Sour crop or egg bound?

[smileeyrylee]

One of my barred rock hens is sick. Yesterday I noticed she wasn’t acting normal. She was holding her head down and just standing in one spot. Not really moving. She wouldn’t eat, but she was drinking. She did poop, but it was almost all white and more on the runny side. Also was walking around like a penguin. Did some research and figured she was probably egg bound. Gave her some electrolytes and put her in some warm water for 15-20 minutes. Kept her in a separate area with some electrolytes and food. I had left for a little bit and came back home and let her out and she started eating and jumped up on some stuff trying to roost so I took her back out to the coop and she jumped up and roosted with the others. I was cleaning my coop yesterday so I didn’t know if it wasn’t because the nesting boxes weren’t there, but I had other hens come into the coop squaking because they wanted to lay. She pooped again while roosting last night. This morning she acted a little better, but still not herself. Then I thought maybe she has sour crop because she doesn’t feel good and she was pooping. She was outside and then brownish liquid just came up and that’s why I thought it was something else. Rubbed her crop and held her upside down and stinky liquid came up. She acts better today, but still sluggish. She had a bit more of appetite today. Any suggestions or does anyone know what it could be? Could it be both? I’ve had chickens for years and never had either issue.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. It sounds like she might have a reproductive problem that has lead to crop problems, due to the pressure inside her abdomen. It does sound like a sour crop infection. Salpingitis is when large masses of egg material build up inside the oviduct and it can cause them to walk upright. Of course, this is only a guess. Most times we don’t know exactly what was going on until we do a necropsy and open them up after death. I have never had a hen survive sour crop that had a reproductive disorder. Usually mine have eventually starved or died from egg yolk peritonitis. You might see a vet who could empty the crop without causing her to choke, and who could treat her. Most of us do not have vets who treat or who would be affordable. I would not give her any whole grains right now, and feed only mushy foods such as egg, buttermilk, yogurt and chicken feed mash. Here are some articles about crop treatments that you might try:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

 

[JamieD1989]

One of my barred rock hens is sick. Yesterday I noticed she wasn’t acting normal. She was holding her head down and just standing in one spot. Not really moving. She wouldn’t eat, but she was drinking. She did poop, but it was almost all white and more on the runny side. Also was walking around like a penguin. Did some research and figured she was probably egg bound. Gave her some electrolytes and put her in some warm water for 15-20 minutes. Kept her in a separate area with some electrolytes and food. I had left for a little bit and came back home and let her out and she started eating and jumped up on some stuff trying to roost so I took her back out to the coop and she jumped up and roosted with the others. I was cleaning my coop yesterday so I didn’t know if it wasn’t because the nesting boxes weren’t there, but I had other hens come into the coop squaking because they wanted to lay. She pooped again while roosting last night. This morning she acted a little better, but still not herself. Then I thought maybe she has sour crop because she doesn’t feel good and she was pooping. She was outside and then brownish liquid just came up and that’s why I thought it was something else. Rubbed her crop and held her upside down and stinky liquid came up. She acts better today, but still sluggish. She had a bit more of appetite today. Any suggestions or does anyone know what it could be? Could it be both? I’ve had chickens for years and never had either issue.

My hen is currently in a pet taxi with a puppypad. No chickens around here at all. A brutal light on top of the ceiling provides her a little more warmth than the house is. You gotta Keep air flow through her lungs. Never give her a reason to stop breathing. Stress holding, feeding, forcing drinking, There could be built up eggs. And if they've already broken. The yoke will be fatty and all over her On the inside. Kind of like coatng everything. If you had the money I would suggest Getting a vet to look at her. It is not going to be cheap but if you want to save your pet. No over-the-counter, medicines or remedies are good enough. Our babies deserve the best of the best.