Blocked crop again, Poor Omlet

[petal]

Saying that, I recko I would race to the vet if one of our beloved Pekins got poorly!

[Eco-Chic]

Petal, I kinda hoover up all the info I can in case I need to deal with problems in the future, but when Teddy grabbed Myrtle I found I needed instant feedback and back up support, rather than search and re read the recent threads about dog attacks on hens.

Your daughter looks like she's the chicks mummy wrangler carer

[tlck9]

okay, Omlet, went down hill on Sunday, but has perked up slightly today. She still had stuff in her crop when I let them out this morning which felt a bit squishy

I couldnt find any lumps or bumps.

I have fed her Liquid parafin today at the suggestion of my chicken friends

Having read on another forum, that live mealworms can eat through the crop!!!

So, do I use white maggots?

[Eco-Chic]

Tick,

The problem with forums is that there is always someone with an apocryphal story which poo poos received wisdom or disseminates incorrect information and old wives tales (I include myself btw).

I can't imagine that the crop cleaning action via maggots or mealworms differs, just that one needs to be careful of the source of the wigglies. I was advised that maggots which have been fed on carrion introduce unpleasant bacteria to the chooks and it was therefore safer to give live mealworms.

If mealworms can eat through the crop then surely so could maggots? My understanding is that they will eat the sour mess in the crop and be passed into the chooks gizzard for digestion in the normal way and the digestive juices will kill the maggots and mealworms.

I had some cat food which went wriggly and washed the food off and fed it to the chooks. Didn't have any problems but the chooks were in robust good health. I don't think I'd risk doing it again.

[tlck9]

I found a company called Worms direct, so i emailed the guy, boy what a quick response.

Within 10 minutes, Nigel had emailed me and given me info on both. Apparently they have a number of customers that feed chucks the natural uncoloured maggots to clear stubborn food from the crop

He also said that he felt that the eating through the crop was a bit of a myth, as he said is chickens eat the dropped escaped meal worms without issue and always have done

At £5.95 delivered I though i would give it a go, and the chucks will enjoy them all the same

SO finger and toes crossed

[Suechooks]

I found a company called Worms direct, so i emailed the guy, boy what a quick response.

Within 10 minutes, Nigel had emailed me and given me info on both. Apparently they have a number of customers that feed chucks the natural uncoloured maggots to clear stubborn food from the crop

He also said that he felt that the eating through the crop was a bit of a myth, as he said is chickens eat the dropped escaped meal worms without issue and always have done

At £5.95 delivered I though i would give it a go, and the chucks will enjoy them all the same

SO finger and toes crossed

It's worth a try! My girls loved the plain maggots -when I told the guy in the fishing tackle shop why I wanted them, he gave me a boxful and refused any money because he hates caging of hens so much!

[Eco-Chic]

I really hope they do the trick for Omelet♥

[RedThorn]

Fingers crossed for Omlet!

[Flummery]

Can't hurt - and they'll love them too!

[tlck9]

How quick!!!!!!

I order the maggots about 2.30/3pm yesterday afternoon and they came first thing this morning....

[Suechooks]

How quick!!!!!!

I order the maggots about 2.30/3pm yesterday afternoon and they came first thing this morning....

I'm not surprised if the postie saw the label! They wouldn't want them hanging about the sorting office! Have you handled them yet?

[Hilary B]

Aren't mealworms vegetarian? (meal = floury stuff?).
Even the likes of blow-fly maggots prefer unhealthy flesh (before the days of anti-biotics they were sometimes used to clean up infected wounds).

[Flummery]

Yes meal worms are veggies but they are given so they can eat the clumps of vegetable matter blocking the crop. I would have thought maggots would eat more - they're fatter!

[Suechooks]

(before the days of anti-biotics they were sometimes used to clean up infected wounds).

They still are in some circumstances!

[tlck9]

does any one have any idea how many maggots I can feed them?

I sort of let them pick some out and then put the lid back on