Stuck Impaction, please help!

-Clementine-

Songster
Nov 18, 2020
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Denial- the state
Yesterday, I noticed that my bantam cochin rooster Sage had a huge crop. Liquid went all the way up to the top of his crop, and it felt like there was a tennis ball stuck in it. I have read @TwoCrows 's and @azygous 's crop treatment articles and dealt with doughy/impacted crops before, so I didn't really think much into it. After a day of no food and water, all of the excess food and liquid had drained out of his crop. Today, I took him out of his quarantine cage to check on his crop, and I noticed there was a lump, a tad smaller than a golf ball, still hanging out in his crop. After massaging it for a little bit, I figured out it was made of hay. After water and more massaging, it refused to break apart, and it is way to big to pass out of his small bantam crop.

I'm concerned that the only way to get it out is crop surgery. I do not possess the skills or willpower to cut a hole in my precious chicken, let alone actually manage to do post surgery intensive care to heal the hole. I have not researched vets that do avian care, but I'm pretty sure that if the closest vet that does rabbit care is two hours away, then I'm going to be out of luck with poultry vets, and my parents probably won't want to pay the vet fees either. Also, what should I feed him that won't make the impaction worse if this is going to take more than a few days?

Is it a possibility that the answer isn't as drastic as surgery? If anyone has any suggestions, or has dealt with this before, I would appreciate it very much. :)
 
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You are wrong. You are entirely capable of doing crop surgery. How do i know this? Because I can see how much you care about this little fellow. And I'm sure you could talk one of your parents into being your surgical assistant.

But there are a couple of things to try first. Give him a dish of grit and water to consume when he wishes. You are also going to be stuffing some oil into him to try to soften the mass.

Here are the supplies you'll need for the things we're going to try before we gear up for surgery.
Molasses
Epsom salts
Coconut oil
stool softener (Dulculax)

Measure out two teaspoons of coconut oil. Divide it up into pea size pieces and chill in the fridge. When it's firm, put half of it into his beak one tiny piece at a time. When you get a teaspoon in, massage his crop focusing on the center of the mass. Try to concentrate on breaking it up with your finger tips.

Spend ten to fifteen minutes with this massage. He should relax and enjoy it. Give him the rest of the oil as you did the first half, and this time pop the stool softener capsule into his beak. Let him rest for half and hour and do some more massage concentrating on the center mass and try to get it to separate.

Hopefully, that will empty the crop. Leave him with plenty of water and grit and those things will help break up the mass further as it travels down the digestive tract.

Give him boiled egg to eat or yogurt. Tomorrow, check his crop in the morning before her eats or drinks and report the condition here on your thread. Depending on how well the crop emptied, we will probably give him a molasses flush to flush the rest of the material on through his intestines. Mix one teaspoon of molasses in one-fourth cup warm water and let him drink it all. Take his other water away until he drinks it.

Then you'll be monitoring his poop for all that grass. If none of this works, you will be performing crop surgery. I will give you all the instructions, step by step, and it will be like baking a cake.
 
You are wrong. You are entirely capable of doing crop surgery. How do i know this? Because I can see how much you care about this little fellow. And I'm sure you could talk one of your parents into being your surgical assistant.

But there are a couple of things to try first. Give him a dish of grit and water to consume when he wishes. You are also going to be stuffing some oil into him to try to soften the mass.

Here are the supplies you'll need for the things we're going to try before we gear up for surgery.
Molasses
Epsom salts
Coconut oil
stool softener (Dulculax)

Measure out two teaspoons of coconut oil. Divide it up into pea size pieces and chill in the fridge. When it's firm, put half of it into his beak one tiny piece at a time. When you get a teaspoon in, massage his crop focusing on the center of the mass. Try to concentrate on breaking it up with your finger tips.

Spend ten to fifteen minutes with this massage. He should relax and enjoy it. Give him the rest of the oil as you did the first half, and this time pop the stool softener capsule into his beak. Let him rest for half and hour and do some more massage concentrating on the center mass and try to get it to separate.

Hopefully, that will empty the crop. Leave him with plenty of water and grit and those things will help break up the mass further as it travels down the digestive tract.

Give him boiled egg to eat or yogurt. Tomorrow, check his crop in the morning before her eats or drinks and report the condition here on your thread. Depending on how well the crop emptied, we will probably give him a molasses flush to flush the rest of the material on through his intestines. Mix one teaspoon of molasses in one-fourth cup warm water and let him drink it all. Take his other water away until he drinks it.

Then you'll be monitoring his poop for all that grass. If none of this works, you will be performing crop surgery. I will give you all the instructions, step by step, and it will be like baking a cake.
Thank you for the response, I will try this
 
I have not researched vets that do avian care, but I'm pretty sure that if the closest vet that does rabbit care is two hours away, then I'm going to be out of luck with poultry vets,
I have no advice to give, I would listen to whatever @azygous says.

I understand vet bills are expensive.

Just wanted to let you know if you are ever in need of a poultry vet- whether it be now or some other time. I’m not sure where exactly in Kitsap County you are, but There is a vet on Bainbridge Island who treats chickens.
 
I have no advice to give, I would listen to whatever @azygous says.

I understand vet bills are expensive.

Just wanted to let you know if you are ever in need of a poultry vet- whether it be now or some other time. I’m not sure where exactly in Kitsap County you are, but There is a vet on Bainbridge Island who treats chickens.
Do they have a website?
 
I have no advice to give, I would listen to whatever @azygous says.

I understand vet bills are expensive.

Just wanted to let you know if you are ever in need of a poultry vet- whether it be now or some other time. I’m not sure where exactly in Kitsap County you are, but There is a vet on Bainbridge Island who treats chickens.
Thank you!
 
I have no advice to give, I would listen to whatever @azygous says.

I understand vet bills are expensive.

Just wanted to let you know if you are ever in need of a poultry vet- whether it be now or some other time. I’m not sure where exactly in Kitsap County you are, but There is a vet on Bainbridge Island who treats chickens.
Thank you!
 

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