Sour crop

[shell3]

thanks sfg x.
well seem to have infection under control i think though crop is still saggy and feels squashy. she is not eating well last two days and ignores pellets completely! she has been eating oats, grapes , sweetcorn and mealworms but now today very gurgly sounds coming from her and runny poo i think too many traets! dont know what to do as shes so thin i need to get her to eat something! decided to put her outside for a couple of hours as shes been stuck in the house for near on three weeks now! shes bored and maybe thats why she wont eat pellets. put her out and to my horror my other two hens attacked her!! i posted on here for advice and was told to put the others in the small run and let her roam in large run but put food next to each other so they act like their eating together. ive done that. v good advice. she has had no grit for couple weeks as she ate so much of it that she had it all blocked up in her and vet said remove it. shes had liquid parrafin to try to pass the masive amount of grit she had in her. but i wonder if thats why she wont eat pellets? shes now ate the watered down mash of pellets i made , i think because the other chickens were eating theirs. but shes roaming around picking up bits of twig and stuff now. i dont know if i should stop her but she cant stay in doors forever and i dont think she will recover indoors as she prob depressed. problem is its really cold here and shes so thin! i dont know what to do for the best , i thought id leave her outside for a couple of hours then bring her in. is the change from warm indoors to cold out to warm again a bad idea? im now at my wits end! she looks so pale and skinny and her crop still all loose. ive ordered her a crop support and hope it arrives soon hopefully that will help. any advice very welcome.

 

[Sunflowergirl]

I think I would do just as you and let her out in the warmest part of the day for a bit. Great advice on separating but putting the feeders close! I think you are right on feeding her the wet mash. My birds think it is a treat to get their regular food as a warm mash. Probably easier for her to digest anyways. I know when I have kept my chickens in the chickie hospital (crate) they tend to start eating a lot of the pine shavings and that isn't good.
Hope someone else will chime in with some good advice!!!

 

[shell3]

yeah ive noticed her eating some woodshavings! but what can i do! if shes going to eat weird stuff i cant stop her forever! just hoping she gains weight quick so she can stay outside and get back to a normal chicken life x

 

[Bogtown Chick]

shell3: I've just been reading through some sourcrop threads and came across this. believe it or not 4cc of red wine or cheap wine. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/284227/sour-crop-support-needed/10

Crop has to be as empty as you can get it. ( so in the morning or after a vomiting) Then slowly bring back soft foods after a 24 hour period of the "cleanse" (the wine creates a blow out of sorts). for some on that thread it was miraculous for others--so so results--I think because they didn't wait the 24 hours to re introduce the food. But I think it's important to read through the thread and understand how they recommend re introducing food which is slowly and with soft foods. (baby food, yogurt, etc.) then slow reintroduction to soft feed and gradually more fibrous...

 

[shell3]

thats an interesting one thanks ive had a good read of it and may give that a try. im not sure if she still has the sour crop as shes been on antibiotics for ages and still is now i cant empty anything out of her anymore but crop is still big and squishy im going to see if its smaller tomorrow. bit worried about withholding food for 24hrs cos shes wasting away as it is but seems this method only works well if you do. def one to keep lined up thanks

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I read the entire thread and the end and this gal does seem to have had to try other things too like copper sulfate. Perhaps it is a physiological problem with the hen too--you know does she have a small difference in the shape of her crop that she was born with that made her prone to the issue. It makes you wonder that if there's too much manipulation if it distorts the crop thereafter? Is that the thought and now the reason for the apparatus holding her crop in? And perhaps, and unfortunately, she'll be prone to recurrences. Not fun. I wish there was a quick "Bob's your Uncle" way for it to be treated for you and for her. I'll keep my eyes posted for more things that come up.

 

[shell3]

thank you x
yes i think she has always had a different crop to the others it was always bigger but we put that down to her being a slightly bigger bird all round. then i noticed it felt liquidy and that was the first bout of sour crop brought on by(,i believe) the crop not emptying properly and food sitting in there too long. this was dealt with quickly but has just reoccured constantly ever since. weve tried so many things but i think getting rid of the sour crop is just a first step because there must be something wrong with the crop aside from that. now its all stretched out even more and dosnt empty completely ever. so thats the idea behind getting the support,if it holds up the crop then hopefully the crop will empty better and stop more infection in the future. maybe even allow the crop to shrink some over time. at the moment im waiting for the support which probly be a couple weeks from us to uk so just trying to put weight on her. thats the other issue thou i think cos the crop is so big she dosnt feel full til she fills it right up and then stretches it more and cant stand! so shes having small frequent meals to try and allow some to empty out before more given. and lots of massage.

 

[shell3]

my vet called this morning to check on her and after listening to whats been hapoening the last few days has instructed i give her the contracting meds again but in a very small dosage .1 of a ml today. if she has any side affect to give no more but if no side effects to give tomorrow and sunday. this is to tighten the crop muscle to allow it to empty better. fingers crossed,it sounds good in theory but wether or not it will do what it says on the tin...... shes back to vet on monday for weigh in. told vet i ordered the support he never heard of it before but thinks its a fantastic idea so high hopes for that arriving soon. ill post latter the name of that med and if it works for anyone whos interested as this seems to be a common problem.

 

[shell3]

well meds called metoclopramide hydrochloride but not good news im afraid two hours after giving it to her shes shaking again mouth open and julting her haed from side to side! wont try this med again. i cuddled and soothed her and massage the crop for ages til she seemed to get over it shes ok now. crop still big and squashy. dont know if its the soft food shes had today thats just taking a long time to empty but tried to rmpty crop and nothing came out so dont think its fluid. wont feed her more til its cleared a bit or id just be stretching the crop more! cant win!

 

[casportpony]

Did your vet check for yeast?