Sour crop

Forum rules
Any advice in this section should not be taken to overrule advice by a certified licensed veterinarian. You should always consult a veterinarian for treatment or diagnoses of animal disease or injury. The information in this thread is simply the experience of board members and is not to be taken as a substitution for veterinary advice or treatment.
Post Reply
Blizblaz
On the Roost
Posts: 134
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2019 8:19 am
Location: Markstay
x 206

Sour crop

Post by Blizblaz » Tue May 19, 2020 9:49 am

I have a chicken with sour crop. I’ve massaged her a few times, but only had some green liquid come out. Am I supposed to be able to get food bits out? I have her in a crate with just water, but she’s desperate to get out and eat. She doesn’t seem to be pooping, but she’s still feisty, and her comb is still a healthy colour.
I gave her some scrambled eggs with some yeast medication. I don’t know if it will make it into her system if her crop isn’t emptying...I think it feels a little smaller.
I’m wondering if it’s beca of a pendulous crop or something, since she’s kind of a hard luck chicken, and has a bit of a twist or something strange about her. But she has a very healthy appetite, and I don’t know what else I should try.
I did try to syringe some Epsom salts in her, but I apparently am really terrible at getting any in when she struggles, and mostly just squirted it all over her face.
0

User avatar
Jaye
Poultry Guru - chick level
Posts: 2954
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 9:14 am
Answers: 3
Location: E Ontario
x 2995

Re: Sour crop

Post by Jaye » Tue May 19, 2020 9:58 am

About the only thing I can suggest is to keep trying to get some Epsom salts solution into her, even if it's only a little, and massaging her crop several times a day. Good luck!
0
RIP Scooby, AKA Awesome Dog. Too well loved to ever be forgotten. "Sometime in June", 2005 - January 24, 2017.
"Until one has loved an animal, part of one's soul remains unawakened" - Anatole France

User avatar
ross
Teenaged Cockerel
Posts: 4957
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 7:54 am
Answers: 2
Location: Parkhill /Thedford SW Ont
x 8486

Re: Sour crop

Post by ross » Tue May 19, 2020 11:45 am

I use baking sofa in water & 20cc syringe with 6” pc of aquarium air hose on it . Lift hen head/neck up in air straight beak up & put tube down into crop not lungs you can feel it go in there . Don’t put in lungs you will drown her .
1
ENJOY YOUR HUNTING / FISHING HERITAGE & the GREATNESS of CANADA

Blizblaz
On the Roost
Posts: 134
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2019 8:19 am
Location: Markstay
x 206

Re: Sour crop

Post by Blizblaz » Tue May 19, 2020 1:32 pm

You put it right in there, eh? I’ll have to see if I’m brave enough for that...what’s supposed to happen after? Is it just supposed to help break it up to go down? Or help it come back out?
0

User avatar
ross
Teenaged Cockerel
Posts: 4957
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 7:54 am
Answers: 2
Location: Parkhill /Thedford SW Ont
x 8486

Re: Sour crop

Post by ross » Tue May 19, 2020 3:40 pm

You say break up is this a hard lump ? Same as if you have a belly ache . I also check crop with hand to see if grass or just liguid . If wooshy I hold bird upside down then squeeze sour liguid like milking a cow out thru nose & throat & wipe off. May have to do a couple of times per day if fills up again
0
ENJOY YOUR HUNTING / FISHING HERITAGE & the GREATNESS of CANADA

Blizblaz
On the Roost
Posts: 134
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2019 8:19 am
Location: Markstay
x 206

Re: Sour crop

Post by Blizblaz » Tue May 19, 2020 5:57 pm

It’s a lump, but not super hard. Feels maybe like it could be grass. The liquid I got out of her was green, so I imagine there’s a lot of grass in there. It seemed less full this morning. I tried to give her yogurt, but she didn’t seem to like it. But not cause she wasn’t hungry, that’s for sure!
0

User avatar
ross
Teenaged Cockerel
Posts: 4957
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 7:54 am
Answers: 2
Location: Parkhill /Thedford SW Ont
x 8486

Re: Sour crop

Post by ross » Tue May 19, 2020 6:07 pm

You’ve got to get the lump out of there . Massage & see if can move pcs to the mouth & out . I’ve used looong nose pliers to pic pcs out . Surgery to get out is last resort. A little liquid helps . Luck
2
ENJOY YOUR HUNTING / FISHING HERITAGE & the GREATNESS of CANADA

User avatar
Happy
Poultry Guru - pullet level
Posts: 3883
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2016 8:46 am
Location: Wasaga Beach
x 10914

Re: Sour crop

Post by Happy » Wed May 20, 2020 7:47 am

Is she pooping anything out? Does the crop feel doughy like play-doh?
You've got to get a lot of liquid into her. I use epsom salts dissolved in water and syringed onto her beak. If you put several drops on her beak she will draw it in and swallow. Lots of water and LOTS of massaging the crop to mix that water up with the contents. Ross's suggestions are bang on but I'm a "chicken" and have never had to go that far.
Then provide her with water only. If she is pooping but just not completely emptying crop I do provide mush (moistened chicken food) in a runny oatmeal consistency. But not free feeding-just a bit at a time. I have found it helps move things through. If she's not pooping you can't give her more food as her crop will sour quickly.
2

Post Reply

Return to “Health”