Swollen Soft Chest && Stumbling

[ChickensRDinos]

So I came across this thread and the thing that got me to read it was the "soft chest" in the title. I have an older buff orpington at home who has a really big chest. I was holding her in my lap the other day and when I push her feathers apart it seems like her chest is just there. lol. So reading this thread has me all terrified that she might actually have this sour crop as an issue. I tried looking up pictures online, but I havent found anything that looks like it, and she doesn't really have any of the symptoms as far as I can tell. But I am still new to the world of chickens and the thought of her having something wrong makes me sad. lol but overall interesting read thanks for the thread guys, always good to know about these things.

Impacted crop (sour crop, pendulous crop) is just a condition were something is stuck in the crop and food is not able to pass through to the gizzard. Your chicken's crop should fill throughout the day as they eat, especially if they are eating or grazing all day. What you should be worried about is if your chickens crop never empties and just keeps getting bigger and bigger. The best way to tell this is to check first thing in the morning. After they have been asleep all night and have not eaten anything yet the crop will be empty.

If you are concerned that your chicken may have an impacted crop then isolate the bird and stop feeding her completely. If she has not had any food for a day and her crop is still full then it is likely impacted.

 

[zweigart]

I'm new at chicken ownership too. It's a very interesting, complex and rewarding adventure. Lots to learn! I don't have an BO so I'm not familiar with their body shape/size. How old is she? What symptoms are you seeing?
A good way to tell is she is having issues with her crop is to check her in the morning , before she eats. Chickens crop should empty at night so if she seems "swollen" in the AM the next thing I suggest is feel it. It doesn't hurt them to rub and massage. If it feels mushy and is kind of baseball size, it is most likely sour crop. You should also be able to smell a very sour and awful Smell from her beck.
If you are concerned or not 100% sure it doesn't her to take her food away and give her plain yogurt and scrambled eggs with olive oil twice a day for three days as well as apple cider vinegar in her water for those three days also... See if that clears things up. They will think the eggs and yogurt are a treat... They love them!
I would seperate her , not because its contagious, but be used you don't want her eating anything other then listed, otherwise it can make issues worse. Also I have read to use newspaper not hay in the kennel because they try and eat anything to unblock the issue... Hay would def not help matters! I bring my girl in at night because she is so thin and can't keep herself warm.

The eggs are good protein and nutrients
The oil helps lubricate and loosen things
Yogurt is for good probiotics to help with the yeast that will accumulate(usually the cause for the bad smell)
Vinegar helps with pH level and digestion ( I use braggs... Dont use store brand. It needs to have "the mother" in it)

This is all the information I have been able to gather this far in my journey of dealing with it myself. Hope it helps you!!!! If you have any other questions just ask. I'm still treating my girl so feedback and bouncing info off other people is a blessing and all I have!

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Her crop got HUGE. It giggled all around and was visibly wrong. The skin is still sort of stretched and weird from it but she is now eating and pooping normally and it fills and empties normally. You can sort of see it in the picture below which was taken pre-surgery, the first day that I isolated her. It was mostly soft and bloated when I felt it externally but when I massaged it I could feel a hardish mass inside.

I could get her to vomit up liquid but not the mass. The rest of her body was wasting and she was starting to be in real bad shape.

I have no vet experience at all and no medical training. I went to art school lol. I read through a lot of forums and sites and looked at pictures someone had posted of the same little surgery on a parakeet. But, my bird was clearly dying and I decided it was worth a go and I did not have the budget to pay a vet. I am not certain it is the very best thing to do but I felt out of other options and it did go better than I expected.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Her crop got HUGE. It giggled all around and was visibly wrong. The skin is still sort of stretched and weird from it but she is now eating and pooping normally and it fills and empties normally. You can sort of see it in the picture below which was taken pre-surgery, the first day that I isolated her. It was mostly soft and bloated when I felt it externally but when I massaged it I could feel a hardish mass inside.

I could get her to vomit up liquid but not the mass. The rest of her body was wasting and she was starting to be in real bad shape.

I have no vet experience at all and no medical training. I went to art school lol. I read through a lot of forums and sites and looked at pictures someone had posted of the same little surgery on a parakeet. But, my bird was clearly dying and I decided it was worth a go and I did not have the budget to pay a vet. I am not certain it is the very best thing to do but I felt out of other options and it did go better than I expected.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Im sorry that posted twice. I do not know how to delete it.

 

[zweigart]

No worries =)
Great pictures! I received you message. Thank you!!!! I'm going to give her one more day and then attempt it tomorrow I think. Little nervous, but at this rate it's a last resort.

 

[chickenmom3324]

Apparently we are not out of the woods yet. Pepper's crop ballooned back up yesterday and again, I got a bunch of fowl smelling black yucky stuff. Her crop is not hard just soft, mush and very large. One minute she seems fine, the next it's all bad. Again she is in isolation, taking water and I have put her on antibiotics. The family vet is researching information for me. If I have any useful information I will pass it on. I can't afford surgery if she does have a blockage.... I'm not afraid of trying myself so... if it comes to it I'll be asking for in-put.

 

[CedarCluck]

Impacted crop (sour crop, pendulous crop) is just a condition were something is stuck in the crop and food is not able to pass through to the gizzard. Your chicken's crop should fill throughout the day as they eat, especially if they are eating or grazing all day. What you should be worried about is if your chickens crop never empties and just keeps getting bigger and bigger. The best way to tell this is to check first thing in the morning. After they have been asleep all night and have not eaten anything yet the crop will be empty.

If you are concerned that your chicken may have an impacted crop then isolate the bird and stop feeding her completely. If she has not had any food for a day and her crop is still full then it is likely impacted.

I checked Alice's crop first thing this morning when I let the girls out of the coop, and sure enough her crop was back to normal size. She hasn't had any of the other symptoms it was just that her crop gets HUGE at the end of the day, and I am thinking that its probably because she's older and shes a big girl who likes to munch all day lol. But thanks for you help