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

[Miss Lydia]

I don't know what your weather is like out there but in the winter I have to offer grit because the ground is frozen and hard as a brick and snowy too. I think what impana said is true about keeping her on soft food for now giving her crop a chance to heal and shrink back to normal.. pic would be good. have you read any thing about cocci? lets see if we can find some good info before you treat for something she may not have. All the rest of your chickens are looking good though?

 

[FinsUp]

I'm in Oregon - WET! So, they peck all over the ground all day. The rest of the girls are fine. She is seeming a bit stressed with all the attention I have been giving her this morning - So I will let her rest for an hour before poking at her again. I will get pics of her vent and her then.

 

[Miss Lydia]

don't know how soup crop came up back to the drawing board lol

 

[FinsUp]

Her is her vent - it doesn't look swollen to me

CJ - believe me - her crop looks much better than before




I will try for a better vent pic - lots of fluff though

 

[FinsUp]

More poo - major runny, but with some solids, so I guess that is better. Man does it stink! What else can I give her, other than baby food that is high caloric, but soft? I to have Ensure - would that help?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Does Ensure have milk in it? I understand milk is a no no for chickens, and her vent looks fine. It might be she is just trying to get over the crop problem, thats why you need to keep it soft a little longer. Has she eaten anything today.. The yogurt will be good for the gut and maybe the soft baby food added into it.. As far as cocci goes I have had a chance to research but I did read that you don't have to see blood to have it, but seems you'd be seeing it in your others also. I forgot to ask do you put ACV in her[their water]?

 

[FinsUp]

The stuff I have is lactose free - however it is Chocolate (thought I had vanilla) so that is a no go. She has eaten the mashed pellets with water/yogurt and canned pumpkin today.

You would think the others would show signs of cocci too - I haven't seen blood anywhere.

I don't usually put ACV in their water - just on occasion, so I didn't want to add that now and freak her system even more. That's why I gave her the yogurt - I heard that helps with the nasty bacteria as well (in addition to adding good bacteria). She definitely seems better today - one more day of lock-down and super soft food for her.

I will scramble another egg in a bit and give that to her - she loved the last few!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I give my chickens, ducks and goose ACV in their water every other day Oxine they day I don't give ACV.. she really looks good other than her crop seems a little big, Be careful and don't rush her though on the food. If she ate the food you put out this morning sounds like she's doing well... If she had some bad bacteria in there think about diverticulitis in people it needs time to heal.. Hope she continues to heal, I don't think your dealing with cocci, or the others would probably have it too.. let us know how she is.. from time to time.

 

[ipana]

You're doing a great job, FinsUp. The greatest problem that we face is our desire to feed the chicken more stuff. Yes, she needs calories but hard food at this point may cause the advances you've made to retreat. Give her all the baby food she will eat...make sure it has meat in it...not the vegetable kind. If you look at the labels, you will see the calories. Give applesauce...that is somewhat acidic. Give scrambled eggs also. If you can do that for 3-4 days, you'll be miles ahead. Then, GRADUALLY add back crumbles over 2-3 days by putting in 1 tsp for a couple of feedings, then 2 tsp for a couple of feedings, etc. Before long, you'll have her back to full steam. Make sure, of course, that she has all the water that she wants. As you see her appetite increasing and her poop getting more solid, you'll know that she's having a comeback. Her poop will be pretty runny until she's back to a higher protein diet. I had my chicken in the bathroom and it was quite a job to clean up after her. I put a roost (2X2 board over the sink) and she sat there like a queen. I would bring her out for "exercise" a couple of times a day into the kitchen where there is tile. She would putter around pecking at stuff. When it was time to go back "home," I would walk down the hall and she would follow, flying up to her little roost. I made a nest from a cardboard box and she was quite happy with it. She even laid a couple of eggs! I think you have yours in a cage of some kind which is far more sensible but I didn't have that. She should do OK if you don't go too fast in getting her back to usual food. These are just my suggestions. What you choose to do will be based on what you are seeing, thinking and learning. Please keep us posted though. It's such a joy to know when a hen is spared.

 

[FinsUp]

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.