# She's vomiting.



## 1aim

My sweet-tempered ameraucana has been feeling low for several days--a week maybe-- and today when I picked her up she vomited a vile liquid. She's weak and has vomited a couple more times. I would surely appreciate some advice as this is beyond my realm completely and I do care about this chicken. She is two years old and has not laid this season at all.


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## oakwood

Chickens cannot vomit . 
It sounds like she has sour crop . 
I sure energyvet will be able to advise you soon . 
Meanwhile i woulde Google, Sourcrop in Chickens .
Good Luck


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## adorson

I agree sour crop or impacted crop or both. Feel her crop and see if it is very hard & firm or soft & squishy, almost feeling like a water balloon.


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## 7chicks

Adorson described it perfect. I went through this with my Ameraucana almost a month ago. The emesis will have the most rancid unforgetable smell. That is one of the big signs of sour crop besides the crop area feeling like a balloon. There is a way to encourage her to bring up the rest of the stuff blocking her crop. I did research on-line and I don't remember which site it was on. I don't want to advise you wrong. I'll let the pro Energyvet advise you on that.


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## amandahalterman

What is energyvet? Sorry I'm new to the forum


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## Energyvet

Yes, I'm concurring with all of you. Sour crop. I'm in a training class all day and so can only sneak to my phone on breaks. Empty crop, dilute some vanilla yogurt and meat baby food and syringe feed. Sometimes they will eat fruit (watermelon). Lots of good stuff on the Internet. Nystatin works well but it's an Rx and I cannot Rx here. Be back later to check.


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## fuzziebutt

Warm some olive oil, about a teaspoon, and feed it to her. Gently massage her crop every 4-6 hours until her crop goes down.
http://www.greenmuze.com/blogs/green-muzings/2208-chicken-impacted-crop-or-sour-crop.html


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## 1aim

OK I have been reading up and will do my best based on written instructions. Thanks for the help & links. She has been drinking water like mad all day and sometimes spewing into the water. Is that a typical symptom?


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## fuzziebutt

Yes, if it's impacted, then nothing is going down, it's just coming out. She's thirsty! When it clears up, give her some electrolytes in her water, or gatorade.


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## 1aim

Friday morning.
Last night after reading up on sour crop, I figured I couldn't treat this bird by myself so I got my neighbor to help. I picked up the bird and indeed her crop was just as described, squishy and like a water balloon. We poured her out like a teapot, twice. What a smell. Then I held her and Jacob fed her some warm olive oil with an eyedropper. I was glad he was there. We kept her loosely wrapped in a towel and put her in a new nest in a box in the barn. All night I thought about how I disregarded the early symptoms of her distress. I hoped she'd still be alive in the morning. She was, and she had not spewed or pooped. She looked better and was not haggard and dripping with water around her face like last night. I'd planned not to 'teapot' her again because the book said clearly not to overdo this procedure, but her crop was even bigger than last night so we did one easy pour and then gave her more olive oil and some honey water with electrolytes. I left some kefir in a tuna can and a bowl of clean water for her in the barn. 
My plan is to check on her every few hours and massage her crop. I am wondering if it does not empty what I should do. 
I am truly appreciative of the support and expertise of those who have responded here.


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## adorson

Please don't feel too badly about not spotting it earlier. Chickens are so stoic that you do not know something is wrong until they are very ill sometimes. Keep massaging and trying to get things moving along through her digestive system. Also keep us posted on how she is doing!


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## 1aim

Saturday morning. She seems better but is still droopy. Her crop is less full than it was but still squishy. 
I left some grated apple for her and poured the rest of the honey-electrolyte water on it.
I'm wondering if this is a normal course of improvement or if I should do something else for her.


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## adorson

Here is what I do for my sour crops. I withhold food for about the first 24 hours. I only allow them to have water with the Apple Cider Vinegar. I do massage also during this time. Then after that I will give very small pieces of bread soaked in olive oil. I continue to massage. I still give the water with the ACV. If the crop is more normal after a few hours after eating the Olive oil soaked bread, I then offer yogurt. If all seems to be moving along well, I then introduce the chicken feed back to them.


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## 1aim

Saturday noon. Her crop is still squishy and pretty full. She hasn't eaten any of the grated apple. She has pooped a little, just runny white puddles. It seems like things are still blocked up in there or not moving along properly. What else can I do? Please advise.


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## 1aim

Adorson, I didn't see your post till now. I'll try the vinegar. Thanks.


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## Energyvet

I think Adorson has a very good plan laid out for you. Lots of good tools and strategy in place. Yogurt, vinegar, massage, bread got some glucose. All good ideas and the combination is better. I do have concerns there is something still plugging the works. Massage may be the key ingredient here.


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## adorson

I hope this works for her! Once her crop goes down from being squishy, see if you can feel like a hard mass of stuff in there. If you feel something very firm and hard, then she is also impacted which the olive oil will help to break up and loosen to allows things to move through. They can get an impacted crop then things start to ferment in there and also cause sour crop. Some poor chickens end up with both problems.


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## 7chicks

Good guidance adorson! Explained perfect.


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## fuzziebutt

And the poop, even if it's just a little and runny, is a good start! Something is getting thru!


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## 1aim

You're both right! we just expressed her again and the liquid got all thick and chunky. Then massaging her I can feel big lumps of stuff. Liquid bubbled out her nose. She's not eating or drinking anything and is very subdued, but I held her and massaged her to make sure she is still breathing. So right now the only things going in are what we can get in there with an eyedropper--not much. That vinegar is hard to come by in the city. The Urban Farm store recommended bicarbonate of soda dissolved in water instead. My lack of experience with these things is a bit frustrating. I can see some symptoms but I have no instinct for what is the best thing to do. It's easy to pick her up, though, that's one good thing. Usually she won't let me unless she's roosting. I'll keep up with the massage.


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## 1aim

Saturday evening. All afternoon she was very listless and didn't eat or drink. I went to find some apple cider vinegar, and when I came home I found her dead. 
I'm sad. She was the sweetest bird I've had. A raccoon killed B-17, my Jersey Giant, about two months ago, so now I am down to one and feeling disheartened.
Thanks for the help over the last couple of days. It's really been nice to have good advice.


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## fuzziebutt

Ohh, I am soo sorry. They hide their sicknesses so well, that by the time they show symptoms, there may not be much we can do. At least you tried, and she knows you tried. I am so sorry.


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## Sundancers

When you have critters, it happens... No matter if it is a few chickens in the backyard or a farm full.

You know you worked to save her and sometimes that is all you can do...


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## adorson

I am so very sorry! I too found one with a sour crop a bit too late a few months ago and it is very difficult because you blame yourself for not noticing earlier. But as was said, they do hide sickness very well and it can be very difficult to spot until it is too late. ((HUGS))


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## Energyvet

So sorry it didn't work out for her. It's true as Fuzz says, they hide symptoms until they are about dead. I'm sorry you lost your little friend. I share your sadness.


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## 7chicks

Oh gosh, this wasn't the up-date I was expecting 1aim. =( I am so very sorry. I was so hopeful we'd get her through this. You worked so very hard for her. I know how disheartened you feel. Its been 3 1/2 weeks since I lost my little Ameraucana. She too had sour crop and I think something respiratory. It was too late for me too by the time I realized she was sick. What a hole she left me with. I was so proud of my first little Easter Egger. They're a very smart, enchanting breed. Now I'm petrified of ever having another. Little buggers worm their way in to the heart so tight. Love & hugs are with you my friend.


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