I'm pretty sure my hen has sour crop, need advice

[Chicken15]

Two days ago one of my most active and talkative hens became very quiet, slow paced, and just not herself. Based on her symptoms she seems to have sour crop.

-crop feels like a water balloon (it is just a little bigger than when empty)
-'vomits' watery liquid when she lowers her head
-her poo is very white and has a little bright green in it
-not eating, and I think she drinks a little water only
-quiet, stands in one place, loss of interest

I have done lots of research, people have suggested things such as feeding her garlic cloves or vegetable oil, to holding her vertically to induce 'vomiting'. I'm just looking for a clear answer, so far everything I tried hasn't worked.

Things I've tried:

-feeding her 'Kefir probiotic yogurt'
-feeding her vegetable oil mixed with warm water and also olive oil with warm water
-massaging the crop
-forcing her to 'vomit' by holding her vertically

Yesterday I was able to make her throw up a lot a couple of times, but today I can't really get much out, and I'd rather not risk her choking on the fluid, so I stopped. Any tips on this would be great!

She hasn't been eating any solids and I have to force feed her with a dropper otherwise she refuses, it's hard enough to get her to eat a little yogurt. So far she hasn't improved, and her stool has been getting more liquidy. I have noticed that her comb is darker than usual, it looks maroon in comparison to my other hens' combs.

Weight-wise she is slightly lighter than usual, when I pick her up and pick up another hen of the same size she is a little bit lighter, and just looks sick in general. She can walk and talk a little but is just extremely lazy probably from malnourishment. I would just like to see her healthy again so ANY tips or advice will be greatly appreciated.


:forgot to add, she is 3 years and a month old, if that matters.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Poor hen. I think no one responded right away because you are doing what most of use would do. It is just as well that she is not eating solids because you don't want to add to the blockage, but at least she is passing some liquids so hopefully she is at least not getting dehydrated. What I have always read is keep massaging and feeding olive oil until the blockage is broken down. If that is not working then perhaps she is experiencing crop stasis which is more complicated because it means that the physiological process that moves food along the digestive system has slowed or stopped. The other possibility is that she has swallowed something that can not be broken down, in which case some chicken owners have actually done crop surgery in that situation.

I'm sorry I have not given you any direct answers, but given you even more you might want to research. Hopefully someone else will reply who has had success in a similar situation.

 

[Chicken15]

Thanks for the reply! I'll try to massage the crop a lot more tomorrow, and perhaps more olive oil I don't want to see another hen pass away. Tomorrow will be the fourth day that she is like this, I have tried to treat her since the first signs I've noticed so I hope I've caught this early enough to save her.

 

[Eggcessive]

I haven't had a hen with sour crop, but from what I have read, if they are having bowel movements, you can offer yogurt (which you have given) and applesauce on the second day (after giving the olive oil.) Third day they can have soft foods if pooping. Is she having any poops at all? Sometimes there can be a blockage farther down in the gizzard.

 

[Chicken15]

Yes she has poops but they aren't as frequent as they should be. And they are very liquidy.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Yes she has poops but they aren't as frequent as they should be. And they are very liquidy.

The green in the poop also suggests that although liquids are passing through her system, the solids are really not getting through.

 

[Chicken15]

Her poos are getting less green and more white, I'm only judging based off of what I've seen her do, I'm not sure which hen leaves what poo in the coop. When I saw her go today it was all white and liquidy.

I have fed her more olive oil and massaged the crop, got her to throw up a few good times, lots of nasty chunks came out this time around. Her crop feels empty, it feels the same as the left breast it's soft and small, doesn't feel like there's any solids in there. I'll try to feed her lots of yogurt today, which is so difficult since she makes such a mess.

I haven't personally seen her eat much, just a few pecks at some mashed bread (it's at the consistency of mashed potatoes). So I'm worried how much time I have to work with. It's just strange that her crop feels empty, but yet when I fill her up with liquids she still throws up so I don't understand how something can be causing a blockage.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

It's just strange that her crop feels empty, but yet when I fill her up with liquids she still throws up

Let's hope getting rid of those chunks helped. What you mentioned above could be crop stasis. I have only read about it, so maybe you can search the term to see if there is anything else that might help. I'll keep my fingers crossed that she improves.

 

[TwoCrows]

The first thing you need to do if you think a bird has a sour crop is start by checking the crop first thing in the morning. Crops can be full and feel funky all day long, however a crop should be completely empty first thing in the morning.

If the birds crop feels like hard rock is in there, then you have an impacted crop. The first thing you need to do is isolate the bird entirely. You do not want the bird to ingest any more food until you can get the impaction moving. This is the time to offer up olive oil. You can use a medicine dropper or a syringe, (without the needle of course) A few teaspoons throughout the day with 10 min massages several times a day. Offer no food for 24 hours. Usually the oil will loosen things up and it will begin to move the following day. You would then ONLY offer damped layer feed.

If the birds crop feels soft and squishy, then you have a slow crop on your hands. The crop does not sour right away, usually takes several days of being slow. The gunk that is in the crop will grow bacteria and needs to come out. Chickens can not vomit and if you do not get this stuff out, it can kill the bird over time. So a vomiting is needed first thing in the morning. Hold the bird like a foot ball in one arm and support the bird by it's crop with the other. With bird facing out, lean your body forward, with birds beak straight down. With your other hand supporting the crop, massage the crop till the gunk starts to come out. ONLY hold the bird in this position for 5 seconds so it can breath. Repeat this process several more times or until you can get most of it out. You will never completely get it all, but this WILL be relief for a bad crop ache for this bird.

Next, you may want to isolate this bird as well. You can offer feed, but ONLY dampened layer feed. NOTHING else. Of course water. Yogurt will only cause mucus production so it is not good to use during a case of sour crop. Apple Cider Vinegar is best. It starts out as an acid, however after a day or so of consuming, it causes the body to become alkaline, which is what you want the crop to be. Alkaline. ACV also has tons of good bacteria which is what the crop is lacking during a slow or sour crop episode.

Keep the bird isolated for 3 days, eating only layer feed and ACV. Vomit the bird the first thing EVERY morning. This will usually clear up a wicked case of slow crop. Should the crop go sour, and you will know not only from the smell of the gunk and breath, but there will be white chunks in the vomit, then you can turn to vaginal cream. I know, sounds wrong, But trust me on this, it WILL work wonders and will not harm the bird. I have a chicken that has chronic sour crop and regularly gets this treatment. It is the only thing that saves her. I tried Nystatin, what vets recommend and it is useless. Anyway, 1 teaspoon in a syringe 3 times a day will cure the biggest case of sour crop out there.

Keep this up for several days until the slow crop moves. The bird will have diarrhea for several days later until the crop gets up to speed and moves the food thru faster.

Check this birds crop every morning. Vomiting will safe their lives as that stuff is toxic and WILL kill them if not removed.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Chicken15]

Thanks for the well thought out reply, I really do appreciate the great advice. I have noticed that her beak doesn't actually smell bad at all, so then it should be slow crop?

I'll definitely follow what you've said there's a lot of great information, I'll go see her right now, thanks.