Sour crop on the mend, now very wobbly! Help please - UPDATE 2/11/11

[FinsUp]

CJ is around 9 mo. RSL. Had a bout of sour crop that seems to be on the mend. She was: bloated crop, felt full of air and smelled bad. Isolated her for a couple of days with just water and that seemed to clear it down. I did give her some yogurt with mashed crumbles the second day. Total poo bum, so something is passing

Now: her crop feels like one of those stress balls with sand in it. I can't feel any straw, but squishy and I can move stuff around. Her poo is very runny and sort of a greenish brown color - noticed fresh poo on her bum this morning, so something is passing. I noticed she was just sitting in the yard this morning - weird for her. Went to check and she seemed to have no balance. I thought maybe she is starving - so I locked her in the run with fresh water and a scrambled egg/yogurt mix. She immediately ate the mix, but they usually eat anything new put in front of them. She has been drinking water the last few days, but didn't notice if she drank any this morning, as I rushed in to type this.

I felt around her bum to see if there felt like an egg there (possible egg bound), but felt nothing that felt like an egg. I don't even know if she is laying as I have never caught her in the nest box. I did feel "fleshy" down there. Internal laying?

Any help please!


UPDATE: CJ is back with the girls and doing great! Her crop empties each night - still a bit stretched out, but better - I don't think it will ever go all the way down. Normal chicken again! Thank you all for your advice and hand holding.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am going to give ya a bump so hopefully someone with experience with sour crop will come in and help.

 

[KristyHall]

What is sour crop?

 

[Miss Lydia]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=300008

 

[KristyHall]

Oh! Thanks

 

[FinsUp]

There is fresh poo on her bum - almost like it is piling up there. I hope is is not egg peritonitis, would a sitz bath help? Maybe another scrambled egg? She is just sitting around in the run.

 

[Miss Lydia]

poop can pile up on those fluffy feathers fast. A good warm soak would help alot then trim her feathers some, not to the skin but just enough that the poo can't stick. I believe if she's not feeling well I'd bring her in where you can watch hows she doing... especially if you plan on bathing her.. Has she ever been wormed? have you checked her and your others for mites or lice? If you have her in the house you can do these things plus make sure she's eating and drinking good. If you have some yogurt that would be good to offer. Also scrambled egg also if your sure it's not her crop thats acting up.

 

[FinsUp]

They haven't been wormed. I check all the time for lice and mites - she hasn't had lice for at least 5 months. When I do see them on anyone - poultry dust twice and the coop. I haven't noticed mites, and I just cleaned the coop yesterday. I may bring her to the garage tonight (insulated). She will get some more plain yogurt and egg soon. Haven't noticed much drinking.

 

[Miss Lydia]

How does her crop look? is it full now? hard or squishy? and how does it look in the morning? Thats why it's good to have her inside because if she's not drinking she's dehydrated... try to dribble some warm water along her beak and she if she'll take some water.

 

[FinsUp]

Her crop is more full now - I just gave her another egg/yogurt mix with some water in the same bowl. She gobbled that down nothing flat. Not much interest in drinking just water though. I did dribble some water on her beak and she took it. Still wobbly though.

Edit - crop squishy, not hard. Not like the stress ball sand filled of this morning.