# Sour crop, please help



## TheKeeper777 (Mar 30, 2016)

I have had a hen that has sour crop! She has had it for over a week and it won't go! We've tried all things we can find online and it just won't go! Her crop is huge and when I massage it it will make a gurgley noise then she will do a really smelly burp and then vomit some kind of green foam! How do I get rid of this please help!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Why do you think it's sour crop? The crop feels like a water balloon, there is no firm feel to it. When one of mine had it she hung at the water and drank tons of water, she stood ruffled up. After three days of Sulmet she showed positive signs of improvement.

There is also impacted crop, where something large is in the crop blocking it from draining. Or blocked by a wad of fibrous food, like grass.

There is also a thing called pendulous crop, it seems to be one of those things that some birds suffer with.

Look at what she's doing or not doing. That could tell you a lot about what is going on with her.


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## TheKeeper777 (Mar 30, 2016)

She eats a lot (I guess because she's hungry and the food is not going to her stomach), she drinks normally and we rang the place we got the hen from an we told them symptoms and they said it was sour crop! However the method they suggested hadn't worked and yes her crop is huge and feels so squidgey


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Sounds more like impacted crop, especially if you're not seeing much in the way of droppings. That one is harder to treat.

Some thing sour crop and impacted are one and the same, they're not. If it is impacted surgery is the only sure way I know of fixing the problem.

A vet might her best option at this point.


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## TheKeeper777 (Mar 30, 2016)

Hmm

I live in the UK ... unfortunately and vets are only really equipped for cats, dogs and hamsters around here not chickens! I'm sure I can find a chicken vet online!


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## TheKeeper777 (Mar 30, 2016)

Ok so I found a place so hopefully I can go there! I will need to ask my mom but I'm sure she will say yea


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Country vets are usually willing to take on treating a chicken, even here in the states country vets will give it a go. Regular dog/cat vets rarely want to venture in to that territory.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

What's in the crop? Food or liquid? Is she full at night and empty in the morning? I have two that get real big heavy crops. I would separate her so you know exactly what she's eating and drinking, and if it's digested overnight before she has food in the morning.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Have you tried baking soda?Use 1 tablespoon per gallon of water and make fresh daily.Also,make sure the baking soda is less than 6 months old,it loses it's effectiveness after that.


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## TheKeeper777 (Mar 30, 2016)

seminolewind said:


> What's in the crop? Food or liquid? Is she full at night and empty in the morning? I have two that get real big heavy crops. I would separate her so you know exactly what she's eating and drinking, and if it's digested overnight before she has food in the morning.


We rung the place where we got the hens and he siad we shouldnt separate because it will stress her out I rlly dont know what to do


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Either impacted crop or impacted gizzard. Give her tomato juice orally using a syringe without a needle and continue as needed. The tomato juice should get things moving.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Just curious,what does tomato juice do for an impacted crop?May need to keep a bottle on hand just in case...


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

chickenqueen said:


> Just curious,what does tomato juice do for an impacted crop?May need to keep a bottle on hand just in case...


I think the level of acidity helps break down the blockage. I normally use bread soaked in a bit of olive oil and massage the crop in a downward direction and pinch it between my fingers a lot to break up the inpaction.


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

How much weight has she lost?


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## MikeA_15 (Feb 21, 2016)

.5 oz of molasses in a one quart drinker with no food for 24 hours. Give 2 50 mg Colace tabs (drug stores carry them). The crop should be empty in the morning. Give poultry vitamin-electrolyte-probiotic soluble powder in water for the next 3 days and only well moistened feed with water of buttermilk. Dawg53 uses buttermilk soaked bread which is good. Give small amounts a couple times each day until the bird is back to normal. if the bird regains it's health and you haven't dewormed for a while, deworm the bird once and again 10 days later.

Capillary spp of worms can obstruct the crop, esophagus, or gizzard. A piece of plastic, too much fibrous material like grasses, not enough grit in diet, eating too much grit are all things that can cause digestive problems and crop bound birds.


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

MikeA_15 said:


> .5 oz of molasses in a one quart drinker with no food for 24 hours.* Give 2 50 mg Colace tabs (drug stores carry them).* The crop should be empty in the morning. Give poultry vitamin-electrolyte-probiotic soluble powder in water for the next 3 days and only well moistened feed with water of buttermilk. Dawg53 uses buttermilk soaked bread which is good. Give small amounts a couple times each day until the bird is back to normal. if the bird regains it's health and you haven't dewormed for a while, deworm the bird once and again 10 days later.
> 
> Capillary spp of worms can obstruct the crop, esophagus, or gizzard. A piece of plastic, too much fibrous material like grasses, not enough grit in diet, eating too much grit are all things that can cause digestive problems and crop bound birds.


Warning, give Colace that has only docusate sodium. Do not give the one that also has a stimulant.


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## MikeA_15 (Feb 21, 2016)

casportpony said:


> Warning, give Colace that has only docusate sodium. Do not give the one that also has a stimulant.


That would be Peri-Colace which contains Senna extract. You don't want Peri-Colace. The ones labeled "Colace" like I mentioned in my previous post contain no Senna stimulant and state on the label "stimulant free".


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

MikeA_15 said:


> That would be Peri-Colace which contains Senna extract. You don't want Peri-Colace. The ones labeled "Colace" like I mentioned in my previous post contain no Senna stimulant and state on the label "stimulant free".


Just thought it was worth mentioning since there is an article in different forum that mentioned giving Ducolax, but but didn't say that what ingredient to look for.

The ingredient one wants is docusate sodium (DSS), and it should be given with water.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

And I'll bet Wallgreen's has the generic!


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

seminolewind said:


> And I'll bet Wallgreen's has the generic!


Pretty sure they do, as does Walmart.


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## TheKeeper777 (Mar 30, 2016)

casportpony said:


> How much weight has she lost?


She is very light


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## TheKeeper777 (Mar 30, 2016)

Crop no better! I have literally tried everything and I am sure it is sour crop! I don't think I can do anything else but take her to the vet!


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

TheKeeper777 said:


> Crop no better! I have literally tried everything and I am sure it is sour crop! I don't think I can do anything else but take her to the vet!


A vet would be best. If it's from a bacterial or fungal infection, the vet can prescribe proper drugs. The vet will also be able to check for worm eggs.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

True. Vets have the equipment to get a better diagnosis.


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