Sour Crop or something else?

[Zmajor]

I think I’m dealing with sour crop but would like other opinions. 4yr old Parmesan was fine Monday (eating, hanging with flock) but since then, I noticed she’d be separated from the flock while ranging and had no interest in treats. She moved slow and would scratch around and made it to the roost at night, but something was definitely off.

I’ve separated her and initially was convinced she had a crop impaction (hadn’t seen her poo, crop felt pretty full) so we tried coconut oil and massaging her crop, and it felt like it emptied within 10min of massaging it (it flattened, no more bulge). We checked on her 30min later and her crop felt full again, just as it was before, and she had some diarrhea. I’ve never felt an impacted or sour crop, and she wasn’t smelly like I know sour crop would be, but we thought we should try monistat next.

She’s had two doses of monistat but we see no improvement. She was interested in scrambled eggs yesterday but isn’t today. She continues to have sporadic (stinky) diarrhea and is drinking a lot of water.

Should I continue with the sour crop treatment? or what else should we consider trying?

 

[Zmajor]

One edit to the above; I did observe her for 12 to 18 hours with no food, and found her crop still to be full in the morning before assuming impacted crop.

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

It sounds like there is some digestive blockage or issue. These can lead to sour crop as food remains fermenting in the system, but the yeast usually isn't the primary problem. I would try an epsom salt flush to see if it can help clear whatever the problem is. 1 teaspoon epsom salt in 1/2 cup water 2 times a day for a couple days if she handles it okay (doesn't seem dehydrated or weak).

Other possible problems are a bacterial infection of the intestines or an "old age" illness. While 4 isn;t exactly old for a chicken it is around the time when a number of them start developing reproductive disorders and cancers which can interfere with the functioning of the digestive system.

 

[Zmajor]

@Razzlefrazzle thank you for your reply. I tried the 1/2 cup water with epsom salt and cannot get that much into her system.. her crop still bulges out, yet isn’t hard, and her diarrhea is getting worse. It’s incredibly stinky yet her crop is only now starting to smell. She won’t eat or drink at this point; I’ve done 2.5 days of monistat, twice a day, and don’t see any improvement. She’s just resting with her eyes closed all day as her messy stool worsens.

Any further recommendations? Should I continue the monistat or stop since it’s not readily improving her condition? Is the epsom salt water solution the best bet to fix this?

As for cause: I’m fairly certain she was negatively impacted by my first attempt at fermented feed; that’s when I last saw her eat normally (last Monday). None of my other 20 chickens were, in fact they’re all healthy and laying, but she’s one of my oldest and I’m worried she just got a bad bite of it or something that wasn’t fermented right, and is going downhill daily.

TY in advance for your time and help!!

 

[Cry86]

This might help this is the guide I bookmarked and used when I had sour crop issues and monistat alone wasn't working.
I also added yougart daily until it was all gone.
https://www.chickensandmore.com/sour-crop/#Sour_Crop_Treatment

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

@Razzlefrazzle thank you for your reply. I tried the 1/2 cup water with epsom salt and cannot get that much into her system.. her crop still bulges out, yet isn’t hard, and her diarrhea is getting worse. It’s incredibly stinky yet her crop is only now starting to smell. She won’t eat or drink at this point; I’ve done 2.5 days of monistat, twice a day, and don’t see any improvement. She’s just resting with her eyes closed all day as her messy stool worsens.

Any further recommendations? Should I continue the monistat or stop since it’s not readily improving her condition? Is the epsom salt water solution the best bet to fix this?

As for cause: I’m fairly certain she was negatively impacted by my first attempt at fermented feed; that’s when I last saw her eat normally (last Monday). None of my other 20 chickens were, in fact they’re all healthy and laying, but she’s one of my oldest and I’m worried she just got a bad bite of it or something that wasn’t fermented right, and is going downhill daily.

TY in advance for your time and help!!

Sorry to hear she isn't doing well.

I'm not expert by any means, but fermented food + stinky diarrhea + anti-fungal not helping makes me think she could have a bacterial infection. If you have a vet nearby they might be able to test her poop and/or crop contents and tell you for sure what is going on. Assuming a vet is not an option you could try a general antibiotic, but be aware that if yeast is a problem giving an antibiotic will make it worse.

Another thought is seeing if activated charcoal helps. It's usually used to help clear toxins from the system and some people use it occasionally as a general health additive. Since we don't really know the cause of your girl's issue I have no idea if it would help here or not, but it might be worth a try.

Finally, if she hasn't been eating for awhile I would see if a little nutri-drench water or honey water perks her up.... Always good to keep them hydrated and keep energy levels up.

Keep us updated. I'm really hoping she pulls through

 

[janjan1]

I’ve got a 3 month old little hen, who actually is a runt. Very tiny compared to her hatch mates. She’s got a HUGE crop that I’ve noticed hasn’t gone down. Think like a “Dolly Parton” kinda tiny gal…..I currently have her isolated inside this morning after reading everyone’s posts, and have not given her any food but have a small amount of water with ACV & molasses, in addition to massaging this crop that feels like a squishy balloon under her skin. Thanks for your comments I’ve read her on this board, as I’m dedicated to try and get this tiny hen better. Lots of great info & suggestions.

 

[janjan1]

Little Runt didn’t make it….