UPDATE Don't Use Hay/Grass Bales for your Chickens (Possible Tumor?)

[riversanctuary]

Many people use hay without any issues. I don't know if some chickens are just a little silly and eat too much of it or what.

Don't feel bad, they're chickens and they do goofy stuff and have unfortunate things happen to them despite the best efforts of their keepers.

We're all learning as we go!

Hang in there and best to you and your girlie.

Thanks some how hearing from other people about this really helps. I'm going to try give her water through a syringe and massage her crop. She did eat sardines I saw that in one of the threads that it helps. She didn't like the scrambled egg.

 

[pwand]

Thanks some how hearing from other people about this really helps. I'm going to try give her water through a syringe and massage her crop. She did eat sardines I saw that in one of the threads that it helps. She didn't like the scrambled egg. 

Tube feed her water to try to help with the impaction. I have had one of my hens eat hay and straw and had to deal with impaction and sour crop twice. Got rid of all that and put pine shavings in.

 

[pwand]

Here is a good youtube video doing the impacted crop surgery.

 

[riversanctuary]

Tube feed her water to try to help with the impaction. I have had one of my hens eat hay and straw and had to deal with impaction and sour crop twice. Got rid of all that and put pine shavings i

Hi everyone I'm back to let you know that Penny is doing better now after crop surgery! I found a vet, only 20 minuets from my home that did the surgery yesterday afternoon. He warned me that birds/chickens can go into shock easily because of the stress and die, but if we did nothing she would of died for sure! He took out a baseball size of grass/hay! I am happy to say that she is doing so well! I am giving her antibiotics every 12 hours with small amounts of water and crumble with small amounts of grit for now. She is resting comfortably in her small cage indoors where I can keep an eye on her and keep her warm.
I just don't want anyone to go through what I did. Don't use hay or grass bales in your coops or where their run is! For some chickens it can cause crop impaction! For those who are not near an Avian vet you are left with no options unless you try to do a surgical procedure yourself. I wasn't confident in trying that so I am thankful, even though it was pricey, that I was able to bring her to a vet that would do surgery! It's a terrible way for them to die if it's not treated. I guess if you catch it early enough you can dislodge the impaction yourself, but like me who is a first time chicken owner, I didn't know what I was looking for so when Penny stopped eating along with exhibiting this weird head behavior it was already impacted firmly.

Kat

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Fabulous to hear Penny came through her surgery! I'm glad you were able to find a vet to do it and I hope her recovery goes smoothly. I'd been offering some hay during the winter months. Looked like they just nibbled a few seed heads and threw it around, but I won't take the chance any more.

 

[pwand]

Hi everyone I'm back to let you know that Penny is doing better now after crop surgery! I found a vet, only 20 minuets from my home that did the surgery yesterday afternoon. He warned me that birds/chickens can go into shock easily because of the stress and die, but if we did nothing she would of died for sure! He took out a baseball size of grass/hay! I am happy to say that she is doing so well! I am giving her antibiotics every 12 hours with small amounts of water and crumble with small amounts of grit for now. She is resting comfortably in her small cage indoors where I can keep an eye on her and keep her warm.
I just don't want anyone to go through what I did. Don't use hay or grass bales in your coops or where their run is! For some chickens it can cause crop impaction! For those who are not near an Avian vet you are left with no options unless you try to do a surgical procedure yourself. I wasn't confident in trying that so I am thankful, even though it was pricey, that I was able to bring her to a vet that would do surgery! It's a terrible way for them to die if it's not treated. I guess if you catch it early enough you can dislodge the impaction yourself, but like me who is a first time chicken owner, I didn't know what I was looking for so when Penny stopped eating along with exhibiting this weird head behavior it was already impacted firmly.

Kat

Glad you were able to get the surgery done, keep an eye on her to see she doesn't peck at her stitches. If she does, you can make an apron for her to cover her crop. I would add straw to the list not to use, as I mentioned, my hen at that too and became impacted. My hen did the neck swaying as well the first time she had an issue, they are trying to adjust the crop. If your hen does it after the surgery, don't be alarmed as her crop will odd from the surgery, after a few days she will stop.

 

[riversanctuary]

Glad you were able to get the surgery done, keep an eye on her to see she doesn't peck at her stitches. If she does, you can make an apron for her to cover her crop. I would add straw to the list not to use, as I mentioned, my hen at that too and became impacted. My hen did the neck swaying as well the first time she had an issue, they are trying to adjust the crop. If your hen does it after the surgery, don't be alarmed as her crop will odd from the surgery, after a few days she will stop.

For sure straw anything like that is too risky!
She doesn't seem to pick at it at all what the vet did was leave most of the feathers on both sides, you have to push them aside to see the beautiful incision, so she seems to be oblivious to anything being there.
I will know what to look for if it happens again and hopefully get it taken care of with water and massage before it gets solidly impacted. I'm hoping to not have that problem again because I'm trying to get all the grass/hay completely cleaned out before I introduce her back to the main coop. When she's a bit better I will put her in the spare coop so all the girls can see her, but not have physical contact with her. I am going get the spare coop ready for her with pine shaving when I can put her outside to scratch around and see her buddies.

 

[pwand]

For sure straw anything like that is too risky!
She doesn't seem to pick at it at all what the vet did was leave most of the feathers on both sides, you have to push them aside to see the beautiful incision, so she seems to be oblivious  to anything being there.
I will know what to look for if it happens again and hopefully get it taken care of with water and massage before it gets solidly impacted. I'm hoping to not have that problem again because I'm trying to get all the grass/hay completely cleaned out before I introduce her back to the main coop. When she's a bit better I will put her in the spare coop so all the girls can see her, but not have physical contact with her. I am going get the spare coop ready for her with pine shaving when I can put her outside to scratch around and see her buddies.

Has she been away from the other chickens for very long? Mine was in the house for about a week. I put her back out with them with no issues, they didn't forget her. Thats good she doesn't seem to notice the stitches.

 

[riversanctuary]

Has she been away from the other chickens for very long? Mine was in the house for about a week. I put her back out with them with no issues, they didn't forget her. Thats good she doesn't seem to notice the stitches.

No she was with all the girls, sleeping too, a couple of days ago before her surgery. The spare coop I have, which has a walkway that can be closed off, to the main coop are right next to each other. She can be in the spare coop and still sit close and interact with all the girls through the wire. Hopefully I can put her out in the spare coop for some of the day tomorrow, but I will be keeping her in the small cage inside at night.

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

Quote: Thank you for updating and the warning againsy hay. I was going to get a bale of alfalfa--I had no idea this was dangerous. Thanks.!