HELP! Irish has sour crop! Advice?

[Atchurch]

Hi all!

Yesterday I noticed that my month-and-a-half old baby girl, Irish (RIR), was SUPER full and lethargic so I picked her up and started massaging her crop but it didn't help. It was squishy so I read in The Chicken Chick book about sour crop. I researched and saw that I could very gently tilt her head down and drain all the junk out of her crop that had fermented. It didn't smell like anything and was clear, but pretty gross. It was evening and they were all going up to the coop for the night, so I let her get some rest with her siblings. This morning, when I opened up the coop to let them out, I watched her. She was still pretty big so I tilted her head down again and got some more of that out of her. Poor baby! I put her in a carrier by herself and sat that inside the run so she wasn't alone, but isolated from the flock. I read that I should only give her water that I mixed with 1/2 c. water and 1 tsp. epsom salt, that was in the book and recommended by a chicken vet. So she got a few drops down and we are doing it only twice a day for a couple of days. Then it says to give her electrolyes and pro Bs in water after that.

My questions for the community are:
Has anyone else used this remedy for their babies?
Should I do it more than twice a day, or does it mess with her system too much because of the epsom salt?
Can she have other water in her cage during all of this?
When can she eat again and what?

My husband wants me to get her some plain Greek yogurt on my way home today. Is that something she can have right now or should I wait a day or two? And a DAY? Or TWO? I would LOVE some specifics because that Chicken Chick book isn't as specific as I would like.

Thank you all!
Hellicopter mom

 

[nuthatched]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

 

[Atchurch]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

Thank you for this, but we have already started the other thing for her today and I'm not there to start over.

Any help on what I have already done, or advice on whether to stop that and start this would be much appreciated. I will definitely try this method next time this issue comes up, though!

 

[nuthatched]

Thank you for this, but we have already started the other thing for her today and I'm not there to start over.

Any help on what I have already done, or advice on whether to stop that and start this would be much appreciated. I will definitely try this method next time this issue comes up, though!

Epsom salts aren't going to clear sour crop, they're given for an intestinal blockage

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

Thank you for this, but we have already started the other thing for her today and I'm not there to start over.

Any help on what I have already done, or advice on whether to stop that and start this would be much appreciated. I will definitely try this method next time this issue comes up, though!

I always provide fresh plain water for chickens, including for sour crop so they can drink as much as they feel they need to in order to flush their system. I also generally subscribe to the "chicken knows best" school with regards to food, though I do know some excellent chicken caretakers who still withhold food for the first day of sour crop treatment. You don't want your girl to become weak so I'd offer her some wet mash chicken food (with a little plain yogurt mixed in if you want) and see if she feels up to eating it, and consider it a good sign if she does.

How she progresses depends a lot on what caused the sour crop. Since the fluid doesn't smell that is a sign that yeast hasn't become a problem yet so she has a slow crop than "sour" one, but does mean there is some sort of obstruction or other problem with her digestive system. How does her poop look? Does she free range and is any long grass or fibers she could have eaten? Any sign of other illness in your flock? Any signs of coccidiosis?

 

[Atchurch]

I always provide fresh plain water for chickens, including for sour crop so they can drink as much as they feel they need to in order to flush their system. I also generally subscribe to the "chicken knows best" school with regards to food, though I do know some excellent chicken caretakers who still withhold food for the first day of sour crop treatment. You don't want your girl to become weak so I'd offer her some wet mash chicken food (with a little plain yogurt mixed in if you want) and see if she feels up to eating it, and consider it a good sign if she does.

How she progresses depends a lot on what caused the sour crop. Since the fluid doesn't smell that is a sign that yeast hasn't become a problem yet so she has a slow crop than "sour" one, but does mean there is some sort of obstruction or other problem with her digestive system. How does her poop look? Does she free range and is any long grass or fibers she could have eaten? Any sign of other illness in your flock? Any signs of coccidiosis?

They're in a 200 sf run and not really any access to any grass. If I put leaves from the garden in there, I only put the leaf pieces and no stems. Their litter is all sand, in the coop and the run. They have starter feed and water with vinegar (with the mother) with the occasional bug that flies through there. Her poop is normal, although today kinda runny just because of the epsom salt, but she hasn't had a lot of that. Just a few pipets full. When I open the coop in the morning, I'll give her, her own water and mash with yogurt. But should I put her electrolytes and probiotic stuff in her water?

 

[Atchurch]

Epsom salts aren't going to clear sour crop, they're given for an intestinal blockage

Good to know!!! Thank you! I'll give her water and mash with yogurt in the morning. They're sleeping now. She's still in her crate but with her siblings inside the coop. They've gathered around her crate. So sweet!

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

They're in a 200 sf run and not really any access to any grass. If I put leaves from the garden in there, I only put the leaf pieces and no stems. Their litter is all sand, in the coop and the run. They have starter feed and water with vinegar (with the mother) with the occasional bug that flies through there. Her poop is normal, although today kinda runny just because of the epsom salt, but she hasn't had a lot of that. Just a few pipets full. When I open the coop in the morning, I'll give her, her own water and mash with yogurt. But should I put her electrolytes and probiotic stuff in her water?

How is she doing today?

I think electrolytes and probiotics are fine to put in the water. Do your girls have larger pieces of grit than sand to eat?

 

[Atchurch]

How is she doing today?

I think electrolytes and probiotics are fine to put in the water. Do your girls have larger pieces of grit than sand to eat?

Yes, I bought the grit in a bag and mix it with their crumbles. She isn't doing very well. I expect her to go to sleep tonight and not wake up. She is with her sibs and safe and warm. This ordeal is just breaking my heart, though. I tried everything immediately (from that book) that I thought was next-to-expert advice and it's just not helped at all. I've created a return for that abominable, stupid book. I trust all y'all more than the chicken chick and her bloated reputation.

I appreciate all the advice and help. I'm probably being really harsh on that book at its author, but I'm just so upset. Sorry.

Sad mama.

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

Yes, I bought the grit in a bag and mix it with their crumbles. She isn't doing very well. I expect her to go to sleep tonight and not wake up. She is with her sibs and safe and warm. This ordeal is just breaking my heart, though. I tried everything immediately (from that book) that I thought was next-to-expert advice and it's just not helped at all. I've created a return for that abominable, stupid book. I trust all y'all more than the chicken chick and her bloated reputation.

I appreciate all the advice and help. I'm probably being really harsh on that book at its author, but I'm just so upset. Sorry.

Sad mama.

I'm sorry she's not doing well.

Even after years and years of raising chickens, I still sometimes feel unsure of what to do when one of my girls gets sick, especially with crop/digestive issues. Sometimes flushes work great, other times they don't... Same thing with just about every other treatment. And as hard as it is, sometimes nothing helps.

I really hope she manages to pull through, but if she doesn't, just know that that is part of raising chickens and you did everything you could.