Strange crop, impacted or something else? Need help!

[RoyalChick]

You are in good hands with @Wyorp Rock. As mentioned the critical thing is to feel the crop very early in the morning before any eating.
I find it easiest to get up early and do it while they are still on the roost in the dark. You can feel everyone so you know what normal feels like (which should be empty).
If it is not empty then we can go from there with what to do about it.
One question, do your chickens have access to grit? I mean small rocks, not oyster shell that is sometimes confusingly called grit.

 

[Lillith37]

I have an older girl 4+ who has periodic crop troubles which sound similar to what Waffles is experiencing. My lady is the same; doesn’t show any lethargy, is still active and interested in food and water and treats of course.

I second suggestions to confirm crop size/feeling first thing in the morning (this will be your most accurate guide to the state of things) and to provide free choice grit to all your flock. Make sure you have a medium sized shell grit for larger adult birds.

My girl has a tendency to eat things she SHOULDN’T and so periodically gets an impaction (we’ve had a screw, possible feathers, most recently it was a bit of fuzzy felt or a zip tie or something, long grass matting it all together, you name it) followed by the crop souring which leads to this doughy moveable mass that can take weeks to get rid of… most recent impaction took ~2 weeks to clear with sour crop treatment alongside and now her crop feels okay but it’s just slow and not emptying completely overnight.

When I first got this hen she came with a chronic slow crop which was probably both impacted and sour. Because it was so big for so long she needed to wear a crop bra for about a week to help it empty. She sometimes still needs it for a day or too if she gets bound up and continues to eat like a pig. You may consider a crop bra for your hen also.

Coconut oil is generally superior to olive oil for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. Twice a day at least, more if possible, massages to break up whatever is in there. You may need to break out the big guns (OTC fungal treatment, think thrush pessaries or cream) if that doughy moveable mass is persistent. Twice daily for seven days.

Anything sharp you feel in the crop may benefit from egg white. The white coats the sharp thing and can help passage. This is how I got the (potential) screw through my lady’s crop. I never saw it pooped out so I imagine it has become part of her gizzard now.

Fennel tea is also a good gastric aid, helps smooth gastric contractions and stimulate digestion.

Let her do her regular thing during the day unless you feel she would really benefit from a day of fasting (which I have done in the past in serious cases).

Last thing I will mention is that crop issues are often a result of underlying issues e.g. worms, reproductive illness. So consider these things also.

 

[guest226]

Welcome To BYC

I'm not sure I understand - her crop is empty or not in the morning? You mention it had emptied, but was more full than the other hens...

The crop is circular and round, especially after eating grubs and seeds.

The crop should become more pronounced and full when she eats and drinks. She should be filling up during the day and the crop will be at various stages of fill during the day as she eats/drinks.
The crop is going to feel anywhere from hard to soft while she's been eating/drinking.
When she goes to roost, the crop should be full.
Check first thing in the morning before she's had anything to eat/drink, determine if the crop is emptying or not.




Photos of her poop?

While it won't necessarily hurt her to massage the crop during the day, it doesn't sound like she's got a crop problem, she's eating normally and having a normal fill on the crop.

Your concern is watery poop - is that consistent or just a one time thing?

Hello! I checked her crop this morning right as she came out of the roost. Her crop was hard and round, so I think the impaction is there. I gave her some oil and massaged it this morning and it went down/felt more soft and flat. I've done this many times but it appears that her crop does not compeltely drain overnight? It feels lumpy and kind of feels like a hard mass with food on top of it when it's full.

I also caught her pooping, it wasn't as watery as it was a while ago, but wasn't a formed stool.

 

[guest226]

I have an older girl 4+ who has periodic crop troubles which sound similar to what Waffles is experiencing. My lady is the same; doesn’t show any lethargy, is still active and interested in food and water and treats of course.

I second suggestions to confirm crop size/feeling first thing in the morning (this will be your most accurate guide to the state of things) and to provide free choice grit to all your flock. Make sure you have a medium sized shell grit for larger adult birds.

My girl has a tendency to eat things she SHOULDN’T and so periodically gets an impaction (we’ve had a screw, possible feathers, most recently it was a bit of fuzzy felt or a zip tie or something, long grass matting it all together, you name it) followed by the crop souring which leads to this doughy moveable mass that can take weeks to get rid of… most recent impaction took ~2 weeks to clear with sour crop treatment alongside and now her crop feels okay but it’s just slow and not emptying completely overnight.

When I first got this hen she came with a chronic slow crop which was probably both impacted and sour. Because it was so big for so long she needed to wear a crop bra for about a week to help it empty. She sometimes still needs it for a day or too if she gets bound up and continues to eat like a pig. You may consider a crop bra for your hen also.

Coconut oil is generally superior to olive oil for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. Twice a day at least, more if possible, massages to break up whatever is in there. You may need to break out the big guns (OTC fungal treatment, think thrush pessaries or cream) if that doughy moveable mass is persistent. Twice daily for seven days.

Anything sharp you feel in the crop may benefit from egg white. The white coats the sharp thing and can help passage. This is how I got the (potential) screw through my lady’s crop. I never saw it pooped out so I imagine it has become part of her gizzard now.

Fennel tea is also a good gastric aid, helps smooth gastric contractions and stimulate digestion.

Let her do her regular thing during the day unless you feel she would really benefit from a day of fasting (which I have done in the past in serious cases).

Last thing I will mention is that crop issues are often a result of underlying issues e.g. worms, reproductive illness. So consider these things also.

Thank you for your response! I felt her crop very early this morning when she was roosting and it felt hard and round. Something's in there, but it is small and when massaged, goes down a bit. It feels like a hard mass at the bottom of her crop, and when she eats, the food feels like it sits on top. She still eats, drinks, and poops, but it is not fully formed stool.
For the egg whites, do I give them to her raw or should I give them cooked?
Also, I plan on deworming her soon, but if this doesn't clear up should I wait to deworm her as her crop doesn't fully empty?

 

[guest226]

You are in good hands with @Wyorp Rock. As mentioned the critical thing is to feel the crop very early in the morning before any eating.
I find it easiest to get up early and do it while they are still on the roost in the dark. You can feel everyone so you know what normal feels like (which should be empty).
If it is not empty then we can go from there with what to do about it.
One question, do your chickens have access to grit? I mean small rocks, not oyster shell that is sometimes confusingly called grit.

Thank you! Her crop was still hard this morning, I will assume it's impacted. They usually get acess to grit, but I've been out for a little bit. More will be bought soon and provided, however they do get acess to small rocks in the run.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Giving Coconut oil would be the first thing I'd do.

Re-check the crop again first thing.

Do keep in mind, that it's perfectly normal for a crop to feel full and firm when she's been eating/drinking.

 

[Lillith37]

Thank you for your response! I felt her crop very early this morning when she was roosting and it felt hard and round. Something's in there, but it is small and when massaged, goes down a bit. It feels like a hard mass at the bottom of her crop, and when she eats, the food feels like it sits on top. She still eats, drinks, and poops, but it is not fully formed stool.
For the egg whites, do I give them to her raw or should I give them cooked?
Also, I plan on deworming her soon, but if this doesn't clear up should I wait to deworm her as her crop doesn't fully empty?

You’d give egg white raw. But see if the coconut oil can help loosen whatever is in there first. The egg white is good for sharp things. With my girl I usually can’t feel what is causing the impaction until I treat the crop and it shrinks enough to be able to isolate and feel what’s in there.

When you give the coconut oil and do massages, try to gently break up the mass at the bottom of her crop with your fingers. Then use your palm to rub in circular motions with an upward pressure because the entry to the rest of the digestive system is located a bit high and at the back.

I’ve never really been sure of the correct protocol with crop issues and worming. If a crop issue is related to a high wormload in the chicken, then ideally worming ASAP will help resolve the issue. But if nothing is getting through, is the medicine just going to sit in the crop or some other part of the digestive system? I figure if her crop is emptying partially and stuff is coming out the other end, it’s worth worming.

 

[guest226]

You’d give egg white raw. But see if the coconut oil can help loosen whatever is in there first. The egg white is good for sharp things. With my girl I usually can’t feel what is causing the impaction until I treat the crop and it shrinks enough to be able to isolate and feel what’s in there.

When you give the coconut oil and do massages, try to gently break up the mass at the bottom of her crop with your fingers. Then use your palm to rub in circular motions with an upward pressure because the entry to the rest of the digestive system is located a bit high and at the back.

I’ve never really been sure of the correct protocol with crop issues and worming. If a crop issue is related to a high wormload in the chicken, then ideally worming ASAP will help resolve the issue. But if nothing is getting through, is the medicine just going to sit in the crop or some other part of the digestive system? I figure if her crop is emptying partially and stuff is coming out the other end, it’s worth worming.

Hello! Update about how she's doing: She's still energetic and eats/drinks. After a massage last night, her crop felt like it went down a lot, however when I woke up early and checked before she woke up, her crop had a small hard lump in it. I gave her the coconut oil and massaged and it went down again. Is this a slow crop issue or is it still impacted? I don't know why it never stays down!

 

[guest226]

Giving Coconut oil would be the first thing I'd do.

Re-check the crop again first thing.

Do keep in mind, that it's perfectly normal for a crop to feel full and firm when she's been eating/drinking.

Hello! This morning I checked her crop, it was a hard, small ball. After coconut oil and massage it went down. She still acts normal. Is this a slow crop issue or could it be an underlying issue? The crop seems to empty when I massage it but after she eats a bit it stays full for many hours, even during sleep.

 

[Lillith37]

Hello! Update about how she's doing: She's still energetic and eats/drinks. After a massage last night, her crop felt like it went down a lot, however when I woke up early and checked before she woke up, her crop had a small hard lump in it. I gave her the coconut oil and massaged and it went down again. Is this a slow crop issue or is it still impacted? I don't know why it never stays down!

Sounds like there could be an impaction in the crop, or elsewhere in the digestive tract, or yes she has some other reason why the crop is slow.

Keep up the coconut oil and massages for some time and see if her crop eventually empties properly. Sometimes it can take some time. And worm her.