Sour Crop

[lmdengler]

Good Afternoon Everyone and Happy Spring
I have a 1 year old Maran hen who I noticed on Sunday had a crop that was droopy and hanging down really low. From what I read online, this might be a pendulous/sour crop. So I took her out of the flock,massaged the crop so she emptied it (sort of) and took away her food for 24 hours and gave her plenty of water. It hasn't gotten any better.
Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to help or treat?
Lisa

 

[coach723]

If it is a pendulous crop, then it will need to be supported by a crop bra in order for it to empty properly. You can make a crop bra, there are some that can be purchased here:
http://crazykfarm.mybigcommerce.com/birdy-bra-crop-supporter-chest-protector/
Pendulous crop can be a lifelong issue and will have to be managed. Crop bras need to be monitored and checked regularly for fit and problems. I've got one in one now, it can take several adjustments to get them in the right spot to do the job. If it's too loose you can end up with tangled up legs. My hen tends to high step in hers and get feet stuck if it's not positioned correctly. Even with a bra, sometimes the problem will shorten their life. The sour crop could be from pendulous crop and not being able to empty properly, or could be caused by another issue affecting her digestive tract and slowing things down causing the crop to sour. This is a good article that discusses the many types of crop issues that they can have:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...d-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments.67194/