The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: twizzel on October 13, 2020, 06:06:44 pm

Title: Sour crop
Post by: twizzel on October 13, 2020, 06:06:44 pm
I have a young pullet (bought last week as point of lay) with sour crop. Does anyone have any tried and tested remedies either home made or shop bought. I’d like to try to save her if I can seeing I just bought her  :roflanim:  thank you  :thinking:
Title: Re: Sour crop
Post by: Fleecewife on October 13, 2020, 06:44:53 pm
I'll be watching for an answer to that question twizzel.   :fc: someone has an answer.
As a comfort, I just bought new hens too and one of mine has wry tail.  I didn't want an exchange as she would only have had her neck wrung and apparently it shouldn't affect her laying. 


Title: Re: Sour crop
Post by: twizzel on October 13, 2020, 07:02:22 pm
Doing a bit of research and British hen welfare says to starve, give apple cider vinegar on an empty crop, and try a small amount of food 12 hours after. Will try this tomorrow and let you know how she goes. For now she’s tucked up in a deep straw house away from the other hens  :unwell:
Title: Re: Sour crop
Post by: Possum on October 14, 2020, 03:50:04 pm
Can you feel a lump in her crop, indicating that food is getting stuck there? If so, I have had good results from feeding a diet of fishing maggots for a few days. I know it sounds gruesome but it seems to work. Most fishing shops will sell you live fishing maggots (by the pint for some reason). Chickens love to eat them and swallow most of them whole. Maggots then eat through the food stuck in the crop, thus clearing the obstruction.


Keep the chicken away from grass (long grass is often the cause of the blockage) and feed a low fibre diet.
Title: Re: Sour crop
Post by: Fleecewife on October 14, 2020, 10:49:00 pm
Most interesting idea  :thumbsup:   Maggots are also great for clearing up footrot in sheep, better than purple/blue spray, as long as you don't leave them there for too long
Title: Re: Sour crop
Post by: twizzel on October 15, 2020, 08:55:05 am
Definitely no impaction and they have no grass in their run. She was brighter yesterday  :fc: