Sour Crop?

[ChickenLover390]

For the last few days, my 1 year old red sex link hen has had a large crop. I thought it was impacted crop, but when I felt two days ago, it was squishy. I felt it yesterday, and it was hard again. I’ve never had any problems like this, and I don’t know if it’s impacted or sour crop. I just went out to check on her because I had thought that her crop felt smaller, but when I felt it, it was squishy. When I let go of her, she went into a corner and stood there and it looked like she was trying to throw up. I’m getting a cage to separate her with, but I don’t know how to go about treating her since I don’t know what she has. None of my other chickens have a crop issue. Oh, and the two times her crop was squishy, I checked in the morning, and when her crop was hard, I checked in the afternoon. Up until today, she has been acting normal.

 

[ChickenLover390]

Here is her just now.

 

[Matilda84]

Sounds to me like she has had both sour crop and impacted crop as one can tend to cause the other. For example impacted crop is when the food in the crop cannot empty as it is blocked, which can then resolve itself, but the food having remained in the crop for so long can start to ferment, causing sour crop. When you say it looked like she was trying to throw up, was she stretching or shaking her neck and opening her beak wide? Because this would be a common symptom for crop issues, particularly impacted crop, as it is a chickens way of trying to shift the food in their crop to get it to empty. One way to tell whether she has a completely impacted crop is whether she is passing droppings, as if she is not this means no food is getting through her crop.

You do need to isolate her and getting a cage is good, but I would say you do need to separate her immediately from any food and preferably water too for 24 hours. If her crop feels solid you should give her some olive oil which will help lubricate food going out of the crop into the proventriculus, and massage her crop every few hours. If her crop feels squishy you should give her apple cider vinegar as this is a natural antifungal which helps with sour crop. These can be given with a syringe into the side of the beak or if you have no other way, mixed with water, but definitely no food. After 24 hours, water should be reintroduced and non-solid food can be given, such as scrambled eggs, layers pellets mashed up with water and olive oil, or yoghurt. Yoghurt is particularly good for sour crop as it is a natural probiotic that will help reintroduce healthy gut bacteria.

Once her crop has gone back to normal size and she is eating and drinking normally, she can be put back with the flock, but keep an eye on her as chickens that have had previous crop problems are far more likely to get them again, often due to loss of muscle tone from the crop being overly stretched (e.g. pendulous crop). Also occasionally crop problems can be signs of other underlying issues internally, so just be sure to make sure she is behaving normally.

If there is no improvement in her crop size after 48 hours I would absolutely recommend veterinary treatment. Additionally if there is a smell from her beak, white spots on the inside of her mouth, or any fluid comes out her beak, these are signs sour crop may have progressed to a more serious stage and veterinary advice would be advisable. Additionally if she will not eat any food after 48 hours, she should also be taken to a vet. I realise vets which treat chickens are hard to come by and expensive, but at that stage it would be the best thing for her.

There is some useful information about crop problems here (bhwt website) if you have not already seen it

I really do hope she is ok and wish you the best with treating her!

 

[ChickenLover390]

Thank you for responding! I separated her already and took her food and water. How much apple cider vinegar should I give her? Is there a specific amount or should I just guess?

 

[Matilda84]

Probably just a teaspoon to a tablespoon to start with, maybe diluted a little, especially if it is a particularly strong/concentrated brand. Maybe see what some credible websites like British hen welfare trust or chicken vet recommend? After that just add a little to her water.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

Here are two helpful articles on crop problems:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

I hope your hen recovers!

 

[ChickenLover390]

Good news! I checked my hen just now, and her crop had emptied completely overnight. Now she gets to spend the day with her flock!

 

[Honeybunny_3]

Sounds to me like she has had both sour crop and impacted crop as one can tend to cause the other. For example impacted crop is when the food in the crop cannot empty as it is blocked, which can then resolve itself, but the food having remained in the crop for so long can start to ferment, causing sour crop. When you say it looked like she was trying to throw up, was she stretching or shaking her neck and opening her beak wide? Because this would be a common symptom for crop issues, particularly impacted crop, as it is a chickens way of trying to shift the food in their crop to get it to empty. One way to tell whether she has a completely impacted crop is whether she is passing droppings, as if she is not this means no food is getting through her crop.

You do need to isolate her and getting a cage is good, but I would say you do need to separate her immediately from any food and preferably water too for 24 hours. If her crop feels solid you should give her some olive oil which will help lubricate food going out of the crop into the proventriculus, and massage her crop every few hours. If her crop feels squishy you should give her apple cider vinegar as this is a natural antifungal which helps with sour crop. These can be given with a syringe into the side of the beak or if you have no other way, mixed with water, but definitely no food. After 24 hours, water should be reintroduced and non-solid food can be given, such as scrambled eggs, layers pellets mashed up with water and olive oil, or yoghurt. Yoghurt is particularly good for sour crop as it is a natural probiotic that will help reintroduce healthy gut bacteria.

Once her crop has gone back to normal size and she is eating and drinking normally, she can be put back with the flock, but keep an eye on her as chickens that have had previous crop problems are far more likely to get them again, often due to loss of muscle tone from the crop being overly stretched (e.g. pendulous crop). Also occasionally crop problems can be signs of other underlying issues internally, so just be sure to make sure she is behaving normally.

If there is no improvement in her crop size after 48 hours I would absolutely recommend veterinary treatment. Additionally if there is a smell from her beak, white spots on the inside of her mouth, or any fluid comes out her beak, these are signs sour crop may have progressed to a more serious stage and veterinary advice would be advisable. Additionally if she will not eat any food after 48 hours, she should also be taken to a vet. I realise vets which treat chickens are hard to come by and expensive, but at that stage it would be the best thing for her.

There is some useful information about crop problems here (bhwt website) if you have not already seen it

I really do hope she is ok and wish you the best with treating her!

This was very informative. I had no idea chickens could develop these kinds of problems. I don't have chickens but am new on here because I just bought 11 ducklings. I'm reading this to become knowledgeable because I'm considering buying chickens too, but after my ducks get a little bigger. The are about 2 to 3 weeks old. Can ducks get sour crop or an impacted crop? If yes, do you treat them the same as you are saying on here? Thank you so much for this info!

 

[Myheartsezyes]

For the last few days, my 1 year old red sex link hen has had a large crop. I thought it was impacted crop, but when I felt two days ago, it was squishy. I felt it yesterday, and it was hard again. I’ve never had any problems like this, and I don’t know if it’s impacted or sour crop. I just went out to check on her because I had thought that her crop felt smaller, but when I felt it, it was squishy. When I let go of her, she went into a corner and stood there and it looked like she was trying to throw up. I’m getting a cage to separate her with, but I don’t know how to go about treating her since I don’t know what she has. None of my other chickens have a crop issue. Oh, and the two times her crop was squishy, I checked in the morning, and when her crop was hard, I checked in the afternoon. Up until today, she has been acting normal.

This post was very informative I am not really knew to this issue but I have lost 2 chickens to it I now have a 3 week old Japanese bantam with it and I will be devestated if I lose him . So I thank you for this very informative post

 

[Honeybunny_3]

This post was very informative I am not really knew to this issue but I have lost 2 chickens to it I now have a 3 week old Japanese bantam with it and I will be devestated if I lose him . So I thank you for this very informative post

I hope and pray you don't lose that baby. How very sad. I'm sorry.