Squishy crop, sour crop?

[Emma_Bruffy]

But it was Flat/Empty this morning right?

Now you've felt her crop and she's been eating right? You should feel food/water in there.
The crop is like a pouch which holds food and water waiting to be processed/digested. Birds will fill the crop during the day and it should be relatively full at night, but it empties overnight. Having something in the crop during the day when they have been eating/drinking is normal.
Make sense?

Yes but I do feel the food in it but the crop itself is so soft that I can practically count the grains and feel them individually, it also feels like a water balloon with chicken food in it

 

[Lizzy733]

Sour crop is a yeast infection, which is why apple cider vinegar works so well for it.

It sounds like you're on top of things now, but a good way to know for sure is to smell their breath. If it smells yeasty, like a sourdough starter, it's sour crop. Also, just like starter yeast, it produces air - you can generally feel/hear it squishing in the crop when checking it out. It can grow up into the throat where you can see it at the back of their mouth sometimes, or go the other way and be noticeable around the vent if the infection is in the digestive tract. (would be white in color on both accounts)

A puffy crop can also be irritated and swollen from other things too - like eating something inappropriate that's caused a scrape or sharp poke.

My silkie personally has a very small crop which is usually rock-hard being jam packed with food all the time. Aka, silkie crops can be a bit weird. :/

 

[Emma_Bruffy]

Sour crop is a yeast infection, which is why apple cider vinegar works so well for it.

It sounds like you're on top of things now, but a good way to know for sure is to smell their breath. If it smells yeasty, like a sourdough starter, it's sour crop. Also, just like starter yeast, it produces air - you can generally feel/hear it squishing in the crop when checking it out. It can grow up into the throat where you can see it at the back of their mouth sometimes, or go the other way and be noticeable around the vent if the infection is in the digestive tract. (would be white in color on both accounts)

A puffy crop can also be irritated and swollen from other things too - like eating something inappropriate that's caused a scrape or sharp poke.

My silkie personally has a very small crop which is usually rock-hard being jam packed with food all the time. Aka, silkie crops can be a bit weird. :/

Would I mix apple cider vinegar into her water or would I have to syringe it in her mouth

 

[Lizzy733]

Yes but I do feel the food in it but the crop itself is so soft that I can practically count the grains and feel them individually, it also feels like a water balloon with chicken food in it

If she's been drinking a lot of water or soft food, that can be normal. It's ability to drain is what's most important and the best way to check this is either to isolate and withhold food or check them in the morning before they've had a chance to eat.

It may take a few hours to empty, which is okay. If you check a couple hours after feeding and it has not gone down at all, or only a little bit, that is cause for worry.

Also, loose grain - particularly seed is hard to digest. If your feed is not pelleted or crumbled, you may want to blend it up for her. Loose grain feeds look more palatable and seem to be the better choice, but often do more harm than good. They can lead to incomplete nutrition and deficiencies due to selective eating - those at the top of the pecking order will get first dibs and peck out all the tastiest bits, leaving none for those lower which means they might miss out on trace minerals etc... A lot if it ends up wasted as they toss it out trying to get to the good stuff and production breeds in particular are very sensitive to nutritional imbalance.

 

[Lizzy733]

Would I mix apple cider vinegar into her water or would I have to syringe it in her mouth

If you suspect an active infection, I'd mash and wet her food and add a capful to the waterer (as long as it's not metal).

Is she eating on her own? Sour crop tends to put them off their food. I could go into long detail over tube feeding if needed, but avoid it if you can because it can irritate the crop and put them off their food even further.

 

[Emma_Bruffy]

If you suspect an active infection, I'd mash and wet her food and add a capful to the waterer (as long as it's not metal).

Is she eating on her own? Sour crop tends to put them off their food. I could go into long detail over tube feeding if needed, but avoid it if you can because it can irritate the crop and put them off their food even further.

Oh, shes eating perfectly on her own, she ate her food as soon as I set it down, I am isolating her so I can monitor food intake and her poop. Her crop is passing the food because it was flat this morning so I think I will just let her get some apple cider vinegar, and see how she is tommarow

 

[Lizzy733]

Oh, shes eating perfectly on her own, she ate her food as soon as I set it down, I am isolating her so I can monitor food intake and her poop. Her crop is passing the food because it was flat this morning so I think I will just let her get some apple cider vinegar, and see how she is tommarow

If you're pretty sure it's yeast and you're not getting anywhere with the acv, your vet may be able to prescribe an oral antifungal. I've heard of people feeding them vaginal cream in a pinch, but I've never done that myself - would rather take the vet route...

 

[Emma_Bruffy]

If you're pretty sure it's yeast and you're not getting anywhere with the acv, your vet may be able to prescribe an oral antifungal. I've heard of people feeding them vaginal cream in a pinch, but I've never done that myself - would rather take the vet route...

I think I'll go for the vet route first it shes not improving

 

[Emma_Bruffy]

Good news, I gave her chicken feed and her crop is pretty firm. Not as firm as normal but way better than it was earlier. I think I'm gonna keep her in the "hospital" until tommarow so I can see if her crop empties and that her poop is normal still. I'll update again in the morning

 

[Lizzy733]

Good news, I gave her chicken feed and her crop is pretty firm. Not as firm as normal but way better than it was earlier. I think I'm gonna keep her in the "hospital" until tommarow so I can see if her crop empties and that her poop is normal still. I'll update again in the morning

How long has she been away from the flock? If it's been a few days, just be mindful nobody fights her being put back in. Chickens can be vicious sometimes.