Too much gravel in crop

[Mrsviddy]

I have an older hen with too much gravel in her crop. Her crop is soft but it is full of gravel. She is isolated, has water, I have given her 20cc of water with apple cider vinegar so far. Her poop looks ok. Anything else in can do? Has anybody else had this problem?

 

[cavemanrich]

I am somewhat curious why you think there is gravel, and why there is too much??? (obviously you must have felt her crop).. If the gravel is fine, (in size) then it will pass thru her digestive system naturally. My suggestion, is to keep her away from any more source of gravel, If you think it is bad>>
You state that poop look OK. which is an indication, that things are good.
If she is eating, and drinking well, then all should pass and normalize. Just keep feeding her same as you have been.
How are your other hens in comparison???
Lets see if there are other suggestions from other chicken keepers.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[Mtnboomer]

How do you know its gravel? And too much? Have you witnessed her eating an excessive amount of grit? Is she otherwise acting like a healthy chicken?

I agree that it doesn't sound like anything is wrong with her at this time.

 

[Mrsviddy]

Thank you for the input, is much appreciated. She wasn’t acting normal. Had a very full and sour crop. She wasn’t eating and did bring up a good amount of liquid. Happened twice. i isolated her gave her water with apple cider vinegar for 2 days. Massaged her crop several times a day.
yesteday gave her a scrambled egg with water. Didn’t eat at first,but when I checked later she had eaten almost half. She is now drinking water on her own. Still think I feel some large gravel in her crop and she still smells. is she ready to go back with her flock?
Appreciate the input

 

[theoldchick]

I'd still keep her isolated until her crop is emptying and she's acting normally. I've had a few hens get gravelly crop, too. It usually happens after a bout of week-long rain. When I get one that is recovering, I feed small amounts of canned mixed veggies along with some ripe cantaloupe. Small amounts of scrambled eggs is offered, too. However, my favorite of all time is Exact hand feeding formula for birds. This comes in a powder form and you can sprinkle it on wet food. It contains everything you need to maintain a healthy crop. I never let a sick hen gorge until full especially one with a slow moving crop. Feeding several small meals a day really helps with crop issues. Good luck! I hope she does well.

 

[Mtnboomer]

Agreed. Until her crop is functioning properly, keep her isolated and give her only soft easily processed foods but allow access to plenty of water.

"Gravely crop" can actually be clumps of food or ingested materials that have clumped together. During spring green up, my hens go crazy for the fresh green shoots of grass in the yard and fields. Two yrs ago we had a hen get an impacted crop and we could not save her. To feel her crop it was very textured like a bag of bumpy sand. We euthanized her and opened her crop to see what was in there and found a "birds nest" of tightly balled up grass shoots mixed with nasty fermented feed and seeds.
I hope yours comes around.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She wasn’t acting normal. Had a very full and sour crop. She wasn’t eating and did bring up a good amount of liquid. Happened twice.

she still smells.

There is an odor? Sour?
Then treat her for sour crop. Even if the crop is now emptying, the yeast infection is still present. This article will help you treat it https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Mrsviddy]

Thank you all for your recommendations. Yes it has been very rainy and humid week. She did have sour crop. Her crop is still soft but, I can feel hard round chicken kibble sized possibly stones. I am giving her apple cider vinegar water. Today she had had a scrambled egg, fed to her in partial meals.
thank you for the canned veggies. Will get some and also will find some Exact.
Will keep her isolated
Will keep you posted.