Sour crop support needed

[cnj-tx50]

Thank you so much quillgirl. I was planning on feeding her thin oatmeal tomorrow. Now I will do the plain yogurt and scrambled egg. I guess that is what I did wrong from the beginning with the olive oil and bread. Should I stick with this for a couple of days in small amount several times a day?

I can not say how BYC has helped me this problem. Will post in the morning on how she is and when I start feeding her.

 

[ipana]

In posting a link to surgery that someone had done on their own chicken which had sour crop, I made a typo in the link. Here is a good working link if you are interested in more info on this:

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3781

 

[ultasol]

have you manually emptied her crop? I think this is essential. I never withheld water (with acv) for more than a few hours (to see if the crop was entering). I really do think using the special feed (slowly reintroduced) on top of manually emptying the crop was essential.

 

[wxdude99]

I'm having the same problem with my campine. I had one question. How do you get them to swallow the liquid from a syringe? do you actually stick the syringe down their throats?

 

[Quillgirl]

Oil is ok, but not the bread unless this is an impaction. Mix a little oil into the plain yogurt and scrambled egg, and give water with ACV, electrolytes and vitamins (or mix the electrolyte and vitamins into the food mixture.) I agree that emptying the crop is important. If it stays distended too long it can become stretched and never really work well again. You'll get the same problem over and over.

Syringe feeding: Gently pry the beak open from the side near corner of the mouth with syringe and SLOWLY drizzle liquid into beak, making sure the chicken swallows. If the hen jerks around, try "hooding" her head with a sock-- covering her eyes will make her still-- and poke her beak through a small hole in the sock.

 

[cnj-tx50]

I did replace the water last night but she was already asleep. I don't think she had any of it this morning and her crop did feel much better and look better. I feed her one spoon of yogurt and one spoon of scrambled egg and she ate it all. I am goin to feed her again at noon and she how she is doing.

 

[deadeye531]

Also for sour crop after you empty the crop out make sure you keep the bird warm. They may also go into a sugar fit and have siezures, Im a falconer and had one of my hawks get sour crop and after you empty the crop either take some gatorade or plain sugar water and using a syringe and some plastic tubing like for an aquarium about 4" long get that into the crop quickly.

 

[ipana]

cnj...one spoon each of yogurt and scrambled won't be enough. I understand your hesitation but chicken metabolism is high and she will need more since she has had such a struggle so far. Leave enough water for her to drink freely as she chooses. Put a little ACV in it. If her crop is working, this stuff should move through quickly. This is just my suggestion and I admit that I know little. Perhaps others will comment to validate these thoughts.
Hang in there.

 

[Quillgirl]

The fact that your bird is hungry is a good sign. Keep feeding her the non-grain non-fibrous sorts of food. Mix in some polyvitamins (baby vitamins without iron) and make sure she has plenty of ACV water (1 tbsp per gallon) to drink as she wants. Deadeye, I sort of disagree about the sugar. Sugar feeds the fermentation and you are trying to kill/starve the bacteria that causes it. I understand that low blood-sugar can create a problem for the bird similar to a diabetic coma, but that's why it's important to feed the bird the high calorie protein foods rather than withhold all food for too long. Make sure they have something nourishing to metabolize, but also make certain it's food that does not contribute to the problem.

Also, something I did not mention, make sure your bird has enough adult sized grit to help metabolize the food-- especially once you begin giving grains again. That should happen slowly once her crop is normal sized. Begin with moist mash, soft whole grain bread, cooked oatmeal, etc. Continue with the ACV water, then slowly reintroduce normal foods once she seems to tolerate them without problems.

 

[cnj-tx50]

I have just check on her before feeding her again and her crop actual feels good. Soft but not squishy and a little firm in the middle but I can tell that it is the egg and yogurt. She did burp - egg smell - but would not vomit. I tried for about 15 mins to get her to but I guess there wasn't anything to get rid of. I am going to continue with the yogurt and egg for today but will increase it . A whole egg and 4 spoons of yogurt maybe with a drop of oil. She is so fiesty and picks the daylights out me when my hand goes near her that I am ready for her to be well!!! I won't be abl to get the vitamins until tomorrow but she is drinking the acv & water.

Thank you guys so much. I really hope that this thread helps someone in the future as we have followed thru the whole thing!