Squishy crop

[blue fire]

Is it normal for a hen to have a squishy crop? today my RIR hen is acting very lethargic and weak and shakey. her poo is mostly white and she is not eating much. can this be crop related?

 

[d.k]

* Crop feel will vary depending on when the hen has eaten last, how much she has eaten, the texture of what she has eaten, and how much water she has consumed with the food. That said, it seems clear your hen is under stress of some sort. I'd bring her in, examine her for wounds or things like lice and feeding or breathing issues keep her warm & hydrated and start observing symtoms carefully and post again.

 

[blue fire]

wouldnt removing her from outside stress her out even more? She is on the bottom on the pecking order. is it possable to have too few chickens?
I put some corn outside and she did not seem to eat as excitedly as she usually does.

 

[d.k]

* If she's at the bottom of the pecking order you REALLY need to check her out-- and being away from it 2-3 days is gonna be a respite and a relief for her and help her regain her strength against further assault. Her being ill is going to set her up to maybe be pecked to death-- Besides, you should ALWAYS isolate a sick chicken or you risk contaminating your whole flock.

 

[blue fire]

What if the other chickens forget her? I would love to have her stay inside for one day, but not 2-3days if the others forget her, she might have to fight her way back into the pecking order. maybe some perodic visits during her vacation?

 

[blue fire]

She recently pooed and it is a liqidy white color. she is eating and drinking normaly. Should I put a towel over the crate so she can sleep? Is there anything I should feed her?

 

[d.k]

* You can put a towel over the crate if the area she's in is cool or not dark enough for her to sleep well without it. I'd cut out treats and feed her strictly layer food until we get an idea of what is going on with her. Did you find any injuries, bald spots, signs of lice or any obuious other than the poo??

 

[blue fire]

no she has no lice or any parasites her feathers are shiny and there are no bald spots. how would I find injuries? Just spots that hurt? If it helps she is a free range chickens. Can I feed her yogert?

 

[d.k]

*For the next couple feedings I'd leave it at layer food just to see if the poo will normalize that way, and electrolytes in the water or 3 drops of Poly-Vi-Sol by eye- dropper. She may have just eaten something that is upsetting her system. While she's sleeping tonight, take a few minutes and listen carefully to her breathing. Post anything that doesn't sound right-- breathing too hard or whistling like she has a stuffy nose, whatever. Problem is, other than some general weakness and the whitish diarrhea, we don't seem to have much to go on. How did her weight seem when you carried her in, BTW???

 

[blue fire]

She was as heavy as she usually is. What could she eat that is upsetting her tummy? New foods that she is not used to, we have a compost pile and thay have been in that recently. She has been pooping more often since we had her inside fo awhile.