Blocked crop again, Poor Omlet

[tlck9]

Hi All

If your've been following a past thread of mine you will know all about Omlet, she has been quite poorly and had an operation about a month ago due to a impacted crop

Sadly I saw the head movement again last night and this morning her crop was podgy, not empty like the others and she is trying to clear her crop again with this head movement

Can any direct me to the thread for dealing with this quickly, as I'd done a quick search, but I'm sure I read one about someone massaging the crop and giving them olive oil or something

I so dont want to lose her, but I dont want her to suffer, so if i can relieve this quickly now I know the signs perhaps I can help her

[Nicos]

Can't seem to find it...will keep looking for you though..I bet you can't believe it' starting again- lets hope you can stop it from getting worse Poor gal x

[Nicos]

Is this the one you mean- from Bramble Poultry???....


Originally Posted by Bramble-Poultry View Post
Sour crop usually eminates a foul odour, but then if its in early stages then it may not be fully developed. The squidyness is actually a side effect, it is the bird drawing water from the digestive system, this will cause your bird to be very dehydrated.

Making your chicken sick is one method - it involves holding the chicken upside down with her neck straight down and allowing any fluid to come out, obviously do not move her until all the fluid is gone and she has stopped dripping - chickens do not have a gag reflex and the fluid will go down the airway and that is the end.

Method:-

You start by putting an eyedropper full of vegetable oil (any oil will do olive etc) into the crop and then massaging the crop. This will soften the impaction. Put the dropper all the way back in the bird's mouth and slowly push out the oil. remember you need to get it as far back as possible birds do not have a gag reflex so choke very easily, their airway is a hole at the base of the tounge so you need to get it past this, empty it very slowly to allow it to go down.

Next mix 1 pint warm water with 1/2 cup bicarb of soda

Fill the syringe and insert it as far as you can into the mouth of the chicken. Have someone hold the bird upright in front of you. Slowly and very gently fill the crop, do not over fill and get liquid into that hole at the base of the tongue. Gently press up under the chicken’s breast and slide your hand up to the crop. This makes the bird open its mouth and the impacted mess will come out the bird's mouth. Push the contents up and out of the crop and out of the mouth. make sure you are holding teh bird upside down. Repeat this gentle stroking pressure until nothing comes up.

If there the crop is not empty, flush it again until it is empty.

Once the crop is empty, give another dropper of oil.

Now personally we only use this method as a last resort due to the risks of the bird choking to death but listed the method here for you so you had it.


Sour crop is caused by a fungal infection and if you go to the vet he will prescribe nystatin but we use oral Daktarin - its an anti fungal medicine used for oral thrush available from all chemists. pop a pea sized drop on a small peice of apple (similar size) and see if she will eat it - if not open her beak and shove it as far to the back of her throat as you can now push it even further with your little finger - you can push your whole finger in without causing more than discomfort. This needs to be repeated 3 to 4 times per day.

Whilst your chicken has sour crop do not allow it to eat anything but have plenty of fresh water available extra food will just cause the problem to worsen but fluid needs to be high due to dehydration - whichever method you use!

Offer her live yoghurt or something with "friendly" bacteria, it will help her digest anything else left in the crop. (this can be syringed down too if shes not eating)

[tlck9]

Thanks for that, there was another, I will keep searching as well.

I dont want to make her sick, as I dont have the experience.

However I can do the other things, I need to seperate her again by the sounds and feed her yogurt and water. I just dont like doing that as she gets so stressed

[Nicos]

Can't you separate her with one of the others- it doesn't sound contagious - is it???

[tlck9]

Can't you separate her with one of the others- it doesn't sound contagious - is it???

No its not, but sounds like I'm going to have to remove her food for a couple of days

Are there any good recipes for oil, yogurt and anything else I can try

[Nicos]

I've absolutely no idea- sorry- but I'm watching with great interest as it seems to be about 4 of us on the Vine who have all the bad luck with ill health isn't it????...I wonder when my turn is going to be- it's nearly a month since poor Lily'went '

[tlck9]

I've absolutely no idea- sorry- but I'm watching with great interest as it seems to be about 4 of us on the Vine who have all the bad luck with ill health isn't it????...I wonder when my turn is going to be- it's nearly a month since poor Lily'went '

Sounds like you have had your bad luck already. Part of me thinks I should do the PTS thing, but I dont know if she is suffering, but then only I can make that decision, so I will monitor

[RichmondHens]

Two things spring to mind. She is either getting a lot of inappropriate feedstuff somehow or she has a mechanical problem which is causing the crop to get impacted. Didn't your vet look at her before? Once you get the crop clear I would not feed her anything except pellet to avoid this happening again.

[MaureenHall]

I read somewhere (can't remember where!) that feeding live maggots helps with clearing a blocked crop - the maggots eat through the mess and blockage then they themselves get digested. If she was one of my hens, I think I'd give it a go as I'm nowhere near confident enough to poke anything down a throat - failing that I'd yell for Jennie or Mike to come over and do it for me (they're not very far away )

[Nicos]

Does she eat bread?

I found this- which backs up what RH is saying....

Omlet UK • View topic - Impacted/compacted crop

..perhaps if she's only on pellets then it's a total review of where she's grazing/eating; an operation; a PTSleep ; or ( I don't like to say)..but is she OK for eating re drugs etc?? -

[tlck9]

HI there

She gets Layers pellets, and of the afternoon super mixed corn.

They have from time to time rice/pasta cooked, left over letuce/cucumber/apples that they peck at on a pole.

I let them free range the allotment but thats only once/twice a week if i'm there for long periods, the allotment is new one so nothing has been planted this year yet

None of the others are showing signs, so I can only assume that she has a dodgy crop.

The vet operated and cleared her out, she seemed to be getting better. Bu tthe vet said at the time, they wouldnt be able to do it again as it would damage her crop muscles too much

So we shall have to see ho she goes

[tlck9]

Does she eat bread?

I found this- which backs up what RH is saying....

Omlet UK • View topic - Impacted/compacted crop

..perhaps if she's only on pellets then it's a total review of where she's grazing/eating; an operation; a PTSleep ; or ( I don't like to say)..but is she OK for eating re drugs etc?? -

a good article, perhaps this was the one I was thinking of....

Nope she does not eat bread, actual I did take some with me the other day for the first time, but they looked at it and went on eating their layers pellets, so I brought it back and fed it to the starlings

ps where do i get live maggots from, and woudlnt they just go on to eat her insides?

[Eco-Chic]

ps no maggots won't go on to eat her insides, passing out of the crop into her digestive system will kill them.

[Eco-Chic]

Tick,

Please try live mealworms rather than maggots as maggots may have been bred on carrion and may have bad bacteria. If you can't get mealworms then use the maggots. Anglers for maggots and pet shops that sell stuff for reptiles for live mealworms plus plenty of on-line sources with next day delivery.