How long to feel better after sour crop recovery?

[MrsOwl]

Hello! I've been using the wonderful info from this site for the past three years, and this is my very first post!
Question: I noticed I had a lethargic chicken last Tuesday - wouldn't even come out for mealworms. When I picked her up, she had the telltale squishy crop - not super big, but definitely sour crop. To be sure, I checked her before she came out of the coop the next morning, and her crop was still full of food and squishy. I removed food for 24 hours, did a crop massage, and started her on the monistat treatment that I read so much about here, and the crop issues resolved after a couple days. I've been giving her yogurt and probiotics ever since to help rebuild the good bacteria (she had been on antibiotics a few weeks ago, which I think contributed to this).

So now her energy is pretty good, she's eating and drinking like normal, she jumps up and down from her coop, runs like the wind when I drop mealworms, and she mostly hangs with the flock. However, I still see her throughout the day stopping and taking breaks fairly often - some hunching and fluffing up. Nothing like when she had sour crop, but it doesn't seem like she's back to her old self, either. I keep checking, and she has no signs of sour crop or blocked crop anymore. Her crop is normal full at bedtime and empty in the mornings. It's been about five days since her crop issues seem to have fully resolved. So, my question is: is it normal once the issue resolves for them to continue to feel unwell for awhile, or do you think there's another underlying problem (she has normal stools, no water belly/swelling, comb/waddles are their normal color, she was wormed a month ago, and I can't see any sign of mites or lice)? Any suggestions on how to continue helping her with recovery? She's getting daily probiotics and vitamins in her water.

 

[azygous]

There very often is an underlying health issue that triggered the crop to slow down or shut down and allow yeast to develop. Treating with miconazole may resolve the yeast infection, but the underlying health issue may still persist.

It's impossible to tell you what that issue is, but a reproductive disorder is usually at the top of the list. This can involve a temporary blockage such as a stubborn egg. It could involve tumors on organs that are in the process of failing. Or it may be a blockage involving parasites in the intestines. It could be impacted material that hasn't been able to be chewed up in the gizzard.

To try to figure out what the underlying cause could be, look for symptoms. Poop changes, wet, soiled butt feathers, behavior that signals pain, excessive thirst, excessive consumption of grit, loss of appetite, etc.

Report symptoms here, and the rest of us will try to help you figure them out.

 

[MrsOwl]

There very often is an underlying health issue that triggered the crop to slow down or shut down and allow yeast to develop. Treating with miconazole may resolve the yeast infection, but the underlying health issue may still persist.

It's impossible to tell you what that issue is, but a reproductive disorder is usually at the top of the list. This can involve a temporary blockage such as a stubborn egg. It could involve tumors on organs that are in the process of failing. Or it may be a blockage involving parasites in the intestines. It could be impacted material that hasn't been able to be chewed up in the gizzard.

To try to figure out what the underlying cause could be, look for symptoms. Poop changes, wet, soiled butt feathers, behavior that signals pain, excessive thirst, excessive consumption of grit, loss of appetite, etc.

Report symptoms here, and the rest of us will try to help you figure them out.

Thanks so much for your reply! She has no other symptoms at this time. Her crop is emptying normally now, her stools are completely normal in color and consistency (in fact, they look better than my other hens'), her comb is a normal color, her appetite and water consumption are normal, she has no "water belly" and doesn't feel warm as to suspect a fever (I had a hen once with internal laying, and that was a whole different thing from what I'm seeing). Literally her only symptom that remains is that she stops more often than normal and puffs up. I am worried about a tumor or blockage, but at this time I'm not seeing an indication of that, especially since once I got her sour crop under control, her crop started emptying as usual and digestion went back to normal. Will update if any other symptoms pop up. I'll continue giving probiotics/electrolytes/vitamins in water. I suspect that she developed the sour crop from a round of antibiotics she was on a few weeks ago, and I also switched their food from pellets to meal, and I may not have been putting out enough grit, but who knows. I've had my share of ups and downs with my girls over the years, so I know that once you've done what you can do, it's always a cross your fingers and wait and see...

 

[ChicksNBoys]

Thanks so much for your reply! She has no other symptoms at this time. Her crop is emptying normally now, her stools are completely normal in color and consistency (in fact, they look better than my other hens'), her comb is a normal color, her appetite and water consumption are normal, she has no "water belly" and doesn't feel warm as to suspect a fever (I had a hen once with internal laying, and that was a whole different thing from what I'm seeing). Literally her only symptom that remains is that she stops more often than normal and puffs up. I am worried about a tumor or blockage, but at this time I'm not seeing an indication of that, especially since once I got her sour crop under control, her crop started emptying as usual and digestion went back to normal. Will update if any other symptoms pop up. I'll continue giving probiotics/electrolytes/vitamins in water. I suspect that she developed the sour crop from a round of antibiotics she was on a few weeks ago, and I also switched their food from pellets to meal, and I may not have been putting out enough grit, but who knows. I've had my share of ups and downs with my girls over the years, so I know that once you've done what you can do, it's always a cross your fingers and wait and see...

Hello. I am sorry to hear about your girl and I really hope she starts to feel better. I am struggling with a hen myself who I think has a sour crop. What all did you do to get your girl's crop better?

 

[azygous]

Hello. I am sorry to hear about your girl and I really hope she starts to feel better. I am struggling with a hen myself who I think has a sour crop. What all did you do to get your girl's crop better?

This should help you. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[MrsOwl]

Hello. I am sorry to hear about your girl and I really hope she starts to feel better. I am struggling with a hen myself who I think has a sour crop. What all did you do to get your girl's crop better?

I should preface by saying, my girl's case wasn't terribly bad - but she definitely had a small water balloon crop that was still full in the mornings.

I purchased Monistat 3 and cut each suppository into three pieces (this method came recommended on this forum). Gave one piece in morning, one at night for three days. In addition to the Monistat:

Day 1: I massaged her crop about every hour or two to get things moving. I also gave her a small piece of bread soaked in olive oil and one soaked in ACV. Other than that, I took away all food for the first 24 hours. (In general, if I ever have to give my chickens anything liquidy, I soak it up with bread and feed it that way so they don't aspirate on the liquid.)
Day 2: Continued with crop massages, but her crop went down significantly that first night. Gave yogurt throughout the day. Let her freely eat and drink what she wanted
Day 3: Crop was totally back to normal. Continued giving yogurt.
For the next 10 days, I gave a healthy dose of probiotics in her water. I continue to check her crop every morning to make sure it's empty and at night to make sure she's eating. So far, so good! I'm going to continue with probiotics.

Good luck!

 

[MrsOwl]

Also, just an update on mine: it's now been 17 days since I first treated, and she continues to improve. She's always been at the bottom of the pecking order (though she's generally treated fine by the others) and has always sort of done her own thing. I'm starting to think the behavior (stopping and not always hanging out with the flock) I'm worried about is basically just how she is, and I'm just hyper aware now because I was monitoring her so closely during her sour crop issues. Of course, she's my favorite girl. (3-year-old Salmon Faverolle)

 

[Caring chicken lover]

There very often is an underlying health issue that triggered the crop to slow down or shut down and allow yeast to develop. Treating with miconazole may resolve the yeast infection, but the underlying health issue may still persist.

It's impossible to tell you what that issue is, but a reproductive disorder is usually at the top of the list. This can involve a temporary blockage such as a stubborn egg. It could involve tumors on organs that are in the process of failing. Or it may be a blockage involving parasites in the intestines. It could be impacted material that hasn't been able to be chewed up in the gizzard.

To try to figure out what the underlying cause could be, look for symptoms. Poop changes, wet, soiled butt feathers, behavior that signals pain, excessive thirst, excessive consumption of grit, loss of appetite, etc.

Report symptoms here, and the rest of us will try to help you figure them out.

I have a chicken I think ate too much sand not sure what causing the crop but after reading this maybe it is just something with the chicken. My vet won’t see chickens this is 2 nd one I had with this first one died so I been reading everything I can to save this one. I gave her nothing for 24 hrs started yogurt probiotics and electrolytes late yesterday got her crop down some but it gets hard if I don’t massage her. Last night she had too much liquid so I helped her get that out. Will back off today on that only probiotics and yogurt small amounts. She is so hungry. I felt it was the sand but maybe something else any help appreciated i massage her every hr or her crop gets hard.

 

[azygous]

I have a chicken I think ate too much sand not sure what causing the crop but after reading this maybe it is just something with the chicken. My vet won’t see chickens this is 2 nd one I had with this first one died so I been reading everything I can to save this one. I gave her nothing for 24 hrs started yogurt probiotics and electrolytes late yesterday got her crop down some but it gets hard if I don’t massage her. Last night she had too much liquid so I helped her get that out. Will back off today on that only probiotics and yogurt small amounts. She is so hungry. I felt it was the sand but maybe something else any help appreciated i massage her every hr or her crop gets hard.

Have you started your own thread? You need to do that, and then we can give you all the help you need.