Withhold food for sour crop or not?

[imacowgirl2]

Should I withhold food for a sour crop or not? 5 month old NH hen, noticed it late Friday night, Saturday morning she ate before I had a chance to observe, Sunday morning it was still huge.

I felt it Saturday night and didn’t feel any masses or fibrous things, it felt like all liquid, so started her on treatment for impacted crop and sour crop last night…it was so big when I felt it that I wasn’t sure I would feel an impaction even if there was one, so that’s why I decided to treat for both.

Overnight/this morning she had a few crumbles (maybe 1/2” in the bottom of one of those grey feeders in the picture), and a pinch of scratch grains (just enough to get her to gobble up the coconut oil and monistat cream) — and this is what it looks like right now (she is in the top of the picture). It was probably twice this size each evening the past two nights.

Poor girl is acting hungry…but I also don’t want it to stretch out permanently and make her more prone to issues in the future. So, food or no food at this point?

 

[imacowgirl2]

Here is another image of her…

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

I personally don't withhold food or water during sour crop. If you're worried she might stuff herself and overeat you can limit how much crumble you give her to about 1/4 cup at a time, though in my experience hens with crop issues feel poorly enough that they don't eat much.

Be sure to give the monistat twice a day and you can help her empty her crop with a gentle upward massage a few times a day if it doesn't seem to be emptying on its own.

 

[imacowgirl2]

though in my experience hens with crop issues feel poorly enough that they don't eat much.

That’s the weird thing, is she is acting fine, eating and drinking fine; just has a huge crop, burping any time she puts her head down, and this morning has started a head shaking thing that looks like she is trying to adjust her crop.

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

That’s the weird thing, is she is acting fine, eating and drinking fine; just has a huge crop, burping any time she puts her head down, and this morning has started a head shaking thing that looks like she is trying to adjust her crop.

I'd give the antifungal and crop massages a couple days to work while limiting food to small meals and see what sort of improvement you get. It's possible she has pendulous crop (which can easily become sour) in which case you can try a crop bra to help keep the crop emptying.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I felt it Saturday night and didn’t feel any masses or fibrous things, it felt like all liquid, so started her on treatment for impacted crop and sour crop last night…it was so big when I felt it that I wasn’t sure I would feel an impaction even if there was one, so that’s why I decided to treat for both.

Overnight/this morning she had a few crumbles (maybe 1/2” in the bottom of one of those grey feeders in the picture), and a pinch of scratch grains (just enough to get her to gobble up the coconut oil and monistat cream) — and this is what it looks like right now (she is in the top of the picture). It was probably twice this size each evening the past two nights.

When are you checking her crop?

Check it first thing in the morning before she's had anything to eat/drink overnight (full night's sleep dusk to dawn). If you are checking at night when she's been eating/drinking all day, then the crop is going to be full.

She has grit available correct?

I let mine eat and drink as they please while I treat crop issues. They generally will self regulate what they eat. You can offer wet feed and a bit of soft cooked egg if you wish.
See that she's drinking well.

What's her poop like and when was her last egg?

@azygous wrote a very good article about how to treat crop problems. These are the methods I use myself. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[imacowgirl2]

When are you checking her crop?

Check it first thing in the morning before she's had anything to eat/drink overnight (full night's sleep dusk to dawn). If you are checking at night when she's been eating/drinking all day, then the crop is going to be full.

She has grit available correct?

What's her poop like and when was her last egg?

Yes, checking in the morning. I grabbed her Saturday night to check consistency of it because it was hanging almost to her knees…and if it was a big solid knot of stuff that big I figured we would have to dispatch Sunday morning since there would be almost no way to get a large impaction that big broken down to pass. I should have been more clear that since then I’ve been checking in the morning.

They do have grit available all the time. Poop I’m not sure on…she was pacing and scratching so much in the crate that any she may have passed she has well worked into the shavings. Tonight after work I’m going to switch the crate bedding over to pelletized bedding so I can see more closely.

Not sure on egg laying…I’m honestly not even sure she is laying yet — we know for sure one of the 3 NH is newly laying, but penning those 3 up separately for an egg count to see how many are laying is/was on the to-do list for next week.

 

[imacowgirl2]

I ended up turning the poor girl out with the flock for a few hours today; she came back in with a large crop, but not “swing to your knees large” like the past couple days, so hopefully we are seeing the beginning of improvement.

Droppings are firm enough that it remained pellet shaped when she pooped from the roost (about 8” off the ground) and pretty small, green with a little bit of white, and they stink to high heaven! They look like they are on the drier side of normal.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I usually leave mine with their flock and just pull them aside for daily treatment if necessary.

I'd still check that crop first thing in the morning. If it's not emptied, then try to determine if it's hard, soft, doughy, squishy, sour, air or fluid filled or possibly a combination of those.
I always start with coconut oil regardless. Chill your coconut oil so it's hardened, then break it into small chunks and see if she will eat it on her own. Mine LOVE coconut oil so you may have to move to away from the flock unless you bring enough for everyone. Give her 1 teaspoon 2X a day.
Crop issues can take DAYS to resolve, so be patient and work on her. I highly recommend that you read the article along with the comments, very good info there.

Do see that she's drinking well and eats if that's what she wants to do. Sometimes a slow crop can be from eating too much fibrous material, but sometimes there's another reason like worms, infection, reproductive disorders, etc. Just keep working at it. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Lillith37]

I have dealt with an impacted and sour crop in two separate hens and my new hen who was re-homed to me has a pendulous crop.

With the impacted and sour crop, the girls were so poorly that I crated them and kept them separate and treated them. Once their crops emptied properly overnight I ceased treatment and returned them to the flock.

My girl with the pendulous crop doesn’t act poorly at all so I just bring her in for a massage in the morning until I get a crop bra for her.

I think if your hen is otherwise acting normal, let her live her normal life and just keep treating her until the situation resolves. If she gets worse I would separate her and withhold food.