sour crop

[shoechickens]

Ok so my 3 month old bluebell chick has had a sour crop before (1 month ago) and I put her upside down and massaged her crop and she was threw it all up. I put her under the heat lamp for 2 days and she got better again. Now 1 month later she has it again have made her sick so that her crop has nothing left but she is getting really skinny and inactive, she just stands alone.is there any way I can stop her from storing food in her crop?she is really skinny at this point. Please help me I love her so much and I couldn't bare it if she died
thanks
Jeff

 

[appps]

How do you know she has sour crop? What were her symptoms?

You cant stop her storing food in her crop, she has to store food in her crop, it is part of being a bird and it has to take time to work its way through her system so Im just checking your arent mistaking a normal full crop for a problem. She should be going to bed with a full crop but it be empty by morning, as long as it goes down overnight all is fine.

If she does in fact have sour crop and has now had it twice that would lead me to wonder what she is eating that is making her keep having it come back.

What is her normal days food?
What do you give her for grit?
Does she have access to long uncut grass (this can block them up)

And saying all that I am assuming a bluebell chick is a type of chicken? please let me know if its not but the same questions would apply as far as food and grit for any bird.

 

[shoechickens]

She definitely has sour crop. She gets growers pellets,and a hand full of corn day(for all my birds) she gets long grass on Friday to Sunday. Please tell me what grit is?Thanks

 

[shoechickens]

I just went out side to shut them in but she was just standing there in the rain late at night.i emptied her crop and lifted her in (too weak to walk) please tell me if its kinder to put her down?

 

[Suzie]

Long grass may well be the reason for her crop problem...long grass can be a major problem in the crop...do not allow her to eat long grass nor hay...it can cause impacted and then sour crop...

Grit is like sand but much rougher..it helps to break down the feed in the crop, food then passes easily through the digestive tract.

 

[toynutz]

Poor thing... it's up to you if you want to try and save her, but she'll need some TLC from you. I'd suggest bringing her inside, get her warm, get her hydrated with vitamin water or electrolytes, and maybe give her some scrambled eggs for quick protein. I agree that long grasses can cause a lot of crop problems. When they eat growing grass in a yard, they take very small bites... if you give them long grass clippings, they eat whole strands and they can become balled up and stuck in the crop. You need to give all of your birds grit, it's an important part of their digestion process. Grit passes thru the crop and true stomach... it stays in the gizzard and grinds up, or chews, the food.

 

[krista74]

I just went out side to shut them in but she was just standing there in the rain late at night.i emptied her crop and lifted her in (too weak to walk) please tell me if its kinder to put her down?

Hi Jeff

Having just gone through this myself I am really sorry to hear you are now facing the same thing.

I think that when it comes to being the right time to put down your girl, you will know. You will feel a shift within yourself - the thought of losing her, no matter how painful for you, will be less than the pain you feel in watching her suffer.

As a responsible chicken owner, all we can do is assess the reality:

** Does she eat and drink? Is she active? Does she roost with the other birds? Is she socialising as normal? And then......

** Is she lethargic? Does she sleep a lot during the day, even when standing up? Is her quality of life diminished? Is she unaware of her flock-mates and you being around her? Does she seem unhappy or in pain?

You can, of course, take her to a vet and ask for a qualified opinion. The vet may or may not offer treatment, depending on how she presents on the day. However, if that is not an option for you, the answers to the questions above should help you make the right choice for her.

I feel for you, I really do. Losing my girl was really hard, especially since she left a little chick behind. It still hurts - but she doesn't hurt anymore. And that's the only reason I knew I had made the right choice.

I wish you and your girl all the very best. I will hold you both in my thoughts and am sending all the positive vibes I can that she makes a full recovery for you. Please let us know how you get on.

Krista

 

[shoechickens]

Krista thanks for the reply, yes it was the best thing to do, she's in the ground now lost 1 other of my girls to a dog but apart from that getting on great

 

[krista74]

Hi again,

I'm sorry you hear that lost her, it's a hard thing to go though. I am glad that she no longer suffers though.

Glad also to hear you are settling in well with the others. Did you catch the dog that attacked your other girl? What a terrible thing to have happen!

- Krista

 

[shoechickens]

Unfortunately not. But we have but up new preconditions to stop it happening again. Thanks Jeff