Chicken with distended crop?

[gardenjoinery]

One of my chickens has a very distended crop. It's clearly bothering her, and she won't let me hold her to massage it or anything. She is losing weight otherwise. What is this, and what do I do?

[Fred's Fine Fowl]

Hi and I'm sorry you are having problems with your bird...

This sounds like an impacted crop situation to me...

There are many reasons why this can happen... though it's rare.

Feed can get old, during summer, water rations may run out and birds continue to eat things that don't readily travel through their digestive system properly.

If this is an impacted crop situation, your bird will otherwise appear healthy, but simply can't clear it's crop.

***just a side note here to others who may be reading this... IF, feed and water ever run out at the same time (heaven forbid).... it's very important to first offer clear fresh water... then, after all the birds are drinking, fill the feed bins. This is important, as if they are off feed and only feed is offered first, they binge and jam their crops without the benefit of water.. so always, water first. Chickens can also (normally younger ones) eat indigestible things like shavings... again, pretty rare, but it can stop up the digestive system and the bird eventually dies simply because it can no longer feed properly.

IF you do have an impacted crop.. you won't like what I am going to say... I actually know of no remedy for softening the unknown material in the drop... other than to make available plenty of water, not a lot of choices there.

The "fix" is to perform surgery... yep... sorry. Someone who knows what they are doing, can sanitize the exterior flesh, clear away a few feathers in the center of the bulge... make an incision through the skin and then through the crop.. remove the material and then isolate the bird on rations of mash.

Keep the wound clean, as well as the bedding in the isolation cage. Chickens have amazing healing capability. You may contact your vet for detailed guidance, and maybe even simply take your chicken to a vet ($$$$) and have this procedure done there.

I hope everything works out ok for you and your chicken (">

Fred

www.FredsFineFowl.com

[gardenjoinery]

Thanks Fred. That is not good news. I can't imagine how it could have happened - we have a small flock and they always have fresh water and food. The only thing I can think is that the waterer got foul during this past heat wave, and she didn't drink but kept eating. I would have cleaned it the same day, but if I had been working it could have been many hours. Should I try isolating her with just water for a limited window of time? If so, how long?

[Fred's Fine Fowl]

You could try anything...

Isolating on water alone will at least demonstrate definitively that food is not moving. Chickens process their food on average in 12 hours, from ingestion to production at the other end (">

So, if you put the chicken on pure water, then you can be certain if indeed the crop is now an immovable mass...

After that, the options are few...

I'm sorry you have this situation...

Fred

[gardenjoinery]

What about subcutaneous hydration? I've done that for sick kittens; maybe I could inject water directly into the crop?

[gardenjoinery]

Well, we weren't able to fix it. She punctured her crop scratching at it and so she has to be put down. sigh.

[Fred's Fine Fowl]

Unfortunately, there isn't always a cure for birds with problems...

Too bad you weren't able to work it out...