she had just eaten yogurt then the feed right after which was powdery. I do not have grit readily available for them in a side container, they just have dirt basically which, in Colorado, is more like sand but I am going to get some grit to make sure they are getting some larger pieces than sand if they need it. They have not been allowed to free range as much this past week.

 

[cparr73]

Another update: McFly's crop was pretty much empty again this morning but when she eats it gets real full and hangs low. Maybe this is normal now? She is eating still and pooping fine. Though all my girls seem to be pooping what looks like a cecal poop. Its light brownish and a diarrhea consistency. One thing I have noticed today is that when McFly is eating she will chirp real loud. Is that a cough? One of my other hens did that today too. Also, When I pick McFly up, she is breathing with her mouth open. I am now worried she has a respiratory issue. Will VetRx be a good option? Or PolyViSol?

 

[cparr73]

It's been awhile since my previous posts but I have another question. My hens crop does empty but by the afternoon her crop gets really big, full of food. When I pick her up she gurgles as if she's going to throw up. But she is eating, pooping, socializing, everything else is fine. Her crop just gets so big during the day. Is this normal? Should I do something else for her?