I saved one of my hens by doing this! She had so much liquid in there, but as soon as I turned her upside down, it all came out. I did it three times and now the hen is thriving!! Thank you!!
Thank you so much. My lavender is bulging. Soon as I started working it with her upside down she started drooling. I was afraid of what to do until I saw your video.
This was by far the BEST and most informative video on this subject. Thank you! I am treating my rooster for sour / impacted crop. Cleaned the crop out good, now am treating the infection with Mobistar mixed in with Greek yogurt. Im praying thus helps him. Been trying to clear this up for over a month now. Very upsetting to see my baby not well. He is only 5 months old.
I'm so sorry this is happening to your baby! Make sure that you are offering some form of grit to the feed or as a side supplement to help prevent this issue in the future! I am so glad that you found value in this video! 🥰
I'm thinking about getting chickens, so doing research. I'm glad you posted this. In reading the text below the vid, I was surprised to learn that chickens can get in trouble on new rich pasture, here I thought that was just a horse/cow thing. I have much to learn. Thanks.
Yup! it's more because they eat it in bulk.... and it can cause crop impaction. It doesn't happen too often, but I definitely wanted to touch on it! My poor girl ate a bunch of bird seed with millet in it, I believe (not 100% of the grain), but it was basically all that was coming out along with the liquids from her crop. She is doing well now though! I have had chickens for 10 + years. This is the 3rd one I've had with this issue, and mine are free ranged.
Thank you so much for this video. I think my pullet is suffering from impacted crop. She's not jerking her head or anything, but she's been isolating herself and is very sleepy, and I could feel her crop this morning when I checked her and it was full and hard. The thing is, she had diarrhea last night--is that something that would happen to a bird with an impacted crop? I don't want to be stressing her out if that's not what's wrong.
TY for this. I’m a chicken newbie and I’ve heard of sour/impacted crop, but didn5 know what to do for it. Hope I ever have to, but good to have some idea!
This video is brilliant! Thank you for the extended filming, notes added and your care for your flock! An easy subscribe, like and comment. I'm going through my first BC Winter with chickens. I think I, trying to help, might have created this problem, so I feel even worse. It's been brutally cold here this year (minus 25 Celcius at night) and my coop is insulated but not heated. So I got some beef and some beef fat from a butcher friend and I gave it to them, (started when it was so cold they wouldn't come out of the coop). I'm sure the pieces were too large and I've had one with her tail feathers tucked and totally lethargic. So I've had her in a warmer area, in a crate overnight and have been checking her crop - now. I did see a frozen mess at her tail end - so figured she'd had diarrhea... (figured from too much fat and protein). I did Not find a noticeable lump in her crop but I do see a big ball of what looks like she threw up (or pooped) - in the coop with the others. She is eating and drinking and back inside at night. I may have loosened it enough (with my naïve trying attempts before I knew what to do) that she passed it on her own. But the tail feathers were still tucked under and lethargic today, so inside last night, and tonight. Today I gave her another series of massages - much closer to the proper techniques (an,d RESTING periods) I now know - thanks to you! But I think what was there, has passed. Hoping she is not lethargic tomorrow. Your step-by-step with notations is excellent. I'm going to maintain status quo. Keep her at 13 C instead of minus 13 C in the coop and alone I can monitor what she eats and drinks in the morning. I've left 'vitaminized chicken water' and added electrolyte to it - and she has some seed mix which has lots of grit, oyster shells and ground egg shells in it. Sorry for the long DM - it's apparent you KNOW this stuff, so I guess my question - just flowed. Thank you for a great video!
Ohhh my goodness! I'm so grateful for your comment! Makes my heart happy when I can help educate people! It's my true passion! Thank you and I'm glad your hen is doing better! Here are a few more tips for such cold weather -I'm in Michigan and we have had a brutal snap of cold too! Give them warm water, if you can, and I like to mix up some oatmeal (just the regular cooking oatmeal) in some warm water and feed it to them! It helps warm them internally! Lots of deep bedding and watch those combs on top of their head, Moisture is your enemy not the cold, as long as they don't have a bunch of moisture in the coop, they should be just fine! I also give mine tallow because it helps, but small amounts:) Thank you for subscribing! Can't wait to help even more!!!
@@askavettech2057 Thank you so much Jill! Incredible to hear back from you - the same day! I've been doing pretty much what you've suggested already. I've given them warm water mixed with 'vitaminized poultry supplement' and some sports electrolyte. I didn't have oats but I was told to make a warm porridge mix from their feed pellets. They like that too! I'm cutting back on the protein (was raw beef) and the fat, but going to chop it up finer. I put an insulated, sliding window in the coop so when I saw moisture on it (ages ago in the wet fall) I'd open it an inch on rainy days - but I think it's vented - I planned for that, knowing cold is okay but moisture is bad., Can we connect via email? I cannot phone you in MI, (Canadians invented the telephone - but we still pay more than anyone else in the world for service!) but if you are able - I would love to be able to chat further? It's clear you really know what you're talking about - and you care! Thank you. My email follows. Have a great day - minus 14 here and snow piling up. I don't expect the hens to come out of the coop today either. I'll bring the one that's not well, out there for the day with sisters. Then if tail still tucked this afternoon - another massage session and inside again tonight. Sorry for being verbose. You're very helpful!
Lost 2 birds to impacted crop. Didn't know what it was and did all of this but it was too late. So much stuff came out of 3 birds. Watching them all closely, very good video.
@@askavettech2057 Thank you so much. This is our first time with hens and had no idea they could get an impacted crop free ranging. Will keep the grass short!
if the comb is pale, it is in distress. Use caution not to stress the chicken more. Massage the crop with medium pressure....you don't want to squeeze/ or pinch hard, You just need to disturb the contents inside.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I had a chicken (3 months old) that was unhappy all day with sounds of distress. The others were harassing her too. So I did an exam and checked the neck. Yep a solid lump (the crop) was not moving. I did massage her and she seem to like it and things started moving a bit, so I knew I was on the right track. I brought her in the house, and fed (like you did) by syringe some dissolved digestive enzymes in water. Same that I take with meals. (I do this with my dogs when they get hold of baby rabbits or birds and you know they just swallow it whole. So we do the enzymes down the throat and dissolve whatever it is. Did the same with this chicken.) The crop softened and the massaging got it moving down. She did two syringes (insulin size) over time. The lump moved to the stomach or gizzard area and was soft. Kept massaging. The lump broke up and slowly became smaller. She was sore down there, so I massaged the lower chest with some comfrey oil to lighten any discomfort. It worked and I kept massaging. The whole thing broke up and disappeared. Soon she was calm and ready to sleep. So I put her in the 'hospital' crate with the other chicken patient, and she drank and ate a little. Every is now settled down for the night and it seems everything is peaceful again. This whole process consumed about two hours. I think I saved her and she is feeling better. So the digestive enzyme method seems to have worked on this bird, like it does when my dogs capture wild things and eat them (I know I hate it when they do that!). It's another technique to think about. I must mention her crop was not as swollen as your chicken in the video. So I was lucky. It pays to be an observant mom! I'll let you know how it turns out tomorrow.
@@askavettech2057 Yes, our stopped up girl, made it over night. And was perky and had a 'flat stomach' this morning. She ate the fermented feed I fed her this morning, with much zest and enthusiasm. She's now downstairs chilling out in the 'hospital room' with the other two in our cool garage. Too hot for them outside. I suggest everyone think defensively and have some human digestive enzymes available. Stuffing them with enzymes in water, dissolves the plug ups! and was easy and quick. Barb NV
Thank you thank you for showing us how to do this. Just treated our hen the same way as you described. She drank the oil . Hopefully she will feel much better in the morning if Jesus doesn’t bring her home. I would never had know what to do if it hadn’t been for you. Here’s my question, what caused this and how to avoid it from happening to others
First off, I am sorry you and your Hen are going through this, and I hope she is ok in the morning. Secondly, great question. There are many reasons it can happen, but most commonly... they need to have grit available at all times, of different shapes and sizes. Grit sold in the store is a great option. If the hen starts eating large amounts of materials that are hard to digest, it starts to be an issue. Some of these items can be long grasses, hay from nesting area, wood chips from the floor of the coop, feathers, and any other indigestiable items. Sometimes they will eat these things when they are being challenged for food at the feeder, or if they are free ranged they can just start eating it and then become obsessed with the activity, more than the food substance, causing them to keep eating it. To help combat the impaction risk, just make sure you have enough feeders for your flock, offer good quality Grit for your hens, and fresh clean drinking water, and stuff to do (if they are in an enclosed area) like treats or food on the ground to scratch and do the butt wiggle to find food... mental stimulus can help keep them from eating silly stuff. If they have all these things all of the time, you reduce the risk of impacted crop.
What would you suggest if her crop is hard like a rock and not fluid is in it. The vet told me to place a catheter tube and syringe fluids in. I am not brave enough to do this. What would you do. She is having spasms. It’s going on a week and she hasn’t passed it. I was trying home remedies with no success. So the vet put her on antibiotics and anti fungals. I waiting to hear back from them too. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this video i have a older hen going through this atm shes lost so much weight and now swollen at the rear any advice regarding this?
Give her a soak in a warm Epsom salt bath1/4 cup of epsom salt. She sounds like she is uncomfortable, and if she is passing a bit piece of something (which is rare- but can happen. She will need the way out moistened. After soaking, put a little oil around the vent. * The vent is the place wear eggs, and pop both come out. Continue to monitor her. I will pray for you guys, this is SO hard.. when you have a hen that has been so sick for so long.
I'm dealing with this now in one of my Cream Legbars. She had a massive softball-sized crop last week, and I'm pretty sure she ate some grass clippings. I've been giving her oil and digestive enzymes and massaging her, and she's been pooping clumps of grass, but there's still a small, hard ball in her crop every morning. How can I break up this small ball so that I can try your method? I am so nervous to make her vomit, but I think that's our only option at this point.
The small hard mass, might break up if you get rid of some of the contents in the crop... I know you are scared, but I think this is her best option at this point. Just massage her really well, before you turn her over, and then only massage to your comfort level, It comes out Like a baby spit up, if that makes sense, it's not really violet puking. If you are not comfortable doing the procedure maybe call up another Chicken keeper that you know and see if they would help. *Also Great work on getting the soft ball size mass down!!!!! 👏 I would also add in some apple cider vinager to her water, it is full of good, beneficial bacteria that can help too! Best of luck and keep me posted
@@askavettech2057 Thank you so much for the reply and for the encouragement! Yes, she has definitely improved since this started, with the ball in her crop feeling more like a golf ball now as opposed to a big softball. She pooped A LOT last night, mostly little clumps of grass again, so I think what's left is finally breaking down, although slowly. I am going to see how she does today, and if the ball is still there tomorrow morning, she's going to get this treatment. I'll keep you posted! Thanks again for helping so many people and chickens!
@@askavettech2057 k, Thank u,under her beek,between her wings in front, like her chest us all puffed out & its hard clear up under her beak, she's resting her head on it...we gave her Epson salt warm bath, now in a box in the house w/ towels, waiting on my hubby to come help me, I have olive oil, we crushed food & worms, but I took that away, so she just has water & we gave her some with electrolytes eye dropper, dried her after her soak, she's just standing ,sleeping, can't really move
Ma'am, I did it for about 40 minutes. I was constantly massaging the area. I also gave her 10ml of olive oil. I got a few drops to come out, but nothing else. She actually fell asleep upside down. 😂
40 mins and she took a nap!!! Wow! That crop massaging must feel great to her! Give her a rest for today, and then try again tomorrow- dont feed her tho.
this was really helpful--thank you. My girl's crop feels loose and very gritty--like a bean bag. There's a firm ball at the bottom, but she's eating, drinking and pooping. Yesterday I saw her make a couple of gulping motions. Is it possible that the grit is not passing through? The ladies broke into a back of bird seed that I left on the stoop aver a week ago--could that still be in there?
Thank you so much. I did everything you suggested and some seeds came up. He's a 2 yr old rooster and its been 3 days and he's still doing the head twisting thing, yet when I repeated the crop massage yesterday, nothing came up. There is no engorged crop palpable. What can I do at this point? He hasn't eaten for three days and only drank a little water yesterday. I'm giving him coconut oil as he'll take that readily. Help please ! 🙏🏼🐓❤️🔥
@@askavettech2057 thank you so much ! I found out it's wry neck so I gave him pureed pumpkin, broccoli and strawberries and some selenium. I'm getting some Vit E and new feed that includes vit E and selenium . He's already improving, thank God! I rescued him and he's such a nice companion for keeps ! He's part of the family so I really appreciate your prompt response and email 🥰🙏🏼❤️🔥😘🐓😇
One of my chickens vomited a slimy substance one evening. I figured it was from the crop. Not sure which one it was but it was a large amount of slimy jelly clear substance. So they can vomit. Good information to help with the Chicken Crop. I'd be afraid the chicken might aspirate. Which wouldn't be good.
Very interesting, I wonder what the jelly substance was. I wonder if the crop was so full that it just came back up??? I'm not sure, All I know is that I have never seen one vomit and was taught they can not vomit. But I'm sure there is a reason for it, and it sounds like that stuff needed to come up regardless. I sure hope your chicken is ok. Aspiration is hard to do when you're forcing the chicken to clear it's crop and it comes out pretty forcefully along with the chicken shaking their head after the crop substance comes up. But Aspiration can happen when your adding the oil by mouth, but highly unlikely. I'm glad you found value In some of the information:)
@@askavettech2057 I just happened to be outside 2 days ago and heard a gurgle from one of my hens and then she threw up right in front of me. I am new to all of this and had no idea what the heck could be wrong with her. Sure enough I am treating her for sour crop. Using water with egg yolk and some olive oil. Also using greek yogurt with oil. She is already doing better, I think/hope I caught it early enough so I don't have to turn her upside down!
Thank you so much for this demonstration video. I'm a new chicken keeper and my Leghorn currently has an impacted crop that I noticed yesterday. I followed your technique and she got rid of some liquid with a bit of food. I was wondering if you do this more than once a day? I tried to get some olive oil down her but that did not go well. Will try again later this afternoon.
I do it until I see improvement, throughout the day, you could try putting the olive oil in a small amount of water say in a dish and see if she will drink it?? maybe that would go better
I did this today and dammm she had lots of food hopefully 2nd day it’s all good I had 2 hens in the last that I didn’t know what to do and they died on me took a pic and posted on BYC backyard chicken and they told me what it was searched up ur vid and thanks thanks thanks :)
I am So Happy You found this video!!! Make sure you are offering some kind of grit and oyster shells, they help her grind up that food! If you need more help feel free to message me
@@askavettech2057 oh it worked ( thank you I just wrapped her in a fluffy fleece jacket that feels like a towel and leaned her forward) thank you so much (🐣🐣💜🌱you really are a professional
Moving the impaction around, massaging, like mixing the contents inside- but not squeezing hard. Imagine it like a Ballon inflated to what ever size the chickens crop is, you want to massage but never so hard that your fingers would be touching while massaging. Is that more clear?
Thank you for this video. I thought this might be what my hen has, but as im feeling her neck it seems she has someone stuck in her throat, not her crop. She did vomit some white smelly stuff, but her neck still feels like it has bones out of place. She tries to eat the cooked eggs I've given..but seems pretty hard fir her to swallow. Any thoughts?
That is a hard one, because when the crop is too full, often the contents will creep into the throat, does her crop feel small? Maybe she did eat something very hard and can't get it out. Has she drank water?
Not sure how you know this is the issue. Your saying its something they ate? My daughter had a chicken given to her so it doesnt know us much. Saw it was bringing up clear fluid after drinking water. The chicken did have chix poop. It was attacked by the neighbor dog by the fence and its leg was injured. So not sure about holding it by the legs. It Was limping but improving. Some of the scale on the leg is missing. Looks like the only way to do this. Any suggestions? Great video.thank you.
Yes, you can hold the chicken under your arm like a football hold almost, just don't squeeze to hard, just enough to hold it, then massage the crop (you might get messed on by the stuff coming out though. Because you will be closer to it. How many times have you seen the clear liquid?? If just one time and the crop feels normal don't do this. sometimes they just get too much water and shake their head to get it out of there mouth/ throat. But if you see this multiple times it is more than likely the issue. How is the rest of the chickens body after being attacked? Poor Chicken, but that unfortunately can happen. I would look to make sure there are no other body injuries before proceeding to cleaning the crop. Hope this helps 🙏🏻
What if this doesn't work? How much do you think of that would charge to fix this? Thanks for your help. Have a chicken right now with a narly impacted crop🤝🤝
That is a great question, it depends on the vet. You could always call ahead and ask them for an estimated cost of service, most will give you a ball park figure of how much an office call and how much to actually see the vet. For most offices seeing a chicken is the same office call as a dog or cat, or another bird. If you find a large animal veterinary office they might see it and it could be a cheaper route.
Ty so much..I waisted 15 minutes on another video about sour crop..blablabla.. Giggle giggle giggle.. got aggravated and stopped watching and then found your right to the point video..ty ty ty!!
I am about to embark upon a chicken mama journey and seeing all the SM posts about the impacted crops had me terrified, but this seems to be a very humane and simple treatment! I have also watched others provide the chicken some 'meat tenderizer' to loosen up the croup - is this something you would do or recommend? Thanks in advance!
Chicken keeping is such a fun and rewarding experience!! They are SO fun to watch and take care of! I 100% recommend get some! They are usually pretty low maintenance. It would not hurt the birds, and if it helps, BONUS!
I can't imagine this being successful with an impaction. All I saw was liquid coming out. The crop impactions I have seen are big wads of grass and plant matter. Does massaging it really break it down enough to remove?
yes, it does, just have to keep massaging. It depends on how long it has been impacted. if the impaction is really severe then it might need to go the the vet.
So if a chicken cannot vomit on it's own, why did my chicken randomly vomit? She was just waking around pecking at stuff on the ground then had a bunch of slimy looking gunk come pouring out of her mouth. I'm pretty sure say this point that she has this problem.
I would say that is sour crop, she need treatment for that, I have been away on vacation and I didn't have good enough service to fully reply and I apologize for that. Using the same technique to remove a crop impaction, clear some of the stuff she has in there, and then start her on some apple cider vinager in her water and feeding her some plane greek yogurt, with a few meal worms mixed in (sometimes they won't eat just the yogurt) she needs good probiotics added into her crop to help her combat the sour. Getting the pH corrected will stop the fluid from coming out. It's basically caused by fermentation of feed in the crop. you will want to withhold the regular food for a few days to give thr treatment time to work. If you don't see improvements in a few days she might need to see the vet
@@askavettech2057 please, no need to apologize, good grief you're on vacation and still responded quickly when 90% of the time I don't even get a response to comments on other's RUclips vids. Plus the fact that you've responded to nearly every comment on this video is super impressive and really shows you care. As to my hen, at first I thought her crop felt like what you described in your vid but I checked again and checked another hen for comparison and they're both close to the same. The one in worried about felt only slightly bigger but felt like a squishy water balloon. But her comb is pale and kinda flopped over and she's panting a lot so she clearly has something going on so I isolated her late last night with just a bowl of water to see if her crop is the same today(it was a very long sleepless night so I after finally getting about 3hrs I just woke up and haven't checked yet) and to see if she's pooping or lays any eggs. My only other thought on why she's panting and whatnot is due to being in pain. she injured her leg or foot somehow, I can't tell which as I can't find anything obvious, but I'm not sure that would cause the pale floppy comb. This is my first foray into the world of chicken ownership, I started out with 20 chicks, had my fav bird Roadrunner start behaving oddly, falling over and not able to get back up on her own, isolated her and figured out that she was getting too much salt from the water softener and it only affected her because she was half the size of the rest of them, got her back to normal and was going to put her back in with her flock the next day but somehow my mom's dog ended up getting closed in the room she was in, busted through the cage and ate the entire damn bird😭. the 19 I have left are now almost 16 weeks old and other than all of them being viscous little velociraptors I haven't had any problems with any of the other birds. I know when I'm way in over my head on something and that's definitely the case here. Unfortunately I'm my area we only have 2 vets that take chickens and both are outrageously priced(almost $200 for an office visit when our regular vet for the other animals charges $90) so there's just no way I can afford that plus whatever they'd charge for the actual treatment. Anyway, I appreciate your response and help with my bird
@krazyinktattoossm Firstly, I appreciate you being a subscriber, and welcome to the parenthood of chickens! You have made it 16 weeks, and to no fault of your own, you have managed to only lose one, you're doing great! Secondly pain can cause them to become pale in color in the comb, but if you can't seem to find the injury, it's more likely a sprain, and those hurt, but most chickens only know- this is how I feel now, and try to compensate for injury or illness until it's to thr point they can't hid it anymore. That being said, if the chicken rested for 12 hours and the crop still feels really full, then I would suggest trying to clear the crop. When you do this, it's a fresh start for her. Just know that the fact her comb is pale she may need more breaks, just keep an eye on her. maybe massage for 10-15 seconds and then a break for 10 minutes... If you get yucky stuff out, you're doing well. Adding in the Apple Cider vinager is a great first step. Are you located in the USA? if so, the farm store sells a lot of chicken supplies/ supplements and something called VetRX that can be helpful too. Also one more thing, make sure you are offering the chickens a supplement of grit, they need that for healthy digestion.
@@askavettech2057 thank you so much. I'm all honestly I'm not a subscriber yet but fully intend on subscribing as soon as I'm done responding to you. Her crop feels empty this afternoon but just to be cautious I'm keeping her isolated at least another night. I gave her a little yogurt and she was in heaven. I've been giving them grit but only started that maybe 2 weeks ago when I switched them from their starter feed. I'm not entirely sure how much to give them or if it's even the right size but I figured something was better than nothing. I've been busting my butt building them a coop and run, which is thankfully almost done, so they've been living in a spare bedroom in my house this whole time🤦♀️. Probably I should've built the coop before I bought the chicks but I had no idea how long it would take to build because I had wrongly assumed I would have help. I've done 90% of everything on my own from coming up with the plans, buying the supplies to all the actual building, first time for everything though I guess and I'm pretty darn proud of what I've accomplished. Yes I'm in the US and am definitely going to get some emergency supplies from one of the farm stores here assuming they're not out of stock. We've had a lot of stuff out of stock at all the stores here recently, most of it has been the kind of stuff that's needed to grow your own food and raise livestock. I live in an area where there's a lot of farming and agriculture and so far as I know this is the first time we've ever had issues with shortages on these types of products. Pretty weird. Again, thank you for all the info and guidance, I appreciate the heck out of it! I'mma go subscribe now😁
@krazyinktattoossm Well if you can't get what you need at the store amazon is a good place too! soon I will be doing a video about the items that are helpful for chicken owners, that will be helpful for you:)
I was away on holidays and my one girl got into hemp bedding and gorged on it. It's been 7 days (property sitter wasn't comfortable doing this sort of thing) - she's eating, drinking and pooping but I'm concerned she's not getting nutrients from her food. Her crop is huge - almost larger than yours in this video. Now that I'm home I thought I'd give this method a try but I'm scared to death I'll cause her to aspirate. I am planning on starting with a gentle massage tonight then isolating her (with water available) overnight and trying this upside down method in the morning. Am I too late? 😢 I have a vet appointment but couldn't get in for two more days. I don't want to lose her, but I don't want her to be dying a slow death.
If you ware worried about aspiration, then just give her water, keeping her hydrated is important, you could offer her some low sodium chicken or beef broth to help hydrate and give her some nutrients. If it's really big, I would wait for the vet
@NatashaTurner836 Your very welcome, monitor her close, for signs of distress, if you see it...then try to do the method, but only if you see it as a last resort. The vet will need to do surgery to remove that large impaction, because of the amount more than likely. Also may I suggest changing the bedding material to sand for the coop, and the resuable mats for the nesting boxes (they sell them on Amazon.. I would love an update, after you see the vet if you get a chance, my email is askavettech123@gmail.com
I have a rooster that is so impacted he is already turning purple... He will be rooster #5 that has died in ghe last month! But the only one with a rock hard crop. He is already too weak to move much, he is keeping his eyes closed and hunching a bit. I gave him ACV water, I guess I can try OO. With sour crop, I do what you do in this video. But a hard crop will be much more difficult. I have wondered, is it the high calcium in layer feed that kills my rooster's in 2-3 day's?? No hens are dying!
Well that sounds terrible, loosing that many birds:( I would worry that maybe they are eating something unusual to clog it up, such as wood shavings, or pine needles or long grass. How many hens do you currently have?? What is their normal food look like...
Great video! I have a question: I have a chicken who has a crop that hasn't been going down for days. Would that still be impacted crop? Also,.is there risk of them chocking or any food getting into lings when turning chicken upside down and back?
well if it has been not going down for a few days- then i do believe the crop is indeed impacted.... the risk of leaving the crop that way - definitely out weighs the risk of turning her upside down and forcing her to empty the crop...is there a risk yes- it's very common for aspirations to accure. They can swallow down things that are in the throat, just can't throw up.
I just came across your video and hope to reach out! I have a 9 day old chick that has a swollen crop. Would this method work on her? I just noticed last night. It's not huge but definitely noticeable
As a chick, they will usually clear this on their own, but do keep an eye on her. And don't free fed the chicks give them food a set amount and then pick it up, it helps to monitor how much they will eat at a time. Are you feeding along with some grit or ground oyster shells? they need that in order to grind up the food in the crop.
I bought chicks on Monday this week and by Tuesday knew something was wrong. Massaging the crop did wonders on all 5 chicks. Went NPO over night then gave grit and water with apple cider vinegar in the morning. So far so good. My first time with any crop problems
That video was really helpful. I had an Easter egger hen with that. The only difference was that the hard ball was under her beak area in the center. Not further down where you showed us. She didn't make it. I probably should have taken more breaks with her, and I used diluted with water oil. Do you think it was an impaction that far up??
It's really hard to say. It could have been a mass or scare tissue from eating something that caused damage as she swallowed it down. The crop is in the chest area. It's really hard to say - they eat a lot of weird stuff.... Im so so sorry for your loss.
@askavettech2057 thanks. I now know what to do the next time. I was reading it, and it could have been a mass, too.. I hope you do more videos like this for us chicken keepers.. it is so valuable to us. My vet won't see chickens.
could it have gotten frost bite? If they get severe frost bite, the toes will die off, and the rest is swollen more than likely from a secondary infection. You can send me a photo at askavettech123@gmail.com. I'm sorry you are dealing with this issue.
It's possible we had temperatures down tp 1 degree which is very unusual in alabama and in the single digits for over a week back in january Would it have taken that long for them to fall off?
it very well could have, did you notice any color change before they fell off? If not, then I would definitely be looking for scaley leg mites. They like to live up under the scales of the chickens legs and can cause infection and sometimes they will lose a toe or 2, but not likely a whole foot of toes, I would be frost bite did it.
Hello I know you won’t most likely reply but I hope you will, I’m a kid so don’t feel confident in what I’m doing at all, so my chicken wisteria dosent have a massive crop, and I had cleared her sour crop a few days before hand and isolated her for a bit before letting her go back out, now her crop is small and rather firm than what I’m used too, I don’t know though
Hello! I try to reply to all comments:) AWESOME name for a chicken, by the way!! So there might be something more inside there, such as grass wrapped in a ball or just stuff that is stuck.... Has she been pooping ok? If so, I'd let her back in with the flock, but keep an eye on her, make sure your offering good grit, and oyster shells, so she can use those to break up what is in there. Another thought it could be inflammation (or swelling) so maybe dont massage it for a couple days **unless she starts showing signs of not feeling well again. Then start treatment back over again. I'm so proud of you for working hard to fix the issues! If you need me again either reply here, or you can email me at furkidsandcoffee@gmail.com Also make sure you subscribe so you can see all my chicken content, I have some good stuff there:)
. I tried massaging the area. I could feel seeds and it would flatten out, no big hard ball of anything. She has managed to lose all the feathers in that spot. I will check her in he morning and see if there's any change.
Losing those feathers could be from her plucking at the area of discomfort. She may have loosened the feather shaft and they are just falling out. Do you know how long she has been impacted?
@ritaroach3491 Ohh ok, well keep at it, if it goes flat you may have moved the ball of stuff down.. Check her crop in the morning! Fingers crossed its gets emptied over night!!!!
@@askavettech2057I've been busy. Checked the today. It's bigger than it was. I need to get it cleared out. I need to find a syringe and give some oil and try that. I will work on it tomorrow
If the comb is pale, unfortunately means that the chicken is already under massive stress, if you don't do it then she will die, but if you do it- she could be stressed and also die/ or not.... kind of 50/50 on survival. That is a fine line. At this point I would recommend seeking veterinary care.
We are new chicken parents. We hatched 36 and split them w/ a friend. We have a 9 week old little gray hen (Easter Egger) with an apparent impacted crop. I've noticed it for a while, but didn't realize that meant anything was wrong - maybe it was just end of day before it processed through the night (again, new chicken parents ... and I work, so I don't see them every day ... my husband is retired and sees them regularly). He just seemed to notice it this week, so I guess it got bigger ... or was big when she came out in the a.m. Yesterday he massaged it he said for over an hour, can't feel any mass, doesn't seem sore, it's just swollen, but he can't get anything out. She still eats like a little pig though and doesn't seem unhappy. Not sure about pooping. Can anything else be the problem, that would make it swollen, as opposed to food? Or do we just need to keep trying until stuff does come out?
By the way, these are not free range, they are in a protected pen and coop condo. They have some grass, some garden scraps, protein rich chick feed and dirt for grit. Do we need to offer more abrasive grit??
Hello! Welcome to being Chicken parents!!! Sounds like it is impacted or soured... So if it were me....I would take her off her feed completely....Only offer water for 24 hours and then...try the crop massaging because if she is still eating a bunch then the impaction could be moving around w the food.... and allowing some food to go through...but not the suspected impaction. As for other things... It could be... I have seen corn cause an impaction, grass, string, and something simple as just one, over feeding can cause it. Chickens will try to eat pretty much anything!
I would also offer some oyster shell crumbles that you can get at your farm store...they are a litter rougher than just dirt... but they also give them calcium:) so it's good all around
I gave my girl 3cc of Monistat 7, totally, from a syringe for a week. First few days I also have her water and Greek yogurt with the same method. By day 4 she was back to normal.
Wow!!!! I am glad your chicken is ok because Monistat contains propylene glycol, which is Highly Toxic to birds. I'm not trying to be mean, I just want to educate. You are lucky that it didn't kill her. I'm am super happy that she is Ok!
More Questions 😊 Do we still need to be trying to make her throw up if we do not feel a mass in her crop, but it's still pretty big even this morning? She's pooping fine, so stuff is moving. We're still keeping her isolated (2 nights & day 2 now) with ACV water and my husband gave her some greek yogurt & part of a scrambled egg yesterday & again this a.m. Should we continue isolation & giving her the probiotic suggestions (yogurt, acv, garlic, baking soda)? And I will add some more substantial grit this a.m. Will it finally go down on its own? Could it be pendulous crop?
So it could be Pendulous Crop, because stuff is moving through. I would offer the new grit, and a super light meal, to see what happens. If it is Pendulous crop, and it has a large distention, it may not go back to normal size...unfortunately. If she gorged herself at one point, that could also cause it. I don't believe that's the issue. Because of her age... but sometimes mother nature throws weird stuff into the animal world. She could have a birth defect internally that we can not see as well. For Pendulous Crop you with hold food completely for 24/48 hours and only allow water. To see if the size will go down. Take a photo of before and after. I will keep praying it resolves it self... I would say if it doesn't Monday... you might need to either take her to the vet. But its going to be the same cost as a dog or cat...so you will need to make that financial decision.
I have 1 that I have been giving her medication along with spicy eggs so she drinks water, I have cleared the crop about 98% but it's still a touch squishy. I tried to feed her a little bit of her regular food but I had to re empty her crop, is there anything that I need to give her to help clear her crop out the rest of the way?
That's tough... After she eats it take about 12-18 hrs for the crop to pass the food on through the body after having an impaction... So keep that in mind. A little bit in there still in there is not a bad thing....once food is reintroduce she should start passing things normal. I would offer her food/ but soaked in water to make it easier for the crop to digest! start with a small amount so you can be sure it doesn't get super large again.
We just found this video. Have issue with our hen. How much pressure on the crop massage?? Im a retired LMT i don't want to hurt the hen with being to forceful. Please help 🙏
You want to massage it with gentle force, the goal of the massage is to break up the contents in there, and to help get the juices moving to come out. So I'd say like the pressure you would apply say you are rubbing lotion on your legs..... hope that helps!
Well if his nails are really sharp you could wrap his feet in a thick towel, and hold them that way... but you may need to do this technique for a couple days, obviously not continuously- take lots of breaks...as in my video I had a couple days into getting the impaction all out. You could add in some oil, it helps to break up the impaction, and help it slip out easier. If after a couple days of working on him- it doesn't clear on its own- then you should consult a veterinary office and see if they can help your rooster out. But don't quit too soon, if you are getting some, keep going, as long as the rooster is tolerating it ok...and if it takes a few days and your putting him in a crate or cage away from the flock while you work on him, you could put socks on his feet and pull the sock up and tape the sock to his leg, to cover the spurs and nails...just an idea...don't leave them in over night!! and don't make them super tight to cut off circulation. Best of luck
Hii, thank you so much for this video. Sadly I think we noticed it too late. I tried my best and she is drooling but im scared to continue as her comb is purple. Shes keeping her eyes closed and shes weak. :( Is there anything I can do for her at this point?
Hi, I have a new (to me) hen who came to us two nights ago with a hard crop. Today was day two and it’s the same. She’s had some grit and was offered water with ACV in it. I gave olive oil yesterday. Today, I kept her in a cage most of the day without food (just water) and she was pooping. Could she die overnight if I don’t try this tonight? It’s dark now and she is asleep in a crate in my house.
Hello, welcome to the channel! Asking if she will die, tha is hard for me to answer, if she is resting, I would leave her this evening. Do you have a history of how long the crop has been impacted???
@@askavettech2057 thanks so much for the quick reply! I don’t have that info. The lady I got her from didn’t know about it. The hen also had a dirty bum, so I rinsed her and trimmed some feathers yesterday. She also has some respiratory issues. She sneezes every now and again and I can hear that nasal gurgle kind of sound, but I’ve definitely heard worse in a chicken. I’ve applied VetRx 3x today to her beak. She’s a Barred Rock and her weight is good.
I try to reply right away if I can! I appreciate you subscribing to the channel :) So, being that she has other issues, I would definitely keep her away from everyone until she is well. I'm sorry that you got a hen with lots of issues. I am thinking out loud here- she maybe is an older hen, you maybe fighting a losing battle. I would say, wait until morning, see how she is doing, try the massaging her, try to break it up, give her more oil, and keep massaging. If you can't seem to get anything to come up, she might have had this impaction for a while.... and those ones are SO difficult to remove on your own. You may have to take her to the Vet to have surgery. But we will keep an open mind and pray she passes this impaction. Best of luck and please keep me updated!
@@askavettech2057 she’s about 1.5 years old and I did let her sister/friend sleep with her tonight because she walked into the crate with her and laid down. I couldn’t say no for tonight… I will massage it tomorrow. So, you would not hold her upside down tomorrow, just massage?
I think I would try, because you don't want to leave that in there!!! If not I'd take it to the vet- because idk if the stuff In the puppy pad can be toxic
My reply is missing so I am going to just send it again..... first off...I am sorry you are going through this with your Hen. The rubber band should be able to be broken down in the gizzard, I would personally not worry about it.. but if you are, you could keep that chicken separated to be able to monitor her. Things to watch for would be her not eating or drinking. I had a large piece of Styrofoam blow into my yard during a storm, and my flock ate about 1/2 of a sheet of it... they were just fine after eating that the body will just push it out as waste products. They can eat a lot of weird stuff if they are free ranged, but the issues come in when they eat a LOT of something. I know that must have been scary, I am sorry that I was having technical difficulties on my end
I sure can!!! great suggestion- I did one recently about broody hens, and there is some mite info in there, but I'll do one just on mites, and tag you in it
hi great video, but I think something else is wrong with my rooster.. about a month or so ago I noticed he started to get white tips on his front feathers... then it seemed like he started slowing down a little bit.. then 9 days ago, he started eating a whole lot less and started drinking a lot less water, 7 days ago , he started coughing , sneezing, but nothing else visually seems wrong. He is progressively eating less, especially in late afternoon. He also is crowing only about a half dozen times a day now, and he cant make any other regular noises except a very low like wheezing. 3 days ago I put him on vetafarm triple c antibiotics and b12. But he is not really improving .. What do you think this could be?....
@@askavettech2057 a min six, could be much older, im thinking i may need to feed tube him? but trying to figure out what happened, thought it just might be like a cold at first... but i have no idea.. His red part below the eye, has white nobs on it.. not sure if that is related
they can live for about 5-8 years on average. If I had to guess he is going through a stress type molt (the wing color change) and then the sickness is probably bringing on the stress molt. As for what is wrong with him it is more than likely an upper respiratory type sickness, and the medication you are using could not be strong enough to kill the bacteria or virus. Where I would start is a clean coop, making sure the coop is clean and the water source is clean. Most sicknesses for chickens comes from a dirty pen/ coop/ food or water source, I would start there. If your coop is clean and no issues there I would remove this rooster from the coop and I would make sure it is getting enough meds, and that it is eating and drinking. From there if it doesn't get better a trip to the vet.
GREAT question!!! You would feed a balanced diet of chicken food, limit free range activities to freshly mowed grass, bird feeders and any new foods that they have never had before, don't feed just corn, and always keep fresh water and some sort of grit available for them to use.
Thank you for your suggestion! I will make a video on that soon! It's on my list! It is something that happens occasionally... But if you are seeing it for a week or more... take a small fecal sample to the vet and have them run a fecal test on it. Just to make sure...another indicator if it's parasites could be the chickens are off food or water, or they act off..
Hey!! My chicks corp is really swelled out.i wouldn't call it a baby chick but it's still small but does have some feathers.Basically now since a few days i guess like since 2 days ago his corp was swelled out a lot yesterday i messaged it abit but nothing helped i think its a sour corp since the chick really has no energy and just sits here and there all day he does eat and drink but once again his corp is huge.i gave him some yougurt rn (he didn't eat much) and did give him garlic water too could u tell me if this is a sour corp? And if so how should i treat it.also i tried this vomiting method but it didn't work..a quick response would be great please, really wanna save him also physical description of the corp would be like a huge kinda like a swollen ball kinda yellow but mushy and soft really have been stressed out about it.and to mention idk what's it called since im not a pro or anything i just randomly decided to raise a few chicks but the thing above their corp attached to their necks its kinda like idk meat? It grew like since his corp swelled out idk i feel like i shoukd mention it.
I apologize, for not answering quickly, as I am on vacation- But the crop should feel like a soft ballon...when it's empty, when it is full they still feel like a Ballon but full of say- sand, or beam bag. If it is very firm, there is a likely chance it's impacted, sour crop feels like it is full of mush or liquid. Baby chicks that are not offered grit will get an impacted crop- and sometimes they will eat woof chips, or straw bedding. I don't have a good suggestion for a baby chick with a sour crop. That would need to be taken to the vet or put down. you tried yogurt, and that would be the only thing safe for babies. I'm so sorry.
You can do the same treatment just about 1ml of oil, and gently massage the crop. If you can, separate the chick using a divider In there pen so it doesn't get lonely. also add some fine grit to their food
Let mine free range yesterday and they aren’t used to. Came home today and one was in nesting box all day. She has huge crop. Did what you did but before I started she was already releasing fluid from mouth. She continues to leak nasty fluid from beak sitting in my arms. Is that normal?
there is probably some grass stuck, try massaging more, upside down. Long grass can get balled up in there, the quicker you can get that out the better
So when you turn a chicken upside down, they only flap for a very short time, and then they relax. This particular chicken is in distress, and that is why she's doesn't flap her wings. As far as sour crop, an impaction causes sour crop usually. The sour crop comes from when the crop doesn't empty properly/ a yeast Infection in the crop, caused by eating improper foods, or moldy food. Anything that disrupts the normal bacteria of the crop can cause sour crop.
Great video! I have a question okay so I have a one week old baby chick that got impacted crop and it’s also filling with air , I took her to the vet this morning and they took the air out and told me to massage her like I have been but I’m scared it’s going to fill up with air again , she also hasn’t been eating just sleeping and I don’t want her to starve herself to death WHAT DO I DO NOW
Wow... What a unique case you have here.....I have seen it before but in adults... I would guess.. that she is filling with air in the crop from an air sack... Don't fret too much because...doing the massage will help get air out....and help it heal. In the mean time you do need to feed her... You can massage her in the UP right position...and she won't vomit! Soo something easy like plain yogurt , Greek would be better yet, because of the protein and fat in it. You can offer it on a plate or something flat, or by syringe. Being she is so young...you should do this with her alone...so you know how much food she is actually eating. Take a photo before she eats...and then after... to compare air size. Baby chicks can get hurt from the flock/ mama hen... Thats why I think air sack filling it back up. If you keep massaging.. you should hear burps, or gas expelling slowly. Just don't get rough with the crop, soft and gentle:) Please let me know how she is doing after a few days! Also give her water....she can go a little while without food... but not long without water. OHH and Keep her warm...if she's not warm enough....she won't eat! And thank you for your kind comment!
@@askavettech2057 you are genuinely the most amazing person I have ever met on here! Unfortunately that baby chick was just to tiny and had so many issues she didn’t make it😭 BUT I found another baby with the same problem , I pulled all of my babies from outside and brought them in so I can control what they are eating so they don’t eat who knows what outside with momma… but plain Greek yogurt to feed this baby chick, gentle massages, lots of water and warmth and hopefully this baby can recover
That is a very sweet comment!! I'm very passionate about helping others care for their animals ( AKA: other family members)! I sure hope that this one recovers quickly
Since your on here now I have one more question for now lol why does her crop keep filling with air? & if the massages don’t work what’s my next step? I really can’t lose another baby 😢😢
If the massage doesn't work, take her to the vet. You could have some kind of sour crop issue or fungal issue going on. And make sure to bring any others that seem maybe off food or sick at the time you take the other... did you have these born at your house? or Purchase them from a store?
I am so sorry to hear you are having this problem. I am not sure on the exact number of days, but usually a week if they eat absolutely nothing. You could try to offer some water with devolved sugar in it, to help keep him hydrated and the sugar is a little something to keep hi going. they also make an electrolyte mixture that they sell at my local farm store called fix a chick, that is helpful when they are ill. are you getting anything out when you massage the crop? I will try to check your comment throughout the day.
My week old chicks have this! I’m feeding fermented chick starter. I’m going to feed oil and massage but what else? Can I do the same method with them?
I would withhold food, and see if it clears naturally, they are pretty little to start them out on fermented food, dry is best until they are around 12 weeks old. Also make sure they have access to grit that helps it to be digested by the crop.
As a chicken owner, if you leave an impacted crop full, it will kill the bird. Sometimes you need to choose your battles... And many of my viewers have homesteads, taking a 6$ chicken to the vet for a 500$ bill is not practical. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, then by all means, please take your chicken to the vet. I appreciate your comment.
Hey. I tried this. My hen is not eating anything. She is just drinking liquids. When i tried this technique on her she vomitted but she drinks it when it is still in her mouth. Plzz help me. I have to save her.
How long has she just been drinking?? If she has gone longer than a week with out attempting to eat food, it's time for a trip to the vet, her crop impaction will more than likely need surgery treatment. Sometimes they eat large amounts of grass than can ball up and get twisted, and is unable to come out her mouth- it sounds like it.
I honestly did not see any grass come out of her mouth other than a little clear saliva. Are you sure you removed all the crop? If its that easy to remove it then why you veterinarians resort to surgery to remove them?
Trust me there was grass and a lot of bird seed, the seed was the main cause. Veterinarians remove impacted crop blockages that won't unclog with this method. It is not the first resort. Thank you for your comment.
@@askavettech2057 In another video, the person made their own elixir consisting of ginger, lemon juice, pepper powder, cinnamon powder, baking soda and syringed it into its mouth. Apparently it dissolved the impaction so no need to hold them upside down etc. Another syringed olive oil and massaged its crop to break it up.
Very interesting, I'm sure that there are a lot of ways to get rid of it! It depends on how bad it has gotten. I hope that you find relief for your hen
@@askavettech2057 I initially thought it was impacted crop but its much worse. It seems to be Mycoplasma Gallisepticum or Infectious Laryngotracheitus. Even the non bird expert vet wasn't certain. Cost me $312 with sum antibiotics to administer it but I don't think its going to make it and its my favorite chicken. Whats worse its contagious so most likely the other birds have it too. And theres no cure other than feeding them antibiotics for the rest of their lives.
@@askavettech2057 Took my hen to a poultry specialist vet today to find out it had Chronic Respiratory Disease and Marek's Disease. Paralysis of legs. It had to be put down. Spent another $300 today on her and to administer the rest of my flock from disease.
This was by far the most useful and practical video on line for helping a hen with an impacted crop. Thank you!
Your very welcome! Glad I could help!
@@askavettech2057 I'm trying to reply - not being allowed for some reason.
But thank you!
I see this, try closing RUclips down and try again!:)
@@askavettech2057 Thank you!
@angietorok8389 your welcome
I saved one of my hens by doing this! She had so much liquid in there, but as soon as I turned her upside down, it all came out. I did it three times and now the hen is thriving!! Thank you!!
I'm SOO happy to hear that!! Great job!!
Thank you so much. My lavender is bulging. Soon as I started working it with her upside down she started drooling. I was afraid of what to do until I saw your video.
Im SO glad I was able to help, make you more comfortable! Keep a close eye on her!
This was by far the BEST and most informative video on this subject. Thank you! I am treating my rooster for sour / impacted crop. Cleaned the crop out good, now am treating the infection with Mobistar mixed in with Greek yogurt. Im praying thus helps him. Been trying to clear this up for over a month now. Very upsetting to see my baby not well. He is only 5 months old.
I'm so sorry this is happening to your baby! Make sure that you are offering some form of grit to the feed or as a side supplement to help prevent this issue in the future! I am so glad that you found value in this video! 🥰
@@askavettech2057 yes thanks, good advice ! I am also offering medium sized grit now to them all ❤️🐓🥰
When she said to give them a break from the massaging @3:42 I was glad. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath too.
lol
Thank You for taking the time to make this video!! I’m about to save my chicken!!
I'm so happy to help! Good luck!!
Thank you so much for taking the time out to make this video, I had no idea they could suffer from this problem…..
Thank you so much for watching! glad you found value in it!
I just did this to save my chicken!!! Thank you so much!!
IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!
Thanks, I've got an old girl with this issue and hopefully your video will help me get her back to normal.😊
I sure hope so!!! fingers crossed
Thankyou so much for sharing this
Just cleared our girl
She's happy and cruising around with the other girls again
Much appreciated
Amazing!!! Glad to hear I could help!!
I'm thinking about getting chickens, so doing research. I'm glad you posted this. In reading the text below the vid, I was surprised to learn that chickens can get in trouble on new rich pasture, here I thought that was just a horse/cow thing. I have much to learn. Thanks.
Yup! it's more because they eat it in bulk.... and it can cause crop impaction. It doesn't happen too often, but I definitely wanted to touch on it! My poor girl ate a bunch of bird seed with millet in it, I believe (not 100% of the grain), but it was basically all that was coming out along with the liquids from her crop. She is doing well now though! I have had chickens for 10 + years. This is the 3rd one I've had with this issue, and mine are free ranged.
Thank you so much for this video. I think my pullet is suffering from impacted crop. She's not jerking her head or anything, but she's been isolating herself and is very sleepy, and I could feel her crop this morning when I checked her and it was full and hard. The thing is, she had diarrhea last night--is that something that would happen to a bird with an impacted crop? I don't want to be stressing her out if that's not what's wrong.
I love the "Assistants".....thx
Subbed. Tee in New Mexico❤
Thank you so much, this is so helpful to me because my hen is in the same condition right now, you are so wonderful
Aww thank you for your comment!! glad I could help!!
You are a chicken tender star!!
Thanks for the heads up on my favorite bird👍🏻
Glad I could be of assistance!!!!
A chicken tender.....like a McNugget.....hee hee.🤭
Hahahahhaa!!!🤣🤣🤣🤣 Love this comment!
TY for this. I’m a chicken newbie and I’ve heard of sour/impacted crop, but didn5 know what to do for it. Hope I ever have to, but good to have some idea!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the video and great info we have one sick with this. So when we get back home we have some work to do
I sure hope it helps!!
Great video! I feel bad for the chicken, but that process to relieve it was cool as hell to watch.
Thanks Julie!! I'm just super glad she is ok now!
This video is brilliant! Thank you for the extended filming, notes added and your care for your flock! An easy subscribe, like and comment.
I'm going through my first BC Winter with chickens. I think I, trying to help, might have created this problem, so I feel even worse. It's been brutally cold here this year (minus 25 Celcius at night) and my coop is insulated but not heated. So I got some beef and some beef fat from a butcher friend and I gave it to them, (started when it was so cold they wouldn't come out of the coop). I'm sure the pieces were too large and I've had one with her tail feathers tucked and totally lethargic.
So I've had her in a warmer area, in a crate overnight and have been checking her crop - now. I did see a frozen mess at her tail end - so figured she'd had diarrhea... (figured from too much fat and protein). I did Not find a noticeable lump in her crop but I do see a big ball of what looks like she threw up (or pooped) - in the coop with the others.
She is eating and drinking and back inside at night. I may have loosened it enough (with my naïve trying attempts before I knew what to do) that she passed it on her own. But the tail feathers were still tucked under and lethargic today, so inside last night, and tonight. Today I gave her another series of massages - much closer to the proper techniques (an,d RESTING periods) I now know - thanks to you!
But I think what was there, has passed. Hoping she is not lethargic tomorrow.
Your step-by-step with notations is excellent. I'm going to maintain status quo. Keep her at 13 C instead of minus 13 C in the coop and alone I can monitor what she eats and drinks in the morning.
I've left 'vitaminized chicken water' and added electrolyte to it - and she has some seed mix which has lots of grit, oyster shells and ground egg shells in it.
Sorry for the long DM - it's apparent you KNOW this stuff, so I guess my question - just flowed.
Thank you for a great video!
Ohhh my goodness! I'm so grateful for your comment! Makes my heart happy when I can help educate people! It's my true passion! Thank you and I'm glad your hen is doing better! Here are a few more tips for such cold weather -I'm in Michigan and we have had a brutal snap of cold too! Give them warm water, if you can, and I like to mix up some oatmeal (just the regular cooking oatmeal) in some warm water and feed it to them! It helps warm them internally! Lots of deep bedding and watch those combs on top of their head, Moisture is your enemy not the cold, as long as they don't have a bunch of moisture in the coop, they should be just fine! I also give mine tallow because it helps, but small amounts:) Thank you for subscribing! Can't wait to help even more!!!
@@askavettech2057 Thank you so much Jill! Incredible to hear back from you - the same day!
I've been doing pretty much what you've suggested already. I've given them warm water mixed with 'vitaminized poultry supplement' and some sports electrolyte.
I didn't have oats but I was told to make a warm porridge mix from their feed pellets. They like that too!
I'm cutting back on the protein (was raw beef) and the fat, but going to chop it up finer.
I put an insulated, sliding window in the coop so when I saw moisture on it (ages ago in the wet fall) I'd open it an inch on rainy days - but I think it's vented - I planned for that, knowing cold is okay but moisture is bad.,
Can we connect via email? I cannot phone you in MI, (Canadians invented the telephone - but we still pay more than anyone else in the world for service!) but if you are able - I would love to be able to chat further? It's clear you really know what you're talking about - and you care!
Thank you. My email follows.
Have a great day - minus 14 here and snow piling up. I don't expect the hens to come out of the coop today either. I'll bring the one that's not well, out there for the day with sisters. Then if tail still tucked this afternoon - another massage session and inside again tonight.
Sorry for being verbose. You're very helpful!
Lost 2 birds to impacted crop. Didn't know what it was and did all of this but it was too late. So much stuff came out of 3 birds. Watching them all closely, very good video.
I am SO sorry you lost 2 birds im glad you are now able to help your flock. I hope you do not loose anymore birds
@@askavettech2057 Thank you so much. This is our first time with hens and had no idea they could get an impacted crop free ranging. Will keep the grass short!
What if the chickens comb is pale ? Do I still try this ? How hard do you massage ? I think I was being too gentle
if the comb is pale, it is in distress. Use caution not to stress the chicken more. Massage the crop with medium pressure....you don't want to squeeze/ or pinch hard, You just need to disturb the contents inside.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I had a chicken (3 months old) that was unhappy all day with sounds of distress. The others were harassing her too. So I did an exam and checked the neck. Yep a solid lump (the crop) was not moving. I did massage her and she seem to like it and things started moving a bit, so I knew I was on the right track. I brought her in the house, and fed (like you did) by syringe some dissolved digestive enzymes in water. Same that I take with meals. (I do this with my dogs when they get hold of baby rabbits or birds and you know they just swallow it whole. So we do the enzymes down the throat and dissolve whatever it is. Did the same with this chicken.) The crop softened and the massaging got it moving down. She did two syringes (insulin size) over time. The lump moved to the stomach or gizzard area and was soft. Kept massaging. The lump broke up and slowly became smaller. She was sore down there, so I massaged the lower chest with some comfrey oil to lighten any discomfort. It worked and I kept massaging. The whole thing broke up and disappeared. Soon she was calm and ready to sleep. So I put her in the 'hospital' crate with the other chicken patient, and she drank and ate a little. Every is now settled down for the night and it seems everything is peaceful again. This whole process consumed about two hours. I think I saved her and she is feeling better. So the digestive enzyme method seems to have worked on this bird, like it does when my dogs capture wild things and eat them (I know I hate it when they do that!). It's another technique to think about. I must mention her crop was not as swollen as your chicken in the video. So I was lucky. It pays to be an observant mom! I'll let you know how it turns out tomorrow.
I'm so glad that she is feeling better!!! fingers crossed that she is better! Thank you for your comment! ❤️❤️
@@askavettech2057 Yes, our stopped up girl, made it over night. And was perky and had a 'flat stomach' this morning. She ate the fermented feed I fed her this morning, with much zest and enthusiasm. She's now downstairs chilling out in the 'hospital room' with the other two in our cool garage. Too hot for them outside. I suggest everyone think defensively and have some human digestive enzymes available. Stuffing them with enzymes in water, dissolves the plug ups! and was easy and quick. Barb NV
@WashoeValleyCollies enzymes, like that of a vitamin? Do you dissolve it in water?
where would they get these enzymes??? Can you share a link??
Love this!!!!
Thank you thank you for showing us how to do this. Just treated our hen the same way as you described. She drank the oil . Hopefully she will feel much better in the morning if Jesus doesn’t bring her home. I would never had know what to do if it hadn’t been for you. Here’s my question, what caused this and how to avoid it from happening to others
First off, I am sorry you and your Hen are going through this, and I hope she is ok in the morning. Secondly, great question. There are many reasons it can happen, but most commonly... they need to have grit available at all times, of different shapes and sizes. Grit sold in the store is a great option. If the hen starts eating large amounts of materials that are hard to digest, it starts to be an issue. Some of these items can be long grasses, hay from nesting area, wood chips from the floor of the coop, feathers, and any other indigestiable items. Sometimes they will eat these things when they are being challenged for food at the feeder, or if they are free ranged they can just start eating it and then become obsessed with the activity, more than the food substance, causing them to keep eating it. To help combat the impaction risk, just make sure you have enough feeders for your flock, offer good quality Grit for your hens, and fresh clean drinking water, and stuff to do (if they are in an enclosed area) like treats or food on the ground to scratch and do the butt wiggle to find food... mental stimulus can help keep them from eating silly stuff. If they have all these things all of the time, you reduce the risk of impacted crop.
Thank-you! Seeing this was so helpful!
good luck!!
What would you suggest if her crop is hard like a rock and not fluid is in it. The vet told me to place a catheter tube and syringe fluids in. I am not brave enough to do this. What would you do. She is having spasms. It’s going on a week and she hasn’t passed it. I was trying home remedies with no success. So the vet put her on antibiotics and anti fungals. I waiting to hear back from them too. Thank you!
Thanks for demonstrating this, will be doing it tomorrow (on the Total Solar Eclipse lol) and using your video as my guide
Best of luck!
You are awesome for sharing this information with us! THANK YOU!!
Awww! That's so kind! I am so glad to be able to share it! Your so welcome!
Thank you so much for this video i have a older hen going through this atm shes lost so much weight and now swollen at the rear any advice regarding this?
Give her a soak in a warm Epsom salt bath1/4 cup of epsom salt. She sounds like she is uncomfortable, and if she is passing a bit piece of something (which is rare- but can happen. She will need the way out moistened. After soaking, put a little oil around the vent. * The vent is the place wear eggs, and pop both come out. Continue to monitor her. I will pray for you guys, this is SO hard.. when you have a hen that has been so sick for so long.
any update? How is she doing now?
I'm dealing with this now in one of my Cream Legbars. She had a massive softball-sized crop last week, and I'm pretty sure she ate some grass clippings. I've been giving her oil and digestive enzymes and massaging her, and she's been pooping clumps of grass, but there's still a small, hard ball in her crop every morning. How can I break up this small ball so that I can try your method? I am so nervous to make her vomit, but I think that's our only option at this point.
The small hard mass, might break up if you get rid of some of the contents in the crop... I know you are scared, but I think this is her best option at this point. Just massage her really well, before you turn her over, and then only massage to your comfort level, It comes out Like a baby spit up, if that makes sense, it's not really violet puking. If you are not comfortable doing the procedure maybe call up another Chicken keeper that you know and see if they would help. *Also Great work on getting the soft ball size mass down!!!!! 👏 I would also add in some apple cider vinager to her water, it is full of good, beneficial bacteria that can help too! Best of luck and keep me posted
@@askavettech2057 Thank you so much for the reply and for the encouragement! Yes, she has definitely improved since this started, with the ball in her crop feeling more like a golf ball now as opposed to a big softball. She pooped A LOT last night, mostly little clumps of grass again, so I think what's left is finally breaking down, although slowly. I am going to see how she does today, and if the ball is still there tomorrow morning, she's going to get this treatment. I'll keep you posted! Thanks again for helping so many people and chickens!
@a.d.2719 I'm so glad to hear that she pooped a lot out last night! 🤞 She will be good to go in the morning
Thank you for this info, I think thats what is going on with our chicken😢, u are a blessing!!❤
Awww, well I sure hope you get her fixed up quick! Also let me know if you have questions!
@@askavettech2057 k, Thank u,under her beek,between her wings in front, like her chest us all puffed out & its hard clear up under her beak, she's resting her head on it...we gave her Epson salt warm bath, now in a box in the house w/ towels, waiting on my hubby to come help me, I have olive oil, we crushed food & worms, but I took that away, so she just has water & we gave her some with electrolytes eye dropper, dried her after her soak, she's just standing ,sleeping, can't really move
@tamiefoster4072 with hold her food completely- just offer a small amount of water
@@askavettech2057 we have withheld her food, only give her drops of water, thank you
Ma'am, I did it for about 40 minutes. I was constantly massaging the area. I also gave her 10ml of olive oil. I got a few drops to come out, but nothing else. She actually fell asleep upside down. 😂
40 mins and she took a nap!!! Wow! That crop massaging must feel great to her! Give her a rest for today, and then try again tomorrow- dont feed her tho.
This was the best I have seen so far❤ thank you
awww thanks so much!
this was really helpful--thank you. My girl's crop feels loose and very gritty--like a bean bag. There's a firm ball at the bottom, but she's eating, drinking and pooping. Yesterday I saw her make a couple of gulping motions. Is it possible that the grit is not passing through? The ladies broke into a back of bird seed that I left on the stoop aver a week ago--could that still be in there?
Thank you so much. I did everything you suggested and some seeds came up. He's a 2 yr old rooster and its been 3 days and he's still doing the head twisting thing, yet when I repeated the crop massage yesterday, nothing came up. There is no engorged crop palpable. What can I do at this point? He hasn't eaten for three days and only drank a little water yesterday. I'm giving him coconut oil as he'll take that readily. Help please ! 🙏🏼🐓❤️🔥
please email me at askavettech123@gmail.com
@@askavettech2057 thank you so much ! I found out it's wry neck so I gave him pureed pumpkin, broccoli and strawberries and some selenium. I'm getting some Vit E and new feed that includes vit E and selenium . He's already improving, thank God! I rescued him and he's such a nice companion for keeps ! He's part of the family so I really appreciate your prompt response and email 🥰🙏🏼❤️🔥😘🐓😇
One of my chickens vomited a slimy substance one evening. I figured it was from the crop. Not sure which one it was but it was a large amount of slimy jelly clear substance. So they can vomit. Good information to help with the Chicken Crop. I'd be afraid the chicken might aspirate. Which wouldn't be good.
Very interesting, I wonder what the jelly substance was. I wonder if the crop was so full that it just came back up??? I'm not sure, All I know is that I have never seen one vomit and was taught they can not vomit. But I'm sure there is a reason for it, and it sounds like that stuff needed to come up regardless. I sure hope your chicken is ok. Aspiration is hard to do when you're forcing the chicken to clear it's crop and it comes out pretty forcefully along with the chicken shaking their head after the crop substance comes up. But Aspiration can happen when your adding the oil by mouth, but highly unlikely. I'm glad you found value In some of the information:)
@@askavettech2057 It definitely was good advice. Now I know what to do in the event one my chickens end up with sour crop.
@@askavettech2057 I just happened to be outside 2 days ago and heard a gurgle from one of my hens and then she threw up right in front of me. I am new to all of this and had no idea what the heck could be wrong with her. Sure enough I am treating her for sour crop. Using water with egg yolk and some olive oil. Also using greek yogurt with oil. She is already doing better, I think/hope I caught it early enough so I don't have to turn her upside down!
Thank you so much for this demonstration video. I'm a new chicken keeper and my Leghorn currently has an impacted crop that I noticed yesterday. I followed your technique and she got rid of some liquid with a bit of food. I was wondering if you do this more than once a day? I tried to get some olive oil down her but that did not go well. Will try again later this afternoon.
I do it until I see improvement, throughout the day, you could try putting the olive oil in a small amount of water say in a dish and see if she will drink it?? maybe that would go better
I did this today and dammm she had lots of food hopefully 2nd day it’s all good I had 2 hens in the last that I didn’t know what to do and they died on me took a pic and posted on BYC backyard chicken and they told me what it was searched up ur vid and thanks thanks thanks :)
I am So Happy You found this video!!! Make sure you are offering some kind of grit and oyster shells, they help her grind up that food! If you need more help feel free to message me
I have to do this to my pet chicken, I’m so scared I don’t want her to die I love her🐣🐾🙏💜🐶
If you don't feel comfortable you could always take her to the vet, they can do wonders for her as well.
@@askavettech2057 oh it worked ( thank you I just wrapped her in a fluffy fleece jacket that feels like a towel and leaned her forward) thank you so much (🐣🐣💜🌱you really are a professional
I'm SOOOO happy to hear that!!! thank you so much!!
Are you managing in a mouth Ward direction like a toothpaste tube or just moving around?
Moving the impaction around, massaging, like mixing the contents inside- but not squeezing hard. Imagine it like a Ballon inflated to what ever size the chickens crop is, you want to massage but never so hard that your fingers would be touching while massaging. Is that more clear?
@@askavettech2057yes! Thanks for that!!
Thank you for this video!
absolutely!
Thank you
Thank you for this video. I thought this might be what my hen has, but as im feeling her neck it seems she has someone stuck in her throat, not her crop. She did vomit some white smelly stuff, but her neck still feels like it has bones out of place. She tries to eat the cooked eggs I've given..but seems pretty hard fir her to swallow. Any thoughts?
That is a hard one, because when the crop is too full, often the contents will creep into the throat, does her crop feel small? Maybe she did eat something very hard and can't get it out. Has she drank water?
Not sure how you know this is the issue. Your saying its something they ate? My daughter had a chicken given to her so it doesnt know us much. Saw it was bringing up clear fluid after drinking water. The chicken did have chix poop. It was attacked by the neighbor dog by the fence and its leg was injured. So not sure about holding it by the legs. It Was limping but improving. Some of the scale on the leg is missing. Looks like the only way to do this. Any suggestions? Great video.thank you.
Yes, you can hold the chicken under your arm like a football hold almost, just don't squeeze to hard, just enough to hold it, then massage the crop (you might get messed on by the stuff coming out though. Because you will be closer to it. How many times have you seen the clear liquid?? If just one time and the crop feels normal don't do this. sometimes they just get too much water and shake their head to get it out of there mouth/ throat. But if you see this multiple times it is more than likely the issue. How is the rest of the chickens body after being attacked? Poor Chicken, but that unfortunately can happen. I would look to make sure there are no other body injuries before proceeding to cleaning the crop. Hope this helps 🙏🏻
What if this doesn't work? How much do you think of that would charge to fix this? Thanks for your help. Have a chicken right now with a narly impacted crop🤝🤝
Think a vet** would charge 👌
That is a great question, it depends on the vet. You could always call ahead and ask them for an estimated cost of service, most will give you a ball park figure of how much an office call and how much to actually see the vet. For most offices seeing a chicken is the same office call as a dog or cat, or another bird. If you find a large animal veterinary office they might see it and it could be a cheaper route.
Ty so much..I waisted 15 minutes on another video about sour crop..blablabla.. Giggle giggle giggle.. got aggravated and stopped watching and then found your right to the point video..ty ty ty!!
Thank you so much! I sure hope your chicken gets better soon!
This was helpful. Thank you.
You are so welcome! glad I could help
I am about to embark upon a chicken mama journey and seeing all the SM posts about the impacted crops had me terrified, but this seems to be a very humane and simple treatment! I have also watched others provide the chicken some 'meat tenderizer' to loosen up the croup - is this something you would do or recommend? Thanks in advance!
Chicken keeping is such a fun and rewarding experience!! They are SO fun to watch and take care of! I 100% recommend get some! They are usually pretty low maintenance. It would not hurt the birds, and if it helps, BONUS!
Sorry about this chicken's problem, but she must feel better at the end! It looks like the white chickens want to be the clean up crew!
Yes, always a clean-up crew with chickens around! I'm so glad she feels better, too!!🤩
I can't imagine this being successful with an impaction. All I saw was liquid coming out. The crop impactions I have seen are big wads of grass and plant matter. Does massaging it really break it down enough to remove?
yes, it does, just have to keep massaging. It depends on how long it has been impacted. if the impaction is really severe then it might need to go the the vet.
So if a chicken cannot vomit on it's own, why did my chicken randomly vomit? She was just waking around pecking at stuff on the ground then had a bunch of slimy looking gunk come pouring out of her mouth. I'm pretty sure say this point that she has this problem.
I would say that is sour crop, she need treatment for that, I have been away on vacation and I didn't have good enough service to fully reply and I apologize for that. Using the same technique to remove a crop
impaction, clear some of the stuff she has in there, and then start her on some apple cider vinager in her water and feeding her some plane greek yogurt, with a few meal worms mixed in (sometimes they won't eat just the yogurt) she needs good probiotics added into her crop to help her combat the sour. Getting the pH corrected will stop the fluid from coming out. It's basically caused by fermentation of feed in the crop. you will want to withhold the regular food for a few days to give thr treatment time to work. If you don't see improvements in a few days she might need to see the vet
@@askavettech2057 please, no need to apologize, good grief you're on vacation and still responded quickly when 90% of the time I don't even get a response to comments on other's RUclips vids. Plus the fact that you've responded to nearly every comment on this video is super impressive and really shows you care.
As to my hen, at first I thought her crop felt like what you described in your vid but I checked again and checked another hen for comparison and they're both close to the same. The one in worried about felt only slightly bigger but felt like a squishy water balloon. But her comb is pale and kinda flopped over and she's panting a lot so she clearly has something going on so I isolated her late last night with just a bowl of water to see if her crop is the same today(it was a very long sleepless night so I after finally getting about 3hrs I just woke up and haven't checked yet) and to see if she's pooping or lays any eggs. My only other thought on why she's panting and whatnot is due to being in pain. she injured her leg or foot somehow, I can't tell which as I can't find anything obvious, but I'm not sure that would cause the pale floppy comb. This is my first foray into the world of chicken ownership, I started out with 20 chicks, had my fav bird Roadrunner start behaving oddly, falling over and not able to get back up on her own, isolated her and figured out that she was getting too much salt from the water softener and it only affected her because she was half the size of the rest of them, got her back to normal and was going to put her back in with her flock the next day but somehow my mom's dog ended up getting closed in the room she was in, busted through the cage and ate the entire damn bird😭. the 19 I have left are now almost 16 weeks old and other than all of them being viscous little velociraptors I haven't had any problems with any of the other birds. I know when I'm way in over my head on something and that's definitely the case here. Unfortunately I'm my area we only have 2 vets that take chickens and both are outrageously priced(almost $200 for an office visit when our regular vet for the other animals charges $90) so there's just no way I can afford that plus whatever they'd charge for the actual treatment.
Anyway, I appreciate your response and help with my bird
@krazyinktattoossm Firstly, I appreciate you being a subscriber, and welcome to the parenthood of chickens! You have made it 16 weeks, and to no fault of your own, you have managed to only lose one, you're doing great! Secondly pain can cause them to become pale in color in the comb, but if you can't seem to find the injury, it's more likely a sprain, and those hurt, but most chickens only know- this is how I feel now, and try to compensate for injury or illness until it's to thr point they can't hid it anymore. That being said, if the chicken rested for 12 hours and the crop still feels really full, then I would suggest trying to clear the crop. When you do this, it's a fresh start for her. Just know that the fact her comb is pale she may need more breaks, just keep an eye on her. maybe massage for 10-15 seconds and then a break for 10 minutes... If you get yucky stuff out, you're doing well. Adding in the Apple Cider vinager is a great first step. Are you located in the USA? if so, the farm store sells a lot of chicken supplies/ supplements and something called VetRX that can be helpful too. Also one more thing, make sure you are offering the chickens a supplement of grit, they need that for healthy digestion.
@@askavettech2057 thank you so much. I'm all honestly I'm not a subscriber yet but fully intend on subscribing as soon as I'm done responding to you.
Her crop feels empty this afternoon but just to be cautious I'm keeping her isolated at least another night. I gave her a little yogurt and she was in heaven. I've been giving them grit but only started that maybe 2 weeks ago when I switched them from their starter feed. I'm not entirely sure how much to give them or if it's even the right size but I figured something was better than nothing. I've been busting my butt building them a coop and run, which is thankfully almost done, so they've been living in a spare bedroom in my house this whole time🤦♀️. Probably I should've built the coop before I bought the chicks but I had no idea how long it would take to build because I had wrongly assumed I would have help. I've done 90% of everything on my own from coming up with the plans, buying the supplies to all the actual building, first time for everything though I guess and I'm pretty darn proud of what I've accomplished.
Yes I'm in the US and am definitely going to get some emergency supplies from one of the farm stores here assuming they're not out of stock. We've had a lot of stuff out of stock at all the stores here recently, most of it has been the kind of stuff that's needed to grow your own food and raise livestock. I live in an area where there's a lot of farming and agriculture and so far as I know this is the first time we've ever had issues with shortages on these types of products. Pretty weird.
Again, thank you for all the info and guidance, I appreciate the heck out of it! I'mma go subscribe now😁
@krazyinktattoossm Well if you can't get what you need at the store amazon is a good place too! soon I will be doing a video about the items that are helpful for chicken owners, that will be helpful for you:)
I was away on holidays and my one girl got into hemp bedding and gorged on it. It's been 7 days (property sitter wasn't comfortable doing this sort of thing) - she's eating, drinking and pooping but I'm concerned she's not getting nutrients from her food. Her crop is huge - almost larger than yours in this video.
Now that I'm home I thought I'd give this method a try but I'm scared to death I'll cause her to aspirate. I am planning on starting with a gentle massage tonight then isolating her (with water available) overnight and trying this upside down method in the morning.
Am I too late? 😢 I have a vet appointment but couldn't get in for two more days. I don't want to lose her, but I don't want her to be dying a slow death.
If you ware worried about aspiration, then just give her water, keeping her hydrated is important, you could offer her some low sodium chicken or beef broth to help hydrate and give her some nutrients. If it's really big, I would wait for the vet
@@askavettech2057thank you 🙏
@NatashaTurner836 Your very welcome, monitor her close, for signs of distress, if you see it...then try to do the method, but only if you see it as a last resort. The vet will need to do surgery to remove that large impaction, because of the amount more than likely. Also may I suggest changing the bedding material to sand for the coop, and the resuable mats for the nesting boxes (they sell them on Amazon.. I would love an update, after you see the vet if you get a chance, my email is askavettech123@gmail.com
So wait. After yiu gsve her the oil, did you turn her over and massage again right away. Or did you rest her and then go back to it later?
I rested but I went back and massaged some more.
I have a rooster that is so impacted he is already turning purple... He will be rooster #5 that has died in ghe last month! But the only one with a rock hard crop. He is already too weak to move much, he is keeping his eyes closed and hunching a bit. I gave him ACV water, I guess I can try OO. With sour crop, I do what you do in this video. But a hard crop will be much more difficult. I have wondered, is it the high calcium in layer feed that kills my rooster's in 2-3 day's?? No hens are dying!
Well that sounds terrible, loosing that many birds:( I would worry that maybe they are eating something unusual to clog it up, such as wood shavings, or pine needles or long grass. How many hens do you currently have?? What is their normal food look like...
Great video! I have a question: I have a chicken who has a crop that hasn't been going down for days. Would that still be impacted crop? Also,.is there risk of them chocking or any food getting into lings when turning chicken upside down and back?
well if it has been not going down for a few days- then i do believe the crop is indeed impacted.... the risk of leaving the crop that way - definitely out weighs the risk of turning her upside down and forcing her to empty the crop...is there a risk yes- it's very common for aspirations to accure. They can swallow down things that are in the throat, just can't throw up.
I just came across your video and hope to reach out! I have a 9 day old chick that has a swollen crop. Would this method work on her? I just noticed last night. It's not huge but definitely noticeable
As a chick, they will usually clear this on their own, but do keep an eye on her. And don't free fed the chicks give them food a set amount and then pick it up, it helps to monitor how much they will eat at a time. Are you feeding along with some grit or ground oyster shells? they need that in order to grind up the food in the crop.
How is your chick doing?
I bought chicks on Monday this week and by Tuesday knew something was wrong. Massaging the crop did wonders on all 5 chicks. Went NPO over night then gave grit and water with apple cider vinegar in the morning. So far so good. My first time with any crop problems
@priscillawagner6205 I'm so glad everything is going well now! Have a super day!
That video was really helpful. I had an Easter egger hen with that. The only difference was that the hard ball was under her beak area in the center. Not further down where you showed us. She didn't make it. I probably should have taken more breaks with her, and I used diluted with water oil. Do you think it was an impaction that far up??
It's really hard to say. It could have been a mass or scare tissue from eating something that caused damage as she swallowed it down. The crop is in the chest area. It's really hard to say - they eat a lot of weird stuff.... Im so so sorry for your loss.
@askavettech2057 thanks. I now know what to do the next time. I was reading it, and it could have been a mass, too.. I hope you do more videos like this for us chicken keepers.. it is so valuable to us. My vet won't see chickens.
@lizdaugherty5607 I plan on it! Take a look through my video library :)
@@askavettech2057 thanks❤️
Thank you.
You are very welcome
One of our hens is now missing most of her toes & what's left is swollen. 😢 i can send a picture if helpful, just tell me how.
What can we do?
could it have gotten frost bite? If they get severe frost bite, the toes will die off, and the rest is swollen more than likely from a secondary infection. You can send me a photo at askavettech123@gmail.com. I'm sorry you are dealing with this issue.
It's possible we had temperatures down tp 1 degree which is very unusual in alabama and in the single digits for over a week back in january
Would it have taken that long for them to fall off?
it very well could have, did you notice any color change before they fell off? If not, then I would definitely be looking for scaley leg mites. They like to live up under the scales of the chickens legs and can cause infection and sometimes they will lose a toe or 2, but not likely a whole foot of toes, I would be frost bite did it.
Hello I know you won’t most likely reply but I hope you will, I’m a kid so don’t feel confident in what I’m doing at all, so my chicken wisteria dosent have a massive crop, and I had cleared her sour crop a few days before hand and isolated her for a bit before letting her go back out, now her crop is small and rather firm than what I’m used too, I don’t know though
Hello! I try to reply to all comments:) AWESOME name for a chicken, by the way!! So there might be something more inside there, such as grass wrapped in a ball or just stuff that is stuck.... Has she been pooping ok? If so, I'd let her back in with the flock, but keep an eye on her, make sure your offering good grit, and oyster shells, so she can use those to break up what is in there. Another thought it could be inflammation (or swelling) so maybe dont massage it for a couple days **unless she starts showing signs of not feeling well again. Then start treatment back over again. I'm so proud of you for working hard to fix the issues! If you need me again either reply here, or you can email me at furkidsandcoffee@gmail.com
Also make sure you subscribe so you can see all my chicken content, I have some good stuff there:)
. I tried massaging the area. I could feel seeds and it would flatten out, no big hard ball of anything. She has managed to lose all the feathers in that spot. I will check her in he morning and see if there's any change.
Losing those feathers could be from her plucking at the area of discomfort. She may have loosened the feather shaft and they are just falling out. Do you know how long she has been impacted?
@@askavettech2057 I've been noticing it for a while. But she was getting into a small nest that may have rubbed her.
@ritaroach3491 Ohh ok, well keep at it, if it goes flat you may have moved the ball of stuff down.. Check her crop in the morning! Fingers crossed its gets emptied over night!!!!
Any updates??
@@askavettech2057I've been busy. Checked the today. It's bigger than it was. I need to get it cleared out. I need to find a syringe and give some oil and try that. I will work on it tomorrow
Thanks for sharing 🍂🍃🍁
You are welcome!
great video, i'm now working on it🙂
How did it turn out???
Do you do the same thing for chikes with a impacted crop
What if the chicken has a pale comb? Can you do this then?
If the comb is pale, unfortunately means that the chicken is already under massive stress, if you don't do it then she will die, but if you do it- she could be stressed and also die/ or not.... kind of 50/50 on survival. That is a fine line. At this point I would recommend seeking veterinary care.
New chicken keeper 3 of mine have it so gonna have to try this
Best of luck to you and your chickens!
@@askavettech2057 I think I alittle worried of hurting then
That is normal to feel that way, but being impacted is very uncomfortable too.
@@askavettech2057 how long would you hand then upside down for before giving them a break
That is a great question, it depends on your chicken and their stress. I usually do no more than 2 minutes, and then give a break!
We are new chicken parents. We hatched 36 and split them w/ a friend. We have a 9 week old little gray hen (Easter Egger) with an apparent impacted crop. I've noticed it for a while, but didn't realize that meant anything was wrong - maybe it was just end of day before it processed through the night (again, new chicken parents ... and I work, so I don't see them every day ... my husband is retired and sees them regularly). He just seemed to notice it this week, so I guess it got bigger ... or was big when she came out in the a.m. Yesterday he massaged it he said for over an hour, can't feel any mass, doesn't seem sore, it's just swollen, but he can't get anything out. She still eats like a little pig though and doesn't seem unhappy. Not sure about pooping. Can anything else be the problem, that would make it swollen, as opposed to food? Or do we just need to keep trying until stuff does come out?
By the way, these are not free range, they are in a protected pen and coop condo. They have some grass, some garden scraps, protein rich chick feed and dirt for grit. Do we need to offer more abrasive grit??
Hello! Welcome to being Chicken parents!!! Sounds like it is impacted or soured... So if it were me....I would take her off her feed completely....Only offer water for 24 hours and then...try the crop massaging because if she is still eating a bunch then the impaction could be moving around w the food.... and allowing some food to go through...but not the suspected impaction. As for other things... It could be... I have seen corn cause an impaction, grass, string, and something simple as just one, over feeding can cause it. Chickens will try to eat pretty much anything!
I would also offer some oyster shell crumbles that you can get at your farm store...they are a litter rougher than just dirt... but they also give them calcium:) so it's good all around
@@askavettech2057 thank you so much for the advice! We're on it!
Let me know if you have more questions! happy to help!
I gave my girl 3cc of Monistat 7, totally, from a syringe for a week. First few days I also have her water and Greek yogurt with the same method. By day 4 she was back to normal.
Wow!!!! I am glad your chicken is ok because Monistat contains propylene glycol, which is Highly Toxic to birds. I'm not trying to be mean, I just want to educate. You are lucky that it didn't kill her. I'm am super happy that she is Ok!
this is what the rural vet recommended haha, must not be toxic levels cause he has saved many birds this way @@askavettech2057
More Questions 😊
Do we still need to be trying to make her throw up if we do not feel a mass in her crop, but it's still pretty big even this morning?
She's pooping fine, so stuff is moving.
We're still keeping her isolated (2 nights & day 2 now) with ACV water and my husband gave her some greek yogurt & part of a scrambled egg yesterday & again this a.m.
Should we continue isolation & giving her the probiotic suggestions (yogurt, acv, garlic, baking soda)? And I will add some more substantial grit this a.m.
Will it finally go down on its own?
Could it be pendulous crop?
So it could be Pendulous Crop, because stuff is moving through. I would offer the new grit, and a super light meal, to see what happens. If it is Pendulous crop, and it has a large distention, it may not go back to normal size...unfortunately. If she gorged herself at one point, that could also cause it. I don't believe that's the issue. Because of her age... but sometimes mother nature throws weird stuff into the animal world. She could have a birth defect internally that we can not see as well. For Pendulous Crop you with hold food completely for 24/48 hours and only allow water. To see if the size will go down. Take a photo of before and after. I will keep praying it resolves it self... I would say if it doesn't Monday... you might need to either take her to the vet. But its going to be the same cost as a dog or cat...so you will need to make that financial decision.
Thanks again! We'll keep trying & praying as well.
what does the oil do?
helps allow the blockage slip out better
TYSM
Your so welcome
Can I do the same method with a baby chick???
I have 1 that I have been giving her medication along with spicy eggs so she drinks water, I have cleared the crop about 98% but it's still a touch squishy. I tried to feed her a little bit of her regular food but I had to re empty her crop, is there anything that I need to give her to help clear her crop out the rest of the way?
That's tough... After she eats it take about 12-18 hrs for the crop to pass the food on through the body after having an impaction... So keep that in mind. A little bit in there still in there is not a bad thing....once food is reintroduce she should start passing things normal. I would offer her food/ but soaked in water to make it easier for the crop to digest! start with a small amount so you can be sure it doesn't get super large again.
We just found this video. Have issue with our hen. How much pressure on the crop massage?? Im a retired LMT i don't want to hurt the hen with being to forceful. Please help 🙏
You want to massage it with gentle force, the goal of the massage is to break up the contents in there, and to help get the juices moving to come out. So I'd say like the pressure you would apply say you are rubbing lotion on your legs..... hope that helps!
@@askavettech2057 Awesome, Thanks so much, we appreciate what you do.
I've been trying this with my rooster scary cuz of his claws but what else can I do because I don't think all of it is coming out
Well if his nails are really sharp you could wrap his feet in a thick towel, and hold them that way... but you may need to do this technique for a couple days, obviously not continuously- take lots of breaks...as in my video I had a couple days into getting the impaction all out. You could add in some oil, it helps to break up the impaction, and help it slip out easier. If after a couple days of working on him- it doesn't clear on its own- then you should consult a veterinary office and see if they can help your rooster out. But don't quit too soon, if you are getting some, keep going, as long as the rooster is tolerating it ok...and if it takes a few days and your putting him in a crate or cage away from the flock while you work on him, you could put socks on his feet and pull the sock up and tape the sock to his leg, to cover the spurs and nails...just an idea...don't leave them in over night!! and don't make them super tight to cut off circulation. Best of luck
Hii, thank you so much for this video. Sadly I think we noticed it too late. I tried my best and she is drooling but im scared to continue as her comb is purple. Shes keeping her eyes closed and shes weak. :(
Is there anything I can do for her at this point?
I am so sorry for your ill chicken and my delayed response, I had no cell service because I was camping. I would take it to the vet or put it down. :(
If its grass clippings, should the actual grass come out, or would it just be liquid too?
It could be liquid, because it tries to break it down. But, some grass might come out.
Hi, I have a new (to me) hen who came to us two nights ago with a hard crop. Today was day two and it’s the same. She’s had some grit and was offered water with ACV in it. I gave olive oil yesterday. Today, I kept her in a cage most of the day without food (just water) and she was pooping. Could she die overnight if I don’t try this tonight? It’s dark now and she is asleep in a crate in my house.
Hello, welcome to the channel! Asking if she will die, tha is hard for me to answer, if she is resting, I would leave her this evening. Do you have a history of how long the crop has been impacted???
@@askavettech2057 thanks so much for the quick reply! I don’t have that info. The lady I got her from didn’t know about it. The hen also had a dirty bum, so I rinsed her and trimmed some feathers yesterday. She also has some respiratory issues. She sneezes every now and again and I can hear that nasal gurgle kind of sound, but I’ve definitely heard worse in a chicken. I’ve applied VetRx 3x today to her beak. She’s a Barred Rock and her weight is good.
I try to reply right away if I can! I appreciate you subscribing to the channel :)
So, being that she has other issues, I would definitely keep her away from everyone until she is well. I'm sorry that you got a hen with lots of issues. I am thinking out loud here- she maybe is an older hen, you maybe fighting a losing battle. I would say, wait until morning, see how she is doing, try the massaging her, try to break it up, give her more oil, and keep massaging. If you can't seem to get anything to come up, she might have had this impaction for a while....
and those ones are SO difficult to remove on your own. You may have to take her to the Vet to have surgery. But we will keep an open mind and pray she passes this impaction. Best of luck and please keep me updated!
@@askavettech2057 she’s about 1.5 years old and I did let her sister/friend sleep with her tonight because she walked into the crate with her and laid down. I couldn’t say no for tonight… I will massage it tomorrow. So, you would not hold her upside down tomorrow, just massage?
@@askavettech2057 I’ve done this several times today and it’s helped so much! Do I keep going and withhold food until the crop is empty?
Does this work in chi KS? My baby bantum polish frizzle ate puppy pad .
HELP
I think I would try, because you don't want to leave that in there!!! If not I'd take it to the vet- because idk if the stuff In the puppy pad can be toxic
@@askavettech2057thank you❤
Have a beautiful blessed day
@mechelleh8883 You as well, keep me posted!
@@askavettech2057 My chick is doing fine. Thank you 😊
@mechelleh8883 that's wonderful news
please reply me i am in stress my chicken had swallow a rubber band what should i do
were you able to read my reply? I does show up on my end?
My reply is missing so I am going to just send it again..... first off...I am sorry you are going through this with your Hen. The rubber band should be able to be broken down in the gizzard, I would personally not worry about it.. but if you are, you could keep that chicken separated to be able to monitor her. Things to watch for would be her not eating or drinking.
I had a large piece of Styrofoam blow into my yard during a storm, and my flock ate about 1/2 of a sheet of it... they were just fine after eating that the body will just push it out as waste products. They can eat a lot of weird stuff if they are free ranged, but the issues come in when they eat a LOT of something. I know that must have been scary, I am sorry that I was having technical difficulties on my end
Thank u i am now tension free .
@islamzindabad12359 If your not already hit thar subscribe button so you don't miss any of the new chicken content I'm putting out in the future!!
thank u i am your channel member
Can you do this for sour crop? When I pick up my chicken, fluid comes out. How do I prevent aspiration?
I'm so sorry you are going through this.... Please email me for further instructions- askavettech123@gmail.com
Can you do a video on mites?
I sure can!!! great suggestion- I did one recently about broody hens, and there is some mite info in there, but I'll do one just on mites, and tag you in it
hi great video, but I think something else is wrong with my rooster.. about a month or so ago I noticed he started to get white tips on his front feathers... then it seemed like he started slowing down a little bit.. then 9 days ago, he started eating a whole lot less and started drinking a lot less water, 7 days ago , he started coughing , sneezing, but nothing else visually seems wrong. He is progressively eating less, especially in late afternoon. He also is crowing only about a half dozen times a day now, and he cant make any other regular noises except a very low like wheezing. 3 days ago I put him on vetafarm triple c antibiotics and b12. But he is not really improving .. What do you think this could be?....
How old is your rooster?
@@askavettech2057 I dont know, I got him five years ago... and he was already a full adult .. so at minumum six years old
@@askavettech2057 a min six, could be much older, im thinking i may need to feed tube him? but trying to figure out what happened, thought it just might be like a cold at first... but i have no idea.. His red part below the eye, has white nobs on it.. not sure if that is related
they can live for about 5-8 years on average. If I had to guess he is going through a stress type molt (the wing color change) and then the sickness is probably bringing on the stress molt. As for what is wrong with him it is more than likely an upper respiratory type sickness, and the medication you are using could not be strong enough to kill the bacteria or virus. Where I would start is a clean coop, making sure the coop is clean and the water source is clean. Most sicknesses for chickens comes from a dirty pen/ coop/ food or water source, I would start there. If your coop is clean and no issues there I would remove this rooster from the coop and I would make sure it is getting enough meds, and that it is eating and drinking. From there if it doesn't get better a trip to the vet.
@@askavettech2057 thx, i cleaned it up, .. I have an appointment with a vet tomorrow... I ll keep you posted.. thx again for your response
How do you prevent it from happening???
GREAT question!!! You would feed a balanced diet of chicken food, limit free range activities to freshly mowed grass, bird feeders and any new foods that they have never had before, don't feed just corn, and always keep fresh water and some sort of grit available for them to use.
do you think i can do this with a dove nestling?
I am not sure. Please consult an avian vet. I wish you the best luck!
I was wondering if you could do a video about chicken intestinal shedding. Is this something that occasionally happens in a normal healthy chicken?
Thank you for your suggestion! I will make a video on that soon! It's on my list! It is something that happens occasionally... But if you are seeing it for a week or more... take a small fecal sample to the vet and have them run a fecal test on it. Just to make sure...another indicator if it's parasites could be the chickens are off food or water, or they act off..
@@askavettech2057 Thank you so much Jill. I love your videos. ❤
I so appreciate your feed back!!
Hey!!
My chicks corp is really swelled out.i wouldn't call it a baby chick but it's still small but does have some feathers.Basically now since a few days i guess like since 2 days ago his corp was swelled out a lot yesterday i messaged it abit but nothing helped i think its a sour corp since the chick really has no energy and just sits here and there all day he does eat and drink but once again his corp is huge.i gave him some yougurt rn (he didn't eat much) and did give him garlic water too could u tell me if this is a sour corp? And if so how should i treat it.also i tried this vomiting method but it didn't work..a quick response would be great please, really wanna save him also physical description of the corp would be like a huge kinda like a swollen ball kinda yellow but mushy and soft really have been stressed out about it.and to mention idk what's it called since im not a pro or anything i just randomly decided to raise a few chicks but the thing above their corp attached to their necks its kinda like idk meat? It grew like since his corp swelled out idk i feel like i shoukd mention it.
Also should i isolate him i feel like that would be way too harsh on him since he is still a baby.
I apologize, for not answering quickly, as I am on vacation- But the crop should feel like a soft ballon...when it's empty, when it is full they still feel
like a Ballon but full of say- sand, or beam bag. If it is very firm, there is a likely chance it's impacted, sour crop feels like it is full of mush or liquid. Baby chicks that are not offered grit will get an impacted crop- and sometimes they will eat woof chips, or straw bedding. I don't have a good suggestion for a baby chick with a sour crop. That would need to be taken to the vet or put down. you tried yogurt, and that would be the only thing safe for babies. I'm so sorry.
hiii my baby chick have same problem.. what should i do? please help
You can do the same treatment just about 1ml of oil, and gently massage the crop. If you can, separate the chick using a divider In there pen so it doesn't get lonely. also add some fine grit to their food
Hello! I feel hard bits and it won’t come loose… i tried oil and messaging for days.. anyone can help me?
If you have been doing this process and it is not coming out, you may need vet care, sometimes what ever is in there may be too big to come back up.
Let mine free range yesterday and they aren’t used to. Came home today and one was in nesting box all day. She has huge crop. Did what you did but before I started she was already releasing fluid from mouth. She continues to leak nasty fluid from beak sitting in my arms. Is that normal?
there is probably some grass stuck, try massaging more, upside down. Long grass can get balled up in there, the quicker you can get that out the better
how did it go? Did more stuff come out?
Why is she not flapping her wings?
Is this the same as "sour crop" ?
So when you turn a chicken upside down, they only flap for a very short time, and then they relax. This particular chicken is in distress, and that is why she's doesn't flap her wings. As far as sour crop, an impaction causes sour crop usually. The sour crop comes from when the crop doesn't empty properly/ a yeast Infection in the crop, caused by eating improper foods, or moldy food. Anything that disrupts the normal bacteria of the crop can cause sour crop.
Great video! I have a question okay so I have a one week old baby chick that got impacted crop and it’s also filling with air , I took her to the vet this morning and they took the air out and told me to massage her like I have been but I’m scared it’s going to fill up with air again , she also hasn’t been eating just sleeping and I don’t want her to starve herself to death WHAT DO I DO NOW
Wow... What a unique case you have here.....I have seen it before but in adults... I would guess.. that she is filling with air in the crop from an air sack... Don't fret too much because...doing the massage will help get air out....and help it heal. In the mean time you do need to feed her... You can massage her in the UP right position...and she won't vomit! Soo something easy like plain yogurt , Greek would be better yet, because of the protein and fat in it. You can offer it on a plate or something flat, or by syringe. Being she is so young...you should do this with her alone...so you know how much food she is actually eating. Take a photo before she eats...and then after... to compare air size. Baby chicks can get hurt from the flock/ mama hen... Thats why I think air sack filling it back up. If you keep massaging.. you should hear burps, or gas expelling slowly. Just don't get rough with the crop, soft and gentle:) Please let me know how she is doing after a few days! Also give her water....she can go a little while without food... but not long without water. OHH and Keep her warm...if she's not warm enough....she won't eat!
And thank you for your kind comment!
@@askavettech2057 you are genuinely the most amazing person I have ever met on here! Unfortunately that baby chick was just to tiny and had so many issues she didn’t make it😭 BUT I found another baby with the same problem , I pulled all of my babies from outside and brought them in so I can control what they are eating so they don’t eat who knows what outside with momma… but plain Greek yogurt to feed this baby chick, gentle massages, lots of water and warmth and hopefully this baby can recover
That is a very sweet comment!! I'm very passionate about helping others care for their animals ( AKA: other family members)! I sure hope that this one recovers quickly
Since your on here now I have one more question for now lol why does her crop keep filling with air? & if the massages don’t work what’s my next step? I really can’t lose another baby 😢😢
If the massage doesn't work, take her to the vet. You could have some kind of sour crop issue or fungal issue going on. And make sure to bring any others that seem maybe off food or sick at the time you take the other... did you have these born at your house? or Purchase them from a store?
I ahd a chicken baby of 5 months
He didn't eat From two days
Massage isn't working
How long can a Chicken can survive hunger?
Plz reply 🙏
I am so sorry to hear you are having this problem. I am not sure on the exact number of days, but usually a week if they eat absolutely nothing. You could try to offer some water with devolved sugar in it, to help keep him hydrated and the sugar is a little something to keep hi
going. they also make an electrolyte mixture that they sell at my local farm store called fix a chick, that is helpful when they are ill. are you getting anything out when you massage the crop? I will try to check your comment throughout the day.
@@askavettech2057 nope!
His throat is swelled
Only saliva came out
We gave up on him,
He has Rani khet
He is going to be slaughtered 😭
I am so sorry
@@askavettech2057thanks for your time mam
Your welcome
Pls help me my baby chick has this condition is that normal 😞
How old is the baby chicken?
My week old chicks have this! I’m feeding fermented chick starter. I’m going to feed oil and massage but what else? Can I do the same method with them?
I would withhold food, and see if it clears naturally, they are pretty little to start them out on fermented food, dry is best until they are around 12 weeks old. Also make sure they have access to grit that helps it to be digested by the crop.
The best video
Thank you a ton!!
No one should turn their bird upside down unless they want to kill it. A vet can show you the proper way to treat an impacted crap.
As a chicken owner, if you leave an impacted crop full, it will kill the bird. Sometimes you need to choose your battles... And many of my viewers have homesteads, taking a 6$ chicken to the vet for a 500$ bill is not practical. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, then by all means, please take your chicken to the vet. I appreciate your comment.
Hey. I tried this. My hen is not eating anything. She is just drinking liquids. When i tried this technique on her she vomitted but she drinks it when it is still in her mouth. Plzz help me. I have to save her.
How long has she just been drinking?? If she has gone longer than a week with out attempting to eat food, it's time for a trip to the vet, her crop impaction will more than likely need surgery treatment. Sometimes they eat large amounts of grass than can ball up and get twisted, and is unable to come out her mouth- it sounds like it.
Her crop impaction just started today. And I am 100 percent sure that she didn't eat any grass or plastics like things.
What about a poopy butt too I think I have a yeast problem. 😥
how old is your chicken?
❤❤❤❤❤
I honestly did not see any grass come out of her mouth other than a little clear saliva. Are you sure you removed all the crop? If its that easy to remove it then why you veterinarians resort to surgery to remove them?
Trust me there was grass and a lot of bird seed, the seed was the main cause. Veterinarians remove impacted crop blockages that won't unclog with this method. It is not the first resort. Thank you for your comment.
@@askavettech2057 In another video, the person made their own elixir consisting of ginger, lemon juice, pepper powder, cinnamon powder, baking soda and syringed it into its mouth. Apparently it dissolved the impaction so no need to hold them upside down etc. Another syringed olive oil and massaged its crop to break it up.
Very interesting, I'm sure that there are a lot of ways to get rid of it! It depends on how bad it has gotten. I hope that you find relief for your hen
@@askavettech2057 I initially thought it was impacted crop but its much worse. It seems to be Mycoplasma Gallisepticum or Infectious Laryngotracheitus. Even the non bird expert vet wasn't certain. Cost me $312 with sum antibiotics to administer it but I don't think its going to make it and its my favorite chicken. Whats worse its contagious so most likely the other birds have it too. And theres no cure other than feeding them antibiotics for the rest of their lives.
@@askavettech2057 Took my hen to a poultry specialist vet today to find out it had Chronic Respiratory Disease and Marek's Disease. Paralysis of legs. It had to be put down. Spent another $300 today on her and to administer the rest of my flock from disease.
This process can chowk her. Its not that easy. It depends on the situation of the crop.
I appreciate your comment but that's why I always say if you're not comfortable, please seek veterinary care.
Such a helpful video!