pendulous crop

[SteevK]

Hello world
Just got back of holiday yesterday to discover one of the girls has a pendulous crop. I took her to vet last night and he is treating her for sour crop too and she goes back on Tuesday. The vet tried to drain it but nothing came out. She seems a little brighter this morning (so may be the sour crop treatment may be working). Anyone got any other suggestions what else I can do?
Many thanks
Steev

[polo]

Well, in my experience, the crop becomes pendulous as the result of sour or compacted crop (the skin of the crop is thin and if it gets stretched beyond its normal size it stretches and doesn't go back)

If the crop is full and waterery feeling like a water ballooon then its likely to be sour crop - you mught als notice a nasty smell from her beak. I assume the vet has given you something anti fungal for the sour crop?

The first thing to do it to make sure you cut out all treats - especially bready carbs, pasta etc. They will make the problem worse. Greens and cabbage are fine to feed. Stick with layers pellets only and cut out corn for time being. It takes too long to go through the system. Keep feeders and waterers scrupulously clean - wash in hot soapy water.

If the crop is already pendulous then you will have to keep a close eye on her once she recovers as she will be prone to re-occurence and you will probably have to very selective in what you feed. I have one lady like this and she cant have any treats anymore.

Also, some good advice I got from Richmond hens and Petal last year was that (short) grass is very toning for the crop. Try and give them access to grass as much as possible which I realise can be difficult and that will help to keep things like this at bay.

good luck with it

[petal]

you can grow grass for them on a window sill or cut turfs. You won't like me for saying it but I have learnt to cull when things like this happen- I have post mortemed one or two hens with this and there was a problem with the gizzard, if memory serves or some other organ. I appreciate yours are more so pets than my set up , though. Feed bio yoghurt- that will help.

[RichmondHens]

I recently lost a hen after an extended period of sour crop. We tried the usual yoghurt, garlic etc etc plus crop emptying which worked for a while but then she lapsed back again. She was not a pet and also over 3 so therefore I wasn't inclined to get antifungal drugs at vast expense for her, and her last episode co-incided with the cold snap/snow when she lost weight rapidly so we put her out of her misery.

Hens can and do recover from sour crop but bear in mind that once they have had it there is a strong chance it will recur. It also may not be just a crop problem but as Petal says an indication of something amiss further into the system. Good luck with her and hope you get it sorted but be prepared for her to have further episodes, at which point you may decide enough is enough.

[SteevK]

Hi all
Many thanks for all your help and advice. We have always been expecting the worst as she was one of four ex batts we got 7-8 months ago. Whereas the other three are plumping up nicely and putting on weight, poor little ‘Scooterloo’ has always been the runt of the litter (or whatever the hen equivalent is). Unfortunately this is the bird my daughter chose as ‘her bird’. She’s a cracking little layer too, up until last week, not missed a single day since was got her (except Christmas day!). I'll persevere with your advice and keep my fingers crossed although they may come a time ‘to do what's best’.
Thanks again