Crop Problem

[stripeddonkey]

I have a problem with one of my girls - Bella - I wanted to ask you about...

About four weeks ago, I started to notice Bella drinking more and her poos during the day were soft - sometimes watery. I reduced vegetable and fruit treats in case this was the cause but it continued. I then noticed her crop was really quite large during the day - and worse, wasn't completely empty in the morning. I put her on a week of Flubenvet to worm her (and the other girls of course). Still no help. Crop large, squishy by day (I think because of all the water she drinks) and firmer by evening. Loose and downright watery poos during the day but usually pretty normal by night. I talked to my vet a couple of times. He says it sounds like her crop is slow - could be a partial impaction and suggested giving her layers pellets - or mash - plus let her free range so the moving around can help plus she should pick up fibre. Through everything Bella is still laying 5 eggs a week. She is eating anything I give her and drinking loads. Last week I gave her layers mash with probiotic yoghurt for breakfast for three days. I then started her on Avipro probiotic four days ago which goes in their water. She drinks that fine. When she is out foraging she gets lots of bugs and worms and some very short grass. She is a daemon forager and her enthusiasm for this hasn't eased even with a huge crop. She has been getting out for 1-2 hours each day during the week and for 4-5 hours each day at the weekend. I never feed her large quantities of anything but it doesn't take much for her crop to balloon as it never properly empties. I got a bit of a fright three days ago. She came out in the morning ravenous as ever and had a little mash then a big drink. She then drooled out some of the contents of her crop. I picked her up and tipped her over briefly and a pile of crop contents came shooting out. They were brown - watery mash really. There isn't a disgusting smell so I don't think her crop is sour. I don't particularly want to do the tipping up, crop emptying thing as I think it is too dangerous. I have mixed some epsom salts into her mash the past two mornings to see if that gets her digestive tract going. I really am at my wits end. She seems happy enough except when her crop gets too big - she looks really uncomfortable then. My vet says that as long as she is pooing she isn't completely impacted so he wouldn't want to intervene and operate. I understand that but I don't want to leave things till they are critical before doing something either.

Does anyone have any suggestions re feeding, care, what to do next?

[Gwenoakes]

I am sorry I am no help, but hopefully someone will be along to advise you that knows more about this kind of thing.

[Mo]

Do you think massaging it gently would help?

[stripeddonkey]

Do you think massaging it gently would help?

Thanks for suggestion. I actually have been massaging it a little. She seems to quite enjoy it. Don't know whether it is making much difference but I will continue to do so.

[KarenE]

I wonder if her crop is losing some of its elasticity? When it's full, is it huge, and does it hang down a bit?

In the meantime, I'd also suggest lots of gentle massage, as well as some cod liver oil just in case anything needs a bit of lubrication. Is she getting grit and stones as well, as they need this to help the gizard grind the food once it's left the crop?

You could try keeping her off food for a day or so, to see if the crop completely empties

[kitla]

you could always try live maggots,the theory is they'll eat what's in the crop then get digested. I've had hens with crop issues that actually had some other illness & the crop problem turned out to be a secondary thing, could Bella be poorly? is she losing weight or anything?

[stripeddonkey]

you could always try live maggots,the theory is they'll eat what's in the crop then get digested. I've had hens with crop issues that actually had some other illness & the crop problem turned out to be a secondary thing, could Bella be poorly? is she losing weight or anything?

Bella doesn't appear to be poorly other than this crop issue. She is eating and drinking and is laying 5 eggs a week, last one being this morning. I have heard about the maggots option. Not sure about this but may be driven to give it a try.

Thinking about taking her to the vet this evening just so they can see what I'm talking about. I have discussed her with my vet but haven't taken her in yet to see him.

[jaxhen]

Is there an update on this crop problem?

[KarenE]

Bella had a thickening of the entrance into the gizzard. She underwent an operation to relieve it, but sadly she didn't make it. It appears there were issues further down the digestive system you can read an update on StripedDonkeys diary

[jaxhen]

Thanks for the update KarenE.

I shall look at the diary post as I have a neighbour who has a similar crop problem with one of her girls.