Help please!!!!!!

[MrsC]

Hi guys

Let the girls out this morning, the usual race for the food. Checked on them about 1 hour ago and Betty one of the Warrens looks really poorly. She's all fluffed up just sat there. Her comb and eyes etc are yellow. She's just sat here in the kitchen. Her crop is hard. Any ideas please? Does impacted crop make a hen look yellow? Will carry on searching posts on here.

[MrsC]

I'm still searching online but she is now waving her head about and it looks like she is going to be sick. Can hear loads of loud gurgling noises. Really don't like this at all, feel helpless here! I can see her crop moving like there's loads of air in there!

[Jeanied]

how about trying this thread?
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...let_41830.html

[MrsC]

Hi, have read that thread, wouldn't feel confident trying that on my own, Mr C isn't home for a few hours yet and I'm on my own with the kids. I'm worried that I'll choke her if I try on my own and don't want the kids to see that.

[its hilly]

Dont know enough to help with diagnosis...but...if theres gurgling its possible theres water in her crop as wel as grub. Can you try a massage of her crop/lump? Then tip her head towards the floor to see if it shifts anything.
One of my first hatch impacted his crop and I cleared it over a few days by letting him drink ad lib, but limiting him to sloppy mash and gooey food. Ten minutes after he'd eaten I'd firmly massage his crop, squeezing the lump gently, then tip out anything that would shift. After three or four days the lump started to break up and did clear completely although I had to keep a close eye on him for a bit.
Good luck anyway.

[MrsC]

Thanks, will give that a try, gurgling sounds have stopped and she's now walking around the kitchen a little bit. Crop is still huge though. Read about holding them upside down but not sure if I have to put oil or liquid in her crop first (worried about doing this though.)

[its hilly]

It would probably work better if you did, but if you're worried then dont. Just gentle massage to help break the lump up. Dont let her have any more food, just water to help it pass through. If she's walking around then shes obviously feeling a bit better.
Someone else will be able to say why the yellow, but the huge crop does sound like shes guzzled too much, or theres something not digesting as fast as usual which is part/blocking.
My little fellow ate long grass cos he wasn't old enough to know better, and it tangled everything into a solid lump.But hes now a strapping lad, so if thats whats wrong just keep with it. Took 3/4 days of massage twice a day before I could feel a change and he was very sorry for himself, then another week or more before he was back to normal.

[Nicos]

Fingers crossed xxx

[RedThorn]

Other than saying to try and gently massage every so often and pass on my thoughts, I'm sorry ..not much help. Wheres BP, RH and Corax.....

[Eco-Chic]

Mrs. C.,

If you are nervous of pouring oil into her throat, pour some into a small dish so she can take it herself (like water). Cod liver oil or vegetable oil are preferable to Olive oil if you have a choice. Then massage the crop gently.

[MrsC]

Hi guys, thanks for your replies. Managed to get a bit of oil (small amount) into her and massage the crop. Loads of runny poos etc coming out but she is seriously doing the head shaking thing. I can see her crop moving a lot. I've been and got a syringe (a baby one) but getting concerned now. Her crop is still hard although can massage it and it seems to be moving into diffferent shapes if that makes sense and then goes back into one lump. Don't like to see her suffer.

[tlck9]

HI there

I have had this problem and still have with my omlet. However the head shaking is not happening, since the op.

I'm afraid the only way left to me was to have her operated on and to remove the blockage, however I must warn though that this is a final effort and as I have reported, it made her happier for a few weeks but her crop is now filling up again (with no grass around I cannot imagine what it is)

I have had some success with olive oil in pro biotic yogurt since her op, she wont take oil on its own, and massaged the crop area.

I have also tried liquid parafin to try and encourage it to break up.

I would suggest if you can, try and remove her from a food source for a day, plenty of water, and perhaps only yogurt type things that could slip down easier, if she is poo'ing then you know some food it passing through which is key. My omlet, food wasnt getting through and she lost an awful amount of weight.

I checked her beak for a small, but there was none, surprising as when they opened her up, apparently the smell was disgusting....


I;ve been away for a couple of days and her crops seems quite big again, however I had kept it at bay with live maggots, olive oil and massage (albeit not cleared completely) it seemed more comfortable for her and she has continued to lay since a break of 2 weeks after her op. (and previously has stopped laying for 3 weeks, so I feel that although the problem is back she is not as bad as previously.

I would pay a visit to your local fishin shop and see if they have any maggots, this ma help remove some fo the exccess food from her crop

[RichmondHens]

Mrs C, please get her seen by a vet or experienced keeper in the morning. She sounds very poorly. Your description of her symptoms have me a little puzzled. I have not come across a chicken with yellow comb before but found a snippet of info on another forum which suggests it may indicate poisoning. Could this be possible?

I would advise against giving her anything to eat until a diagnosis has been made, although encourage drinking to keep her hydrated.

If she has sour crop her breath will smell, if impacted the crop will be hard. With impaction you can try and massage the crop to break up the bind, with sour crop it will need to be emptied.

Hope she improves soon.

[MrsC]

Hi guys, thanks for your replies. It's not sour crop her breath doesn't smell although the poos do. It is definitely impacted, it's solid. She's settled in a box at the moment. I have searched through various forums today and couldn't find anything related to the yellow comb etc, although it is not quite as bad now. It's strange. The whites of her eyes were yellow also, although not as much now, almost like jaundice. I don't understand it. Can't see what she could have been poisoned with? Will see how she is tomorrow. Only given her water today, tried some yoghurt but she was having none of it.

[CoraxAurata]

Does everybody have sufficent supplies of soluble and non-soluble grit?
I'm sorry not to be more help on this one but so far I have been very lucky and the only suspected crop problem cleared up after massage and oil dribble, but I do have as many different soucres of grit as I can locate - am never sure that they are getting all they need so offering a wide choice keeps my bases covered - beach shell sand seems the favourite they consume loads of it!