Talk to me about pendulent crop

[Cryss]

I've read about crop problems, scary stuff. I've read about pendulent crop and that seems to sound like they are not so much a disease or illness as they are a thing they are born with, not a serious problem if handled properly. I've read there are "crop bras" to help.
Ok, what is it, how do you recognise it, what are symptoms, and what information do I have wrong?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I've only had one. It happened after she got an impacted crop which I managed to work out by massaging for a couple of days. After that her crop hung low. She died about 8 months later. I've never seen another one here, nor have I seen any other crop problems.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I've read about crop problems, scary stuff. I've read about pendulent crop and that seems to sound like they are not so much a disease or illness as they are a thing they are born with, not a serious problem if handled properly. I've read there are "crop bras" to help.
Ok, what is it, how do you recognise it, what are symptoms, and what information do I have wrong?

Rather than being born with it, it is somethongvthat develops as a result of other issues. Perilous crop results from the crop being overstretched for an extended period of time, such as when it becomes impacted. The crop is meant to expand and contract as it is filled and emptied throughout the day/night (you'll notice birds stuff their crop at dusk, this allows them to digest feed throughout the night while at roost). When it is expanded but can't contract for days or weeks the elasticity is lost, causing it to stop functioning normally and becoming pendulous. Some are managed with bras, etc, others are so damaged this doesn't work.

 

[lazy gardener]

I had a gal with pendulous crop. She never had any underlying issues that I was aware of, and she was healthy. I removed her from my flock b/c I did not want her genetics breeding into my flock. I gave her to a friend a couple of years ago so she could keep my friend's single survivor of a hawk attack company. To my knowledge, she is happy, still laying, and still has a massive crop that hangs like a basketball on her chest. Still no issues from her crop.

 

[rebrascora]

Not meaning to be pedantic but the term is Pendulous Crop just in case you are doing more research and pendulent doesn't come up in searches.

Mine have all been due to impaction with fibrous material and all with bantam pekins (cochins) which are more busty shaped birds to start with and prolonged spells of broodiness aggravated the situation with them.

The symptoms are that the crop hangs low and doesn't go down overnight. This is because the front part of the crop that has become saggy, hangs lower than the outlet into the digestive tract and sediment collects in that low part and builds up and stretches the crop further and the bird will usually have intermittent issues with sour crop or impaction as a result. Often the bird will lose weight as a result of the impaction caused and occasionally the sediment in the pendulous crop becomes so heavy that it tips them forward onto their chest. This is an extreme situation but it has happened to one of my girls.

 

[Cryss]

Would this condition cause the breast feathers to seem sparse? When I hold her I can feel the skin and if I look there aren't many feathers underneath. She is my pigeon toed gal who I suspect have some kind of vision problem and even though I've seen her preen she always look disheveled. She seems happy enough, loves attention. I'm just not sure what a pendulous crop looks like. Your description sounds like it but I've had her since she was 7 weeks old and she's always been like this. She is now 19 weeks old. I don't know if the pictures will say anything about her posture. She's hard to photograph cuz she's such an inquisitive gal she runs to face the phone

 

[Wyorp Rock]

@Cryss

Sometimes the more you read, the more you can become anxious over what can happen. I do agree she is a bit disheveled (some of this could be feathering/genetics?), does she take dust baths and preen with the other girls?

This is your non-roosting girl? If she doesn't roost, then I would surmise that her breast, crop and underneath her will be more sparsely feathered, since those would likely be rubbed off over time by her not roosting.

It's hard to know about crops sometimes by just looking at a chicken, the best thing to do is feel her crop when she goes to bed (it should be full) then check it first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks (it should be empty or flat). IF the crop is emptying overnight, then I would just watch her - check her at least once a week.

I have a few girls that look (and feel) like they have swallowed a grapefruit when they go to roost every night, but their crop is flat/empty in the morning (the poop tray also bears witness) I still check my girls fairly regularly.

Here's some more information with photos and video
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2016/02/pendulous-crop-in-backyard-chickens.html
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/06/chicken-anatomy-crop-impacted-crop-sour.html

 

[Cryss]

@Cryss

Sometimes the more you read, the more you can become anxious over what can happen. I do agree she is a bit disheveled (some of this could be feathering/genetics?), does she take dust baths and preen with the other girls?

This is your non-roosting girl? If she doesn't roost, then I would surmise that her breast, crop and underneath her will be more sparsely feathered, since those would likely be rubbed off over time by her not roosting.

It's hard to know about crops sometimes by just looking at a chicken, the best thing to do is feel her crop when she goes to bed (it should be full) then check it first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks (it should be empty or flat). IF the crop is emptying overnight, then I would just watch her - check her at least once a week.

I have a few girls that look (and feel) like they have swallowed a grapefruit when they go to roost every night, but their crop is flat/empty in the morning (the poop tray also bears witness) I still check my girls fairly regularly.

Here's some more information with photos and video
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2016/02/pendulous-crop-in-backyard-chickens.html
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/06/chicken-anatomy-crop-impacted-crop-sour.html

Yes, this is my non-roosting gal. For a few weeks now I have been placing her on the roost every night so she doesn't become a poopcicle. I also take her down every morning. So maybe the feathers will grow back? I'm beginning to believe she isn't roosting because her center of gravity is so far off normal she can't balance well. That and her pigeon toes. The thing is she was line this when I got her at 7 weeks old. Of course at that point I had no idea what was going on, thought maybe this shape was normal for LO as opposed to BO. I didn't even know where a crop was! (Thank you BYC for teaching me!) She is now 19+weeks old. I've made sure there was both chick and adult sized grit available. The water has vitamins and electrolytes. So now I'm thinking bra. By the way I've never notice a sour breath smell and I hold her every day. For the next 4 weeks I am working full time so i won't see them except to open and close them. I read I should massage 3x a day. I might be able top do it once a day! Usually I am home except for 1-2 days, this Is temporary. So where do I start? Her chest isn't hard, it's squishy and both sides. Where can I get a bra? I don't sew.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So the crop is still full in the morning before she eats/drinks?

 

[Cryss]

Not so much full as just round and soft.