Two days ago, one of my hens refused to leave the coop, had low energy, and I noticed that her crop was swollen and seemed to be filled with fluid.
It took me three days, but today, I finally figured out what the problem was, but three days with this problem finally killed her.
I'm posting the info I found on the web about "Sour Crop" below. This is what she had and how it can be treated if you find it early enough.
Sour Crop: the hard facts
The Chook Doctor explains:
[Sour Crop] is a common problem with hens, especially if they are allowed to graze on grass when they are first released. These birds are not used to eating such natural foods, so they tend not to know how to do it properly. Long strands of grass in the crops of such birds often are unable to pass through the digestive system, [so they] bind in the crop and ferment.
A quick method of telling whether a chicken has Sour Crop or not is to gently squeeze it and sniff the air thats expelled from its mouth. If the bird has Sour Crop then the air will smell awful, if not well, I dont suppose a chicken smells very nice anyway, but apparently la différence dodeur is marked. (Of course, sniffing chickens is also one of the eight sure-fire ways of being marked down as a looney, but well put that aside for the moment.)
Fear not, help is at hand
Luckily for you my mother has a cure for Sour Crop. First she grabs you (this isnt hard because youre just lying there burping), then she sticks a tube down your throat, and pours a mixture of yogurt and olive oil into you.
That done, she takes hold of your feet, hangs you upside down, and massages your stomach and crop until lots of green and white muck comes pouring out of you.
Finally she flips you the right way up, pats you on the head, and puts you down. You ruffle your feathers, squawk a bit, ruffle your feathers some more, and then walk off in as dignified a manner as you can muster.
Its a tough life, being a chicken.
It took me three days, but today, I finally figured out what the problem was, but three days with this problem finally killed her.
I'm posting the info I found on the web about "Sour Crop" below. This is what she had and how it can be treated if you find it early enough.
Sour Crop: the hard facts
The Chook Doctor explains:
[Sour Crop] is a common problem with hens, especially if they are allowed to graze on grass when they are first released. These birds are not used to eating such natural foods, so they tend not to know how to do it properly. Long strands of grass in the crops of such birds often are unable to pass through the digestive system, [so they] bind in the crop and ferment.
A quick method of telling whether a chicken has Sour Crop or not is to gently squeeze it and sniff the air thats expelled from its mouth. If the bird has Sour Crop then the air will smell awful, if not well, I dont suppose a chicken smells very nice anyway, but apparently la différence dodeur is marked. (Of course, sniffing chickens is also one of the eight sure-fire ways of being marked down as a looney, but well put that aside for the moment.)
Fear not, help is at hand
Luckily for you my mother has a cure for Sour Crop. First she grabs you (this isnt hard because youre just lying there burping), then she sticks a tube down your throat, and pours a mixture of yogurt and olive oil into you.
That done, she takes hold of your feet, hangs you upside down, and massages your stomach and crop until lots of green and white muck comes pouring out of you.
Finally she flips you the right way up, pats you on the head, and puts you down. You ruffle your feathers, squawk a bit, ruffle your feathers some more, and then walk off in as dignified a manner as you can muster.
Its a tough life, being a chicken.
