Is this sour crop?

[chickenchicklady]

Is this sour crop? It’s very squishy.. I’ve been massaging it every hour or so.. I went out of town and came back to this. Poor chick seems so uncomfortable, you can see she’s puffed out and her head is tucked in. I’ve separated her and have been giving her water only.. she also has pretty green runny poop.

 

[Chicken Bone]

https://www.chickensandmore.com/sour-crop/
Hope this helps.

 

[cindi41]

Is this sour crop? It’s very squishy.. I’ve been massaging it every hour or so.. I went out of town and came back to this. Poor chick seems so uncomfortable, you can see she’s puffed out and her head is tucked in. I’ve separated her and have been giving her water only.. she also has pretty green runny poop.

I recently about sour crop today, after having chickens for almost 20 years, have fortunately not had to deal with it. if crop is empty but enlarged and soft, like a small balloon with little food ingested, apparently it can be a sign of this fungal infection, which can be treated with monostat (for yeast infections) BUT you need research correct dosage. Could also be a blockage, or not enough grit, poor diet.

I have a very old chicken with a few things happening, labored breathing, enlarged crop, and odd neck movements. I was worried about parasites (gapeworm) but rest of the flock is fine, and it's unlikely. I've given her a few doses of low grade antibiotics along with probiotics, also used that natural vet treatment, PoultryRX, which is like vicks vapo-rub, and she almost smiled at me after I put some around her nose, her breathing is way improved, and it seems the antibiotics are kicking in.
Today I fed her warm oatmeal, wet with water and a little raw honey for the benefit of that. She gobbled it up, is perkier, whereas wouldn't eat yesterday. The oatmeal has a slippery effect, and maybe helped spark some movement in the crop, as she actually threw up a bunch of stuff I didn't feed her the past two days - some sunflower seeds, and a couple of berries and a little of the oatmeal she ate, so it could be she had a blockage and inflammation as a result. Yogurt and probiotics are also be beneficial. Good luck.

 

[Aapomp831]

A sour crop happens after a crop has been impacted for some time.... if it has turned sour you will detect a horrific odor coming from her mouth. She does appear to have an enlarged crop, and the first thing to do is to remove food IMMEDIATELY. Piling more food on top of an impacted crop is just adding to the problem - as the food piles up it ferments and turns sour. Isolate her, remove food and even water and leave her until the morning. If the crop still hasn’t gone down, still do not offer food bc again, it is not making it to the stomach to digest for nourishment anyway. Instead offer some garlic water - this is about rebalancing the food and bad bacteria. I am going to attach a video that is very helpful

 

[Aapomp831]

 

[cindi41]

A sour crop happens after a crop has been impacted for some time.... if it has turned sour you will detect a horrific odor coming from her mouth. She does appear to have an enlarged crop, and the first thing to do is to remove food IMMEDIATELY. Piling more food on top of an impacted crop is just adding to the problem - as the food piles up it ferments and turns sour. Isolate her, remove food and even water and leave her until the morning. If the crop still hasn’t gone down, still do not offer food bc again, it is not making it to the stomach to digest for nourishment anyway. Instead offer some garlic water - this is about rebalancing the food and bad bacteria. I am going to attach a video that is very helpful

This is great info! and I've concluded that my old girl did, indeed, have both sour and impacted crop per odor a few days ago, and discomfort displayed with odd jerky head/neck movements. This became clear on Saturday after she threw up some sunflower seeds -- and I'd had her indoors for 2 days, no sunflower seeds on the menu. I read that mineral oil can help, but you have to be very careful about administering, particularly with a syringe, as you could inadvertently cause death if they inhale it. I took away all food, and fed yogurt, loosened with a little mineral oil, kept water with electrolytes in the cage, and gently massaged her crop a few times. She threw up a few more seeds Saturday afternoon and a little more Sunday. Then today (Monday), and not to be gross, she clearly passed what's been stocked up based upon her output. She's looking and clearly feeling a lot better. Her crop is still a little enlarged, but no more craning her neck, acting distressed. On the road to recovery!

This is a great forum, and amazing what some sharing of information can do to save animals from distress, or worse. Thanks for your info

 

[cindi41]

This is great info! and I've concluded that my old girl did, indeed, have both sour and impacted crop per odor a few days ago, and discomfort displayed with odd jerky head/neck movements. This became clear on Saturday after she threw up some sunflower seeds -- and I'd had her indoors for 2 days, no sunflower seeds on the menu. I read that mineral oil can help, but you have to be very careful about administering, particularly with a syringe, as you could inadvertently cause death if they inhale it. I took away all food, and fed yogurt, loosened with a little mineral oil, kept water with electrolytes in the cage, and gently massaged her crop a few times. She threw up a few more seeds Saturday afternoon and a little more Sunday. Then today (Monday), and not to be gross, she clearly passed what's been stocked up based upon her output. She's looking and clearly feeling a lot better. Her crop is still a little enlarged, but no more craning her neck, acting distressed. On the road to recovery!

This is a great forum, and amazing what some sharing of information can do to save animals from distress, or worse. Thanks for your info

and PS, gave one daily dose of monstat (pea-sized dollop) Sat. Sun and Monday, to counteract the yeast as well, and fed a little scrabled egg cooked with a touch of mineral oil on Sunday.

 

[chickenchicklady]

Unfortunately she passed away a while ago. I think it was sour crop.