# Empty crop



## mbrock (Sep 17, 2014)

One of my hens (black orp my constant worry) goes to roost with an nearly empty crop. The others alway full up in the hour or two before roost. They all free range the yard during the day and she is out scratching and appears to be eating what she finds. She drinking fine. She doesn't appear to be losing weight if she is it very slowly. Should I be concerned? 


Mbrock/Sw Fla


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Just do what you're doing and keep watch. It just might be her way of doing things. You can also check her crop during the day to see if she's been chowing down.


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## mbrock (Sep 17, 2014)

Even during the day the crop has little in it. A friend said that she maybe eating a higher protein diet because of eating more bugs. Not sure I believe that,but with here not losing weight maybe. If that's true I worry that she's no get enough calcium. 


Mbrock/Sw Fla


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Try adding some water to her food, see if that gets her to eat a bit more.


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## mbrock (Sep 17, 2014)

I did that and the others loved it,but she had just a little. I'll have to separate her to try to eat. I hate to do it because she really seem to get upset and then the dominant hen calls the other two hens and then there is a great big racket. At first I thought they were picking on her but once I let her out they all seemly happy run back to ranging and scratching. My wife thinks it because of the death of her sister last week(10days). I'm not so sure.


Mbrock/Sw Fla


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It is possible. You've seen the others reactions to being separated. If the two were known to hang together most of the time, she could be feeling the loss. We know chickens can become depressed when left alone so it stands to reason if a buddy is lost they could experience some of the same issues.


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## mbrock (Sep 17, 2014)

Think getting another black orpington will help her or not. I would like one anyway but since I am hatching barred rocks and a "mystery" bunch for a friend, would that be to much. I was going to keep two barred hens and the rest go to the friend. If I found another English line orpington that is about the same age would that be better for her. I know I'm asking people to play chicken shrink. I was looking for a few more eggs from the barreds and the black orpington is really to look nice. She still not eating much. She refuses to eat from the feed dish, but will eat the same thing if it gets spilled or spread like scratch. I am not feeding and scratch. 


Mbrock/Sw Fla


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It might or might not matter. I know that my birds had same color preferences. But mine were raised in same color groups. I could put a black male in with other color females and he'd have nothing to do with them. 

But the females could all co-exist even if they were different colors without issues.


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## mbrock (Sep 17, 2014)

I was thinking more about size. The buffs are so much smaller. I though it may be like in dogs were Great Danes are often the biggest babies. The black it at the bottom of the pecking order. I tried to watch to day as I put some pine straw in the Holes they have made under the bushes( they hate when i put the pine straw down). The black follows behind and will get what is leftover. The dominant hen will come over some and bring her back to the group but still she eats last. The other thing I noticed is that she really only eats things on the ground. Tried putting some layer down in her favorite scratch spot but the others get it first plus eat from the feeder. She hasn't layed since her sister died.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

I had a bonded pair of Sicilian Buttercups last year, beautiful birds. The rooster would not look at another hen, and likewise the hen another rooster. They spent their days together walking around the yard, he waited under the nest box while she laid an egg, they both went to roost 2-3 hours before the others, etc. Anyway, the hen up and died one day. The rooster spent 3 solid days searching for her, calling and wandering lost around the yard. He then went into the barn and lay down in the corner and refused to leave. He didn't eat or drink this whole time and lost weight very quickly. I tried force feeding him and he would only get stressed, so I just left him be. A week and a half after the hen died, he as well passed away.
Long story short, chickens do form bonds and friendships and can go into depressions when they lose a friend. I don't think your bird is going to die, she seems to be doing normal chicken behaviour, but it is possible she is just feeling lonely. Is there anyway you can hand feed her some of her favourite treats? Things you know she will eat? At least then you can be assured she is eating something. Monitor her behaviour and her crop for the next little while, if she stops doing normal chicken things, then go from there.


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## mbrock (Sep 17, 2014)

Thank you, I will watch her and see. i dont think she is going to die but I can see that she does missed her sister.


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## mbrock (Sep 17, 2014)

Feed her some watermelon but she showed little interest. Then went to a small amount of plain yogurt she had some. I'm going to let her be and not look in. She is probably fine and i'm making my self crazy.


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## littlelimabean (Oct 21, 2014)

I too have seen chickens particularly ones who are black in color prefer the company of those of the same color. It does sound like she may be grieving some, I think we have all seen that in our flocks. It is very stressful when you find a chicken who is not eating well. I have one myself. As Fiere said, find their favorite foods and hand feed her. That is what I do too. It can be hard because all the others will want to eat out the hand too. You just have to do it out of sight of everyone else. You sound like an excellent keeper of your flock, some keepers would not even notice that she had a lack of appetite. You are a good chicken dad!


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## mbrock (Sep 17, 2014)

Watched as they went in to the coop for the night, notice she stopped and she ate some alone with the the others. She really didi not have much as the others who always fill up before. I felt her crop and i can feel some of the stones and a little feed. Guess thats some thing. Not excepting egg anytime soon again from her. I know that there are a ton of things that you can and can't(shouldn't) give your girls, but my son dropped his peanut butter sandwich and she did show interest in the peanut butter. Think it would bee ok to mix some feed with a little peanut butter?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Ever seen a dog when its been given a dollop of peanut butter? Now imagine a chicken with that stuff stuck in its mouth. 

Try putting an additional feeder out where she seems to spend a good amount of time.


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## mbrock (Sep 17, 2014)

She really did not eat much today. I think that I'm going to try to weight her and see if weight holds up. I have noticed that none of the other girls are eating much from the feeder, but are roosting with full crops so they must be doing a good job foraging. The black girl looks like she goes though the motions but nothing in her crop. Now she added something new to the mix. She went in every nesting box scratched out the golf balls in there and sat in each box for a bit. Only when the dominant hen need to lay did she leave(no egg from my black girl). She did seem to pair off with one of other hen. Just an update.


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## mbrock (Sep 17, 2014)

I did notice something that could best be described as maybe a hernia of the crop. A sac of skin were the the wing and neck meet. Could this be part of her crop after being damaged .


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## mbrock (Sep 17, 2014)

Update. She seems fine not losing anymore weight. Not laying but she looks bright and shiny.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Good. Many times the best action is no action at all.


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