Tipping a hen with sourcrop - advice please?

Discuss, share and chat about all things relating to keeping Chickens including health issues
Post Reply
User avatar
kitla
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3752
Joined: 30 Oct 2009, 23:25
Gender: Female
Location: Northants

Tipping a hen with sourcrop - advice please?

Post by kitla »

Spotty is poorly & been given antibiotics but she's bringing up brown fluid & is starting to smell a bit strange, I think I need to help her empty it as she cant take her meds. I've never done this before & I dont want to choke her. Can anyone who's done this give me some guidance?. I'll be out till 12 ish, then I'll try & do it.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant

Cheshire Chick
Longlasting Laner
Posts: 894
Joined: 12 Jan 2017, 11:51

Re: Tipping a hen with sourcrop - advice please?

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Hi Kitty - I have had one hen that had sour crop and we treated it very successfully. We gently tipped her for just a few seconds at a time a couple of times a day. She brought lots and lots of foul smelling brown liquid up. I think the trick is to not tip for too long so that she doesn't choke and she can still breath. A gentle massage might help (when she is back the right way up). I did this for a couple of days and also fed her natural yogurt because apparently the good bacteria in it does them good and fights the bad bacteria that causes the sour crop. I think that I was lucky with Ruby because after a couple of days she was as right as rain. I would, therefore, say that if things don't improve after a couple of days, it's probably a vet job. P.S. Just an afterthought - if she is not eating and does not eat the yogurt (which my hen was not) I use a syringe to squirt some in. Good luck with it all, hope she goes on OK.
User avatar
KathJ
Longlasting Laner
Posts: 934
Joined: 12 Sep 2012, 13:13
Gender: Female
Location: Shropshire

Re: Tipping a hen with sourcrop - advice please?

Post by KathJ »

Hi Kitla, I did the same as Cheshire Chick. We had a girl like that last year and only really realized what was wrong when we picked her up and liquid came out of her mouth. I gently massaged her crop and slightly tipped her forward while she was stood on the floor. Lots of brown liquid and bits of food came out. We put her in the conservatory on a towel and did this every couple of hours and she was right as rain the next day and has been since. I think we were lucky to have spotted it quite quickly.
Kath xx

Mum to my beautiful girls Lucy, Holly, Rosie, Hettie, Polly, Ruby, Lily, Penny, Gracie, Maisie, Molly, Evie and my gorgeous boy Toby

RIP my beautiful Ranger, Roxy, Bluebelle, Poppy, Speckle, Daisy and Honey xxxx
User avatar
kitla
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3752
Joined: 30 Oct 2009, 23:25
Gender: Female
Location: Northants

Re: Tipping a hen with sourcrop - advice please?

Post by kitla »

thankyou Ch/chick & Kath. I've tipped her 3 times, now leaving her to rest indoors for a while before doing it again. I realise now the risk of choking isn't while she's being tipped, as she cant breath then, it's when she turns upright. So I'm trying to make sure the stream of gloop has tailed off before righting her. So far so good. I think Spotty has underlying issues, so I may just be making her comfortable rather than curing her. We'll see.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant
User avatar
unicornleather
Learner Laner
Posts: 25
Joined: 03 Oct 2015, 11:52
Gender: Male
Location: Tanglwst, Carmarthenshire

Re: Tipping a hen with sourcrop - advice please?

Post by unicornleather »

I had one with it last year, did the same tipping and expelling which worked.
I also give mine natural yoghurt too and organic apple cider vinegar in their drinking water helps as well.
bikesandbirdsbob
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3792
Joined: 11 Jun 2014, 14:34
Gender: Male

Re: Tipping a hen with sourcrop - advice please?

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi be careful with the massage . I did that in the vets with one of my girls very recently and she choked on the fluid going up whilst breathing . Dead before the vet could do anything . Alright going in just me massage made it worse . be careful. Best of luck with it . No two times will be the same .
Bob
User avatar
kitla
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3752
Joined: 30 Oct 2009, 23:25
Gender: Female
Location: Northants

Re: Tipping a hen with sourcrop - advice please?

Post by kitla »

I gave her some diluted avipro (probiotic powder) instead of yogurt. After an hour indoors she wanted to go out, I put her back in the run but later found her in the nestbox beside a broody girl, so I tipped her again & put her in another nestbox with a heatpad. I tried tipping her once more before bed but nothing came out, though her crop is still full of something (not particularly hard or squidgy) & she still smells strange, is not eating, looks uncomfortable & gurgles when I pick her up. I havent given her the antibiotics today, I'm worried they will aggravate her sourcrop.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant
User avatar
kitla
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3752
Joined: 30 Oct 2009, 23:25
Gender: Female
Location: Northants

Re: Tipping a hen with sourcrop - advice please?

Post by kitla »

good grief she was full of it this morning, it just kept coming - bits of food coming out with it. Poor Spotty was exhausted by the time I could stop, I've left her in the nestbox with a heatpad again. I know I need to get it all out but wonder if she can cope with much more poor old girl.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant
User avatar
KathJ
Longlasting Laner
Posts: 934
Joined: 12 Sep 2012, 13:13
Gender: Female
Location: Shropshire

Re: Tipping a hen with sourcrop - advice please?

Post by KathJ »

Oh what a shame, it least it's coming out which is a good thing. Maybe leave her a couple of hours and try again. Poor little girl, it must be so uncomfortable {cry}
Kath xx

Mum to my beautiful girls Lucy, Holly, Rosie, Hettie, Polly, Ruby, Lily, Penny, Gracie, Maisie, Molly, Evie and my gorgeous boy Toby

RIP my beautiful Ranger, Roxy, Bluebelle, Poppy, Speckle, Daisy and Honey xxxx
Cheshire Chick
Longlasting Laner
Posts: 894
Joined: 12 Jan 2017, 11:51

Re: Tipping a hen with sourcrop - advice please?

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Hope things improve for her (and you) over the weekend. These girls don't half give us some worry. Keep up with the tipping - I think it's good that the fluid is all coming out. Lots of luck.
User avatar
kitla
Legendary Laner
Posts: 3752
Joined: 30 Oct 2009, 23:25
Gender: Female
Location: Northants

Re: Tipping a hen with sourcrop - advice please?

Post by kitla »

thanks for the support, sadly Spotty was pts, the vet & I agread that the sourcrop was secondary to other issues.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant
User avatar
KathJ
Longlasting Laner
Posts: 934
Joined: 12 Sep 2012, 13:13
Gender: Female
Location: Shropshire

Re: Tipping a hen with sourcrop - advice please?

Post by KathJ »

Oh I'm so sorry to hear that but maybe it's for the best as least she won't be suffering any longer. Sending you {hug}
Kath xx

Mum to my beautiful girls Lucy, Holly, Rosie, Hettie, Polly, Ruby, Lily, Penny, Gracie, Maisie, Molly, Evie and my gorgeous boy Toby

RIP my beautiful Ranger, Roxy, Bluebelle, Poppy, Speckle, Daisy and Honey xxxx
Cheshire Chick
Longlasting Laner
Posts: 894
Joined: 12 Jan 2017, 11:51

Re: Tipping a hen with sourcrop - advice please?

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Sorry to hear that news. There does come a point when we have to make the heartbreaking decision and do what is right for the animal to alleviate any more suffering. It is so upsetting, but I think it is the price we have to pay sometimes for having so much enjoyment in keeping these wonderful ladies. Plus, just think of the lovely life she has had with you and been loved and cared for.
User avatar
ChickenCarol
Longlasting Laner
Posts: 677
Joined: 13 Jun 2012, 21:08
Gender: Female
Location: Buckinghamshire, England

Re: Tipping a hen with sourcrop - advice please?

Post by ChickenCarol »

So sorry, sending you a hug.

Post Reply