Hen drinking excessively, not eating

[Wyorp Rock]

They do have access to grit. I haven't personally seen her use it, but then again I'm not there all day.

In the morning, her crop is soft and mushy. It is possible that she has eaten stuff since I'm catching her after she's been let out. (My mom keeps forgetting to check her crop before she opens the coop door.) I definitely saw her peck at something on the ground this morning.

Did not check her crop this afternoon because she was enjoying some spaghetti squash. This evening she had a very hard, densely packed crop, about the size of an orange.

I'm hoping she's eating when I'm not home but I'd feel better if I saw her.

The only way to properly gauge crop function is to check it first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks.
When you do that let us know what it feels like.

 

[Bekalodon]

So this morning I managed to catch Stella before she got off the roost. Definitely had a bit of crop. This time is was hard and densely packed, like last night, but slightly smaller. I massaged it down and then she went out and ate some spaghetti squash.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Read this to see if it will help:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Bekalodon]

Read this to see if it will help:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Thank you for the link! Weirdly her crop has felt like both the descriptions for sour and impacted crop at different times, but I've never noticed a sauerkraut smell.

Yesterday was the last day of the heavy dose of Corid, and today there is good news! This morning my mom said she saw Stella eating food! She also said she saw her poop teal-colored feces, which I believe I've heard is a sign of coccidiosis.

 

[Eggcessive]

I think the teal colored droppings sound like they had eaten red cabbage or blueberries. Coccidiosis generally causes runny poops with mucus, and can contain blood in some strain.

 

[Bekalodon]

Sorry for lack of updates on Stella; I recently switched from part-time to full-time and have been very busy.

We took her to the vet, they ran a bunch of tests on her and did x-rays, but found nothing. They gave us some gut motility medicine in hopes that would get stuff moving. They also flushed out her crop, got about 99% of it, but there just seems to be this little bit that just won't get out. Last Saturday we did a very intensive series of water flushes and massages almost every hour. We've had her in a crop bra and isolated for the past couple days. But still her crop won't completely empty and she's not really eating. Not even apple, which is her favorite. We gave her some emergency food, so at least she'd have something in her stomach (it's supposed to be easily digestible and she is pooping so some stuff is getting through).
However, we are going on vacation for a week, starting tomorrow, leaving my dad to take care of the chickens, and he's not exactly into intensive care of the chickens.
I'm very worried for her. She's still alert and active for now, but I don't know much longer she can like this or if she can last a week with minimal treatment...

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Sorry for lack of updates on Stella; I recently switched from part-time to full-time and have been very busy.

We took her to the vet, they ran a bunch of tests on her and did x-rays, but found nothing. They gave us some gut motility medicine in hopes that would get stuff moving. They also flushed out her crop, got about 99% of it, but there just seems to be this little bit that just won't get out. Last Saturday we did a very intensive series of water flushes and massages almost every hour. We've had her in a crop bra and isolated for the past couple days. But still her crop won't completely empty and she's not really eating. Not even apple, which is her favorite. We gave her some emergency food, so at least she'd have something in her stomach (it's supposed to be easily digestible and she is pooping so some stuff is getting through).
However, we are going on vacation for a week, starting tomorrow, leaving my dad to take care of the chickens, and he's not exactly into intensive care of the chickens.
I'm very worried for her. She's still alert and active for now, but I don't know much longer she can like this or if she can last a week with minimal treatment...

Thank you for the update.
I'm sorry to hear that Stella is still having some problems.
It must be distressing having to leave her while you will be gone, but all you can do is hope for the best.
Let us know how she is when you get back.

 

[Bekalodon]

We checked on Stella one last time before we left, gave her one last flush. My dad agreed to massage her crop in the mornings before he puts her in her crate (we let her roost with the other chickens at nigby). The rest is up to her; fingers crossed she pulls through. If she survives the week, we might be able to take her in for surgery, if she doesn't correct herself (and depending on price of course).

I'm wondering now if it's possible she has a gas bubble in there? Her crop feels full but not like it has anything in it, and there's been some mornings I swear her crop is bigger than it was in the evening. So they get gas bubbles in their crop? Is that a thing?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

We checked on Stella one last time before we left, gave her one last flush. My dad agreed to massage her crop in the mornings before he puts her in her crate (we let her roost with the other chickens at nigby). The rest is up to her; fingers crossed she pulls through. If she survives the week, we might be able to take her in for surgery, if she doesn't correct herself (and depending on price of course).

I'm wondering now if it's possible she has a gas bubble in there? Her crop feels full but not like it has anything in it, and there's been some mornings I swear her crop is bigger than it was in the evening. So they get gas bubbles in their crop? Is that a thing?

Yes they can get air or gas bubbles in there. Does her breath smell sour or yeasty?

 

[micstrachan]

So sorry Stella is still having troubles. I hope she pulls through!