Sour crop??

I have an 11 week old chick that I think has sour crop. Her crop was huge but soft and squishy like it was filled with air. I held her upside down and massaged it and got her to throw up some yesterday. I also gave her a bit of olive oil. Overnight I took away her food, but left he some water.

This morning it feels more solid but she is still looking uncomfortable and trying to swallow all the time. My question is can sour crop turn into impacted crop? And what would I do about that?

Sour crop can be the side effect of impaction.

http://sites.google.com/site/moodysbantams/poultry-health-1/crop-impaction


Keep her separate, take away her feed and only give her ACV water (1-2 tablespoons to a gallon) for a day, then start giving her yogurt and scrambled eggs. Nothing she has to grind up though, only soft stuff for the next day or two. You can also add water to moisten her feed but avoid any grains.

If she doesn’t seem to be improving or is getting worse, I would try giving her an anti-fungal like nystatin (used to treat yeast infections and thrush) asap.

Also continue doing crop massage. But please, please be careful if you decide to induce vomiting again. I honestly would not. I learned the hard way how very easy it is to aspirate a chicken.

If nothing seems to be working or you don’t have any of the above on hand and you’re desperate, here are a few untried “last resort methods” I’ve only read about:

Give 6-10 cc of flat coca cola via a syringe. This apparently will help dissolve the food particles impacting the bird. Then give 5 cc of mineral oil to help unplug and yogurt to help restore good gut bacteria.

Copper sulfate mixed in water. Google for exact instructions. Just be very careful to use as directed. It is very toxic stuff.

Crop surgery…*warning: link has graphic pictures* http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=229796


I hope something here helps and your girl is feeling better soon.

Thanks Flicker Chick

I didn't look at the provided link, bit HUbby and I did crop surgery on a hen with impacted crop. She lived, but Hubby barely pulled through. My advice would be, depending on how impacted, that she get no solids at all, only liquids. The biggest threat with impacted crop is you don't notice until it's too late and the bird starves to death. SO nutrient and calorie rich liquids are best.

What is worrying me is the constant swallowing motions you describe. This does not sound like impacted crop. This sounds like she has something stuck in her throat. I have had no experience with gape worm but that might be a symptom. Have you looked down there? If you DO find somethig, pull with caution as one end might be in the crop or goodness knows where else!

I just realized I have been no help at all. She will either get this mass moving on her own or slowly die of starvation. If she's losing weight, you have a decision to make. Good luck, I hope for a happy ending.

My girls seems to be acting like a normal chicken. I have her in with some younger chicks as the others picked on her when I put he with the general flock again. Unfortunately she does seem under weight. I'm not really sure what to do. She eats, drinks, poops and goes after treats just like everyone else, but the weight issue bugs me a bit.

If this were my bird and I suspected a crop problem but wasn't sure, this is what I would do: Separate her for 12 hours. Drop a laundry basket over her as a temporary separation pen. Give her water but NO FOOD for 12 hours. Do not have bedding she can pick at. Have water available, dissolve some honey in it for a bit of a nutrient boost if you want. When you put her under the basket, feel her crop and take note of how it feels. When you let her out 12 hours later, feel her crop again. It should be practically empty.

If her crop is empty after 12 hours, then her weight loss is due to something else and she does NOT have an impacted crop. If that crop is the same after 12 hours of no food, you have an impacted crop and you have to decide what to do next. Good luck.