Sour crop

[kpenn26]

My 3 year old Buff Brahma, Mrs. Weasley, has sour crop. I noticed yesterday that she did not want the black soldier fly larvae I tossed to the flock, which was odd. I picked her up and immediately felt the water balloon crop. It wasn’t obvious to the eye because my Buff Brahmas’ crops always look enormous at the end of the day—such big, hardy girls. This particular hen is our flock leader, and a good one. She has never had a health issue in the past. Last night I immediately began crop massage and gave her coconut oil, which she loved. I let her sleep with the flock but isolated her this morning so that she can fast today. She has access to fresh water with apple cider vinegar. I’ve already given her more coconut oil this morning and massaged her several times. I can hear a little bit of gurgling as I massage, but nothing comes out of her mouth. I cannot feel any lumps and hardness, just feels like a water balloon. The crop didn’t empty at all overnight. At this point she’s been fasting from food for 14 hours.

I’ve ordered Monistat and plan to administer it as soon as it arrives today. And I will continue coconut oil and crop massage. Any other advice would be appreciated.

I lost a hen to this a little over a year ago. She was our flock leader at the time, and a lovely girl. We were on vacation and had a family member here caring for the animals. She said she found said hen collapsed on the porch the second night we were gone and had to carry her to the coop. She did not call me “because she didn’t want to worry me”—maddening. By the time we got home 4 days later, the hen was collapsed in the coop. I did not know she was even ill, so I was shocked and jumped into action. I picked her up and water streamed from her mouth. I had read about sour crop, so I did the best I could. She was at deaths door at this point so I purged her (I know there is controversy over this) and it immediately all came up, including a rock hard blueberry that seemed to be the cause of the trouble. Unfortunately she was too far gone and I lost her that night.

I’ve caught this one much earlier, as Mrs Weasley is still up and about. I have not purged her, and would only try that as a last resort.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi,

Since this seems to be a repetative issue, I'd keep them on added probiotics. You can either get powders for treating their water, or they make crumbles to mix in their feed. We use some Kalmbach's makes.

For your current patient, here are the two best crop articles in BYC. They might give you some other ideas.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

And here's a reply from the author of that second article, to a new member post referencing using Acidified Copper Sulfate to knock out sour crop.

 

[cate1124]

My 3 year old Buff Brahma, Mrs. Weasley, has sour crop. I noticed yesterday that she did not want the black soldier fly larvae I tossed to the flock, which was odd. I picked her up and immediately felt the water balloon crop. It wasn’t obvious to the eye because my Buff Brahmas’ crops always look enormous at the end of the day—such big, hardy girls. This particular hen is our flock leader, and a good one. She has never had a health issue in the past. Last night I immediately began crop massage and gave her coconut oil, which she loved. I let her sleep with the flock but isolated her this morning so that she can fast today. She has access to fresh water with apple cider vinegar. I’ve already given her more coconut oil this morning and massaged her several times. I can hear a little bit of gurgling as I massage, but nothing comes out of her mouth. I cannot feel any lumps and hardness, just feels like a water balloon. The crop didn’t empty at all overnight. At this point she’s been fasting from food for 14 hours.

I’ve ordered Monistat and plan to administer it as soon as it arrives today. And I will continue coconut oil and crop massage. Any other advice would be appreciated.

I lost a hen to this a little over a year ago. She was our flock leader at the time, and a lovely girl. We were on vacation and had a family member here caring for the animals. She said she found said hen collapsed on the porch the second night we were gone and had to carry her to the coop. She did not call me “because she didn’t want to worry me”—maddening. By the time we got home 4 days later, the hen was collapsed in the coop. I did not know she was even ill, so I was shocked and jumped into action. I picked her up and water streamed from her mouth. I had read about sour crop, so I did the best I could. She was at deaths door at this point so I purged her (I know there is controversy over this) and it immediately all came up, including a rock hard blueberry that seemed to be the cause of the trouble. Unfortunately she was too far gone and I lost her that night.

I’ve caught this one much earlier, as Mrs Weasley is still up and about. I have not purged her, and would only try that as a last resort.

Any advice would be appreciated.

So sorry you are dealing with this. The first linked article, by Azygous, is as good advice as you are likely to receive.

Crop stasis is often a symptom of an underlying issue that cannot be easily resolved. I am about to lose a speckled Sussex, 6, who abruptly went out of production at 4, and has since had a poorly oxygenated comb and less energy than the others. She responded beautifully to crop massage and probiotics last summer, with a slow-emptying but not sour crop I did not connect with her chronic respiratory issues. I have no idea why, but the same measures are having no effect this year and now she has additional symptoms, and her crop has soured. Vet suspects body cavity tumor.

Definitely try the miconazole/monistat protocol; it seemed to help one of my hens through a crop episode some years ago. But sometimes we cannot resolve crop dysfunction, or seem to only to have it recur if there is an underlying condition.

Wishing you the best with your gal.

 

[triciayoung]

So sorry you are dealing with this. The first linked article, by Azygous, is as good advice as you are likely to receive.

Crop stasis is often a symptom of an underlying issue that cannot be easily resolved. I am about to lose a speckled Sussex, 6, who abruptly went out of production at 4, and has since had a poorly oxygenated comb and less energy than the others. She responded beautifully to crop massage and probiotics last summer, with a slow-emptying but not sour crop I did not connect with her chronic respiratory issues. I have no idea why, but the same measures are having no effect this year and now she has additional symptoms, and her crop has soured. Vet suspects body cavity tumor.

Just to say that sometimes we can seemingly resolve crop dysfunction with this measure or that, but that sometimes we cannot, or it may recur, if there is an underlying condition.

Wishing you the best with your gal.

Before giving up, please try Enzymedica Digest Gold. You can get it at CVS. I have a 4-year old speckled sussex that had crop issues and I tried motility meds and everything else. I thought I was going to lose her at Christmas. I stopped the aspiration from the fermented crop gasses coming up and making her aspirate with Infant Gas drops (simethicone), and I fixed her crop issues with Enzymedica Gold Digest. As you know, crop issues are almost always a symptom of a another issue. At 4, she could have reproductive disease, and other issues that are just showing themselves as crop issues.

 

[triciayoung]

How do you know it is sour crop? It could be crop stasis. With crop stasis you will get fermentation just because everything is not moving through fast enough. The advice I just gave @cate1124, I give to you. Go to CVS and get simethicone (infant gas drops), and Enzymedica Digest Gold. Use 1/16 of the capsule of Enzymedica Digest Gold to put over food. Use the infant gas drops (has to have simethicone), to prevent a fatal aspiration from the fermented food in the crop gasses. .25ml

 

[cate1124]

Before giving up, please try Enzymedica Digest Gold. You can get it at CVS. I have a 4-year old speckled sussex that had crop issues and I tried motility meds and everything else. I thought I was going to lose her at Christmas. I stopped the aspiration from the fermented crop gasses coming up and making her aspirate with Infant Gas drops (simethicone), and I fixed her crop issues with Enzymedica Gold Digest. As you know, crop issues are almost always a symptom of a another issue. At 4, she could have reproductive disease, and other issues that are just showing themselves as crop issues.
View attachment 4311771

Thanks, but I have an excellent poultry vet and trust her assessment that there is something more serious underlying, especially with the history of respiratory issues/poor oxygenation/reduced energy, with which this hen, now 6, has lived for two years. "Crop stasis" simply means the crop is not moving; "sour crop" and "impacted crop" describe forms of stasis.

 

[triciayoung]

Thanks, but I have an excellent poultry vet and trust her assessment that there is something more serious underlying, especially with the history of respiratory issues/poor oxygenation/reduced energy, with which this hen, now 6, has lived for two years. "Crop stasis" simply means the crop is not moving; "sour crop" and "impacted crop" describe forms of stasis.

I wasn't asking you if you knew it was sour crop, I was asking the poster. I agree and said there is almost always something underlying with crop issues. I am so happy you have an excellent poultry vet, I do as well, but she didn't help as much as I hate to admit it - chatgpt did. My Lucy had respiratory issues as well. I don't see any reason not to try it - I was pleasantly surprised. By the way, when I told my vet what I did, she looked it up specifically and said "I wish I knew this".

 

[cate1124]

I wasn't asking you if you knew it was sour crop, I was asking the poster. I agree and said there is almost always something underlying with crop issues. I am so happy you have an excellent poultry vet, I do as well, but she didn't help as much as I hate to admit it - chatgpt did. My Lucy had respiratory issues as well. I don't see any reason not to try it - I was pleasantly surprised.

Do you have a link to the info you discovered and shared with your vet?

You mention putting the digestive enzymes on food at a certain dose, but do not say how to administer the drops ( at .25 ml). Both on food and in beak are now problematic.

It seems your Lucy kept eating, and maybe also was not showing the profound lethargy and wide-set slow walk (something in abdominal cavity?) I am seeing with Ev. These additional symptoms would align with an underlying problem. I did not see them in the only other hen I've treated (miconazole/ACS water) for sour crop; she fully recovered and lived several more years.

Ev is nauseated and not eating. That is my reason for not trying, as I would have to force her, which I don't want to do when my vet expresses no doubt she is terminal. (I did actually mention your idea to her.) If you can help me get around that, I'm all ears.

I hope your Lucy stays well and gets to be at least 6, my girl's age. Unfortunately, we both understand that this kind of issue is apt to recur -- especially with older hens -- if there is an underlying problem. I hope that's not the case with Lucy.

 

[triciayoung]

You mention putting the digestive enzymes on food at a certain dose, but do not say how to administer the drops ( at .25 ml). If on food, see below. If directly into the beak, see below.

It seems your Lucy kept eating, and probably also was not showing the profound lethargy -- mostly sitting, and a wide, slow (something in abdominal cavity?) gait when she does walk -- I am seeing with Ev. These additional symptoms would align with an underlying problem. I did not see them in the only other hen I've treated (miconazole/ACS water) for sour crop; she fully recovered and lived several more years.

Ev is nauseated and not eating. That is the reason for not trying, as I would have to force her, which I don't want to do when my vet expresses no doubt she is terminal. (I did actually mention your idea to her.) If you can help me get around that, I'm all ears.

I hope your Lucy stays well and gets to be at least 6, my girl's age. Unfortunately, we both understand that this kind of issue is apt to recur -- especially with older hens -- if there is an underlying problem. I hope that's not the case with Lucy.

My Lucy was not eating or drinking when I did this. Fluids were given subcutaneously. The simethicone, .25ml is only necessary if she is aspirating from fermented gasses in her crop. The enzymes will work IF the digestive problem is lower like a gizzard or proventriculus. Or even intestine malabsorption problem. I get it that the crop issue is most likely a symptom of a reproductive disease. Did you treat for that? Did she get antibiotics and meloxicam? I put implants in my chickens when the get reproductive disease.



Bedford MR & Schulze H. (1998)


Exogenous enzymes for pigs and poultry.


Nutrition Research Reviews.





Key findings:

• Enzymes improve nutrient digestibility
• Reduce undigested nutrients reaching the intestine
• Improve feed conversion and digestion

---

Poultry digestive physiology​

Duke, G.E. (1994)


Physiology of digestion in birds.


In: Avian Physiology.





Explains:

• enzymatic breakdown of feed
• crop → proventriculus → gizzard → intestine digestion
• how incomplete digestion can lead to fermentation and fluid stool

---

Veterinary poultry medicine reference​

Diseases of Poultry (standard veterinary text)





Sections on:

• digestive disorders
• intestinal malabsorption
• pancreatic enzyme function

This reference discusses how enzyme insufficiency or intestinal dysfunction reduces nutrient absorption and alters droppings.

---

Enzymes and poultry digestion review​

Cowieson AJ & Adeola O. (2005)


Carbohydrases, protease, and phytase in poultry nutrition.


Poultry Science.





Findings:

• enzyme supplementation can improve digestion when gut function is compromised
• reduces fermentation in the digestive tract
• improves nutrient availability

---

Veterinary nutrition reference​

Small Animal Clinical Nutrition





Although focused on mammals, this text explains:

• digestive enzyme insufficiency
• maldigestion vs malabsorption
• how enzyme supplementation improves digestion

These principles apply broadly to vertebrate digestive physiology.

---

Evidence for enzyme use in poultry diets​

Multiple poultry nutrition studies show enzymes can:





• improve nutrient digestibility


• reduce intestinal fermentation


• improve stool consistency


• increase energy extraction from feed





Common enzymes studied include:

• protease
• amylase
• lipase
• cellulase
• xylanase

 

[triciayoung]

Here are the simethicone sources.


Avian Medicine and Surgery





This major avian veterinary text discusses treatment of crop disorders and supportive care for crop distension. Antifoaming agents such as simethicone are referenced as supportive options when fermentation or gas accumulation is suspected.

---

4. Companion bird medicine​

Avian Medicine and Surgery in Practice





This avian clinical guide describes supportive management of crop stasis and fermentation, including:

• reducing gas pressure
• restoring crop motility
• supportive medications such as antifoaming agents

Veterinary drug reference​

Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook





Plumb’s is the standard drug reference used by veterinarians.


It lists simethicone as:

• an antifoaming agent
• used for gas accumulation and gastrointestinal distention
• commonly used in dogs, cats, and exotic species

The text notes that simethicone is pharmacologically inert and very safe.