"Crop issues? Share your experience here"

[drstratton]

I recently had a hen with crop issues. Even though I've had chickens for around 35 years, I really had never had one with crop problems. I shared my experience on my page and asked for advice from my friends. Thankfully I was able to resolve the issue using less invasive treatments. On advice from @Baymule, I will be copying and pasting from there to here. I also want to thank @fuzzi and all of my friends for the help and encouragement I received going through this.

I'm hoping others that have had crop issues will also share their experiences and what you did to try and resolve it. It would be great to have the knowledge available in one location for everyone here on BYH.

 

[drstratton]

The following is something I tried and will never do again.

I have another sick hen. I noted that she wasn't being a active or eating the morning treat I bring it to them.

I was able to catch her, she has slowed way down. Her abdomen does not seem swollen. I think it might be a crop issue. The last time I checked her she had food in her crop. It was soft and pliable. Today, it was the same and I'm pretty sure she hasn't been eating. I don't know if it's sour crop or impacted. It's good that it's not rock hard. In the 35 years I've had chickens, I've been fortunate to have not had any major crop issues until this poor girl.

I watched a video.
I turned her upside down, and started to massage her crop and immediately got some sandy liquid out. It did not smell foul and her crop really isn't hard. I did that quite a few times giving her breaks. Then I administered 10ml of olive oil, the Vet tech on the video made it look much easier. There was oil on her, me, the floor and the wall...lol Anyway, I refilled the syringe and got some more down her. Massaged a little in the upright position. Set her down and dipped her beak into the water a few times to help keep her hydrated. I will withhold food. She hasn't pooped since I brought her inside, hopefully things will start to move. I will go through the massage process again tonight, hopefully she will vomit. Then let her rest overnight to see if she has pooped and check if her crop has improved. If not, I will go through the process again to see if I can get her to vomit.

I have her in my laundry room for the moment.

 

[drstratton]

Someone just shared with me a different method to help my girl, that doesn't involve turning her upside down. I need to find a video, to see how it's done. I just don't feel like she has a lot of time.

When my Lydia had crop issues I didn't hold her upside down, but tubed her, all by myself. I got advice at BYC as well, mainly from @Wyorp Rock.

Lydia didn't make it, but crop issues can be difficult to treat.

 

[drstratton]

Yes, that's what I'm finding out. Do you know of a good video on tubing?
I'll have to see if I can find your thread on this. Was it in the emergencies section?

No, it's on my main thread. Let me see if I can find where exactly.

 

[drstratton]

Here is an article about crop issues:

How to treat sour crop and impacted crop and how to know which one you're dealing with

Diagnosing the crop disorder A hen is behaving lethargically, not eating much, if at all, but she has a full crop. This is the first sign something's not right. The full crop points to this hen having crop issues and not being sick for some other...

www.backyardchickens.com

Tubing:

Need to Tube Severely Molting Hen

I got one syringe in her. Counter hits me about 3-4 inches below my belly button. Try placing her on the counter and squishing her between your left arm and torso while using your left hand to hold her head and neck.

www.backyardchickens.com

Step-by-Step Tube Feeding Guide - Pictures - Under construction

In this thread I will try to cover all aspects of tube feeding. Subjects covered will be: When to tube Tube feeding contraindications Crop volume and how much to tube How to insert the tube Risks associated with tubing Supplies needed and where you can get them The importance of correcting...

www.backyardchickens.com

Crop Feeding

Picture by BYC's @KsKingBee From Technical Procedures for the Avian Patient, by Amy B. Johnson, CVT Crop Feeding Crop feeding is the main way to provide nutritional support to sick birds. There are many different formulas on the market...

www.backyardchickens.com

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-of-our-flock.1286630/page-6166#post-24942265

Lydia's crop issues start around page 201 in my journal, try this link:

fuzzi's Chicken Journal

Luke and Leia turned out to be Luke and Han. They were rehomed to a friend of mine who didn't have any current roosters. My second hatch was five, which are all also cockerels. I have home for two of them and I'm afraid the other two are going to have to go soon. 😕

www.backyardchickens.com

Thank you very much. Let's see if I can get this girl on the road to recovery.

 

[drstratton]

@drstratton and @fuzzi Y'all should make a new thread for Crop Issues so it is easy to find. When everything goes into your journal, it is hard to find. If someone is doing a search, the title of the thread makes it easier to find for not just you, the rest of us, but possibly someone who isn't a member and they might stick around.

The search doesn't work well on BYC, so I agree. An entire thread or forum area for just crop issues would be great.

I will put it on my Things to Do Once I Retire list.

That's a good idea. Once things settle down with her I'll see about doing that.

 

[drstratton]

Upon reading through the information and what was shared from my friends here as well as from my friends at BYC, I decided on a course of action.

I administered one Docusate Sodium 100mg pill and did crop massages. On the first day I massaged every 30 minutes for a count of 30.

 

[drstratton]

The following day.

She is much improved this morning. I still think she has something in her crop. She pooped 7 times and it actually has a little substance to it. She was also very hungry. Gave her some mash and grapes.

I still need to study up on how to flush her crop out, in case we need to do that. Worst case scenario, I've seen where they do surgery to clean it out. I really hope we won't have to do that.

I will put her back out with the flock today, but will keep a close eye on her as I think she still has a problem. I feel like I have bought her some time.

I will try to make a post about this experience later today. Maybe title it, "Crop issues? Share your experience here". Maybe we can get some dialogue going on it.

Thank you @fuzzi for the information you shared with me.

A least she made it onto the paper 6 out of 7 times...lol

Edit: make that 8.

 

[drstratton]

I always have to laugh a little when I have a sick chicken. What do you do for her... monitor and take pictures of their poop...lol

 

[drstratton]

Back out with her sisters.