Sour or Impacted Crop? I am stumped as to the problem.

[MORGAN le FAY]

I have a 15 week old pullet that I am just stumped about. She started 'throwing up' if you want to call it that yesterday. Liquid will come back out of her beak sometimes when her head is down. The crop is liquid filled and feels like a balloon. It is not hard so I'm thinking sour crop. I did drain her crop yesterday and there is no bad smell which comes with a sour crop. The liquid has a sweet smell which just reminds me of the starter/grower feed. When I drained her crop or she throws up its a light tan in color and some of the feed also comes with it.

What else could it be? I have her separated from my chickens and gave her ACV along with some Krill oil last night. This morning the crop was down. Dumb me did give her some feed mixed with water this morning, Not much mind you. Tonight the crop is large again and I thought it strange the feathers around the crop felt wet. I examined her and didn't see anything else wrong. Her feathers have now dried off.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I would keep the bird isolated and observe. If you fed her then it is normal for her crop to now be full. Does it feel hard like a rock, gritty like grain and feed, or soft and squishy again? Full crop with grainy food feel is good and normal. Very hard is likely impacted and squishy with no hardness is a bacteria problem.

I would keep her isolated through the night with only water in her cage and check her in the morning. If her crop is empty after eating nothing through the night then I think she is fine. Watch her for any other symptoms and if she throws up again then reassess. But, maybe she just got something stuck and needed to throw up. If you think it is bacterial start giving her yogurt (after waiting out the night and checking her) and search the site for sour crop. There are some really good threads with different cure suggestions.