Water Balloon Chest

[rxchick]

Hi! I am a brand new chicken owner. I have 2 month old Astralorps. One of the them, I noticed yesterday kept opening its mouth like it was yawning or had something stuck in it's throat. Today, my eight year old picked it up and it vomited. The bird and the vomit doesn't smell. This bird loves grass and I predict that is the problem... but what do I do? The crop definitely feels like a water balloon. She is not lethargic and still eating and drinking very well, but worried something might develop. My eight year old is very concerned because, Rosie, the chicken, is hers. Please help!
Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

This sounds like impacted crop. There are many threads to search at the top of the page on sour/impacted crop. There are many opinions on how to treat it, and you are probably right about grass being the culprit. We try to keep ours cut short for the chickens. Confine her in a cage with water tonight and no food. Some recommend giving olive or vegetale oil 1 tsp. by mouth with a dropper. Some then recommend massaging the crop in a downward motion. Others say to turn the bird upside down and try to get the bird to vomit. Check her in the morning to see if the crop has gone down. Sometimes people do crop surgery if they can't get this fixed in a couple of days, but I wouls read all you can, and keep this post going for expert advice from those who have treated this

 

[rxchick]

I am reading all I can right now. Vomited her before bed... Set her down... Started eating grass again. She is locked in her coop with just water and yogurt. Thanks!

 

[rxchick]

What is the difference between slow crop and impacted? What's the different treatment options?

 

[fiberart57]

There is a thread about treating sour crop with Monistat suppositories that may be helpful. Cut back on the dosage due to her size and age.
But it's important to get the impaction out of her crop. Make her drink, or force feed her, olive oil to try to move things along. Also, put some apple cider vinegar in her water and make her take some of that.

Take heart that her youth may give her the energy and strength to pass things through.

Good luck. I lost my beautiful little EE to this condition and I hope no one else loses their birds.
Mary