Sour crop?

[TonyaD]

I have a hen that hasn't been acting right for a few days. Yesterday she stood at the water bucket and drink occasionally but had her eyes closed most of the time. She was standing with her wings out a bit and hunkered down a little (not to bad). So I thought she may be egg bound, but when I picked her up her crop was super large and very squishy. If I massaged it water would come out. Didnt smell bad I have her inside over night with no food and her crop is smaller but what's there is still squishy. What's the next step?

 

[azygous]

Yep. Sounds like sour crop, a candida yeast infection. Here's my article on how to treat. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Be aware, though, sour crop is usually a symptom of another underlying issue, either minor or major. I recently had to euthanize a hen that did not respond to any treatment. Sometimes you get a case where the hen has such a poor immune system, nothing can help.

 

[guinealeghorn]

I just went through the same thing with my leghorn. yes, its sour crop. you should isolate her first. take her outside and massage her crop and hold her upside down so she can puke up the water. be careful and ler her come back up to breathe often. when her crop feels empty and she stops vomiting, take her back inside. you can give her some apple cider vinegar mixed with water. she might not drink it, so you might have to use a syringe to shoot it down her throat. hold all food from her for a day. keep doing this until her crop feels normal. She should be better in around 4 days. Mine is healthy again now. good luck!

 

[Carolrich]

You have received fine advice from the above respondents. I lost a hen to sour crop. I was brand spanking new to chicken raising. One of my hens was lethargic and ate and drank little and stood around doing nothing. At the time I had no idea where her crop was. I read on-line and thought she might be broody. I put her in front of food and water 2 or 3 times a day and she ingested a little bit. After 2 weeks of this she literally collapsed onto the ground. I then took her to a poultry vet where he told me what the problem was and taught me many basics of chicken health care. Unfortunately, we had to euthanise her. I felt terrible that because of my ignorance, she had starved to death. This forum is a very good way to consult with experts. I am glad you did.

 

[TonyaD]

Thank you all for responding!