compacted crop?

[clucking chicks]

Please can somone help?

I think Doris may have a compacted crop. She seems a little swollen just off center at the front. She has grit available and free ranges all day long. How can I be sure that she has a problem?....the more I look at her, the more convinced I am!!! Would there be any other signs if she has a problem? What can I do to help my lovely girl?

 

[valeriebutterley]

Don't really know much about this problem, but hens do sometmes seem to have it. Mine seem to be a bit onesided when they have stuffed themselves with naughty goodies, as supplied by granddaughters, - raisins, cornflakes, meal worms and spaghetti, which they almost kill for! When I see an obvious sign, we simply massage the hen and all (so far) seems OK.
Try a gentle massage, she may throw up, but it seems to do the trick. Hope this helps, and that all is OK.

 

[chrismahon]

If she has an impacted crop the poo will be mainly water. Give her a teaspoon of Olive or cod liver oil for lubrication and massage her crop regularly. This usually dislodges the problem eventually, which in our case is large feathers eaten during the moult. When they get older they have more sense and just eat the little ones.

 

[clucking chicks]

Thank you! I will sit on the bench tomorrow and massage Doris very gently. I'm sure if nothing is wrong, she will love the process anyway! (Honestly, the hens get better treatment than I do!!!!) Thanks for your help.

 

[VALBURNHAM]

the best time to check for impacted crop is first thing on a morning when the crop should be empty. A good solution is to feed the hen live maggots I have had great success with this as the maggots eat through the grass or whatever is causing the problem. You can get live maggots from fishing shops. Hope you get it sorted

 

[Marigold]

Does she appear more lopsided in the evening? I have a hen like this, and when I first noticed it she was only about 20 weeks old, and apparently in the best of health, so my panic thoughts about blockages and tumours etc were just down to reading too much internet. By first thing next morning she looked quite normal again. I posted my 'problem' on another forum and more than one person said they'd noticed something similar in a healthy hen with a full crop.
does yours hang towards the right side as you look forward towards her head? this seems to be the most common presentation. My hen went on into lay and has done well all summer, still lopsided most evenings. If yours is showing no other signs of distress, maybe all is well - i hope so.

 

[Roisin]

I had a hen that was cropbound. She looked really off colour, wanted to sit in her house all the time, and couldnt eat. Her crop was hard and tight like a tennis ball. I left her for a day to see if it was still very full and hard first thing in the morning when I let her out and it was. I cured it like this. Remove all food from her run. Leave water of course! Keep her confined there for a day or two - no food. Pick her up, put her under her arm and massage her crop quite deeply (you'll feel all the stuff inside it moving under your fingers) several times a day. I personally would not try to make her vomit, she could choke. After about 2 days she'll probably be fine. Then slowly introduce her to really soft food. Natural yoghurt is good, stops the crop going sour. And a little wet mash. Good luck!

 

[clucking chicks]

Thank you all for your advice.. I am really glad I asked you guys because my chicken book sugggested holding the bird upside down to expel the material!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't think any of my birds want to play that game!!!

 

[foxy]

What diet are you feeding her on? If she feels about the right weight I wouldn't worry, check her crop first thing though as has been suggested, this will give you an accurate picture of her digestive system. Crops should be more or less empty first thing. Comparing to other birds in the coop will help you get a better idea of a normal crop in terms of tone and volume.

 

[NEWTODUCKS]

Hi,
I had a what I think was a crop impacted hen who was listless and refusing to eat so I picked her up,gave her a teaspoon of olive oil, massaged her neck put her back down and she immediately started to eat and has been fine since.It was like magic!

 

[E3lx]

hi,
i dont know anything about impacted crops except what has already been said.
good advice above!

 

[Sue]

I have a hen who seems to suffer from what I think is sour crop quite regularly. I have stopped feeding them treats - no veg or corn and just feeding a good quality layers pellet. I received some advice from 'Chicken Vet' website, they suggested giving her Beryl's friendly bacteria and said they had had a lot of success treating this condition with it. She does have a full crop (to the right of her chest) in the evening and in the morning sometimes it hasn't emptied overnight. It feels very soft and seems full of liquid. When I gently massage it ~(for about 10 minutes) it makes gurgling sounds. I do this at least 3 times a day and after about 2 days it clears. This time I gave them all the Beryl's Friendly Bacteria and this seemed to clear the problem overnight. You can order it online (it's not cheap), but I live near a 'Chicken Vet' so was able to collect it, so didn't have to pay postage as well. There are several around the country. Have a look at the website www.chickenvet.co.uk. you may want to try it.