The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Wellieboots on November 17, 2009, 05:10:01 pm
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Hello folks
One of my Black Rocks is absolutely tickitie-boo in all aspects except that I think she has an impacted crop. It obviously looks larger than the other birds, sometimes like she has swallowed a golf ball & then some. It has a "gel" like feel near the base which is at odds to all the other birds, so what is the solution? ???
I've tried the olive oil thing which hasn't had much success, in fact none. She eats like a horse, runs all over the place, still lays but it obviously isn't right. I'm tempted to leave her be but then my concern is the poss. of it developing into sour crop & the complications there in.
Anyone got any other devious means of dealing with an impacted crop...if that is what it is? :-\
Supa cheers
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What type of grit do you give them?
Mixed? Oyster? Limestone (Calcium carbonate)?
And do you know if this one actually eats it?!
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Oyster shell is available & as they free-range over a good acre plus of fields I am pretty sure they eat other grit etc. Can't confirm the problem one does eat the shell, but it is definately eaten.
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maybe try a mixed grit so they get a variety of sizes?
Dont know of a solution other than the olive oil, sorry!
Is there alot of long grass, cos that can sometimes kind of bunch up as they cant break it down
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After seeking advice I decided that my hen had "Sour Crop" so tried a number of things,none of which worked so I opted for surgery which my neighbour and I carried out in the garage. With a scalpel I cut a three inch slice into her crop. What we removed was remarkable! At least two pounds in weight of matted long strings of grass and other rubbish. We then tried to superglue the wound together but it wouldn't stick so I ended up stitching it up with purple sewing cotton. The hen seems chirpier then we have seen her for a long time although I have had to fashion a collar( something like you see dogs wearing when they come from the vets) to stop her pecking at the wound!
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You are a brave lady. I hope all ends well and your chook makes a perfect recovery :)
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Sheila, I take my hat off to you! I can do lots of things but I don't think I could cut into a living animal. What a brilliant thing to do - I hope she regains full health very quickly!
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Folks, yer nae helpin so to speak...Random surgery isn't the route as its an impacted crop not a sour crop. Although it could develop into one. Personally I'd kill the chicken rather than subject them to surgery without anethesia (major sp!). Would you like such surgery.....?
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Wellieboots. I assure you that the chicken never squawked nor struggled when we operated on it. Within minutes she was running around and within days she was as fit and healthy as me. One week later she was back laying eggs and still runs to me when I call so she has no bad memories. It's no good attributing human emotions and feelings to chickens as their whole being is different to ours. There was a chicken in America that lived for 10 years after having it's head chopped off!
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are we allowed. do you spray with antibiotic/ inject. i would have thought there was a good chance of infection. sounds intresting but i think the wife will be doing it. i always end up with extra bits when fixing things.
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No human emotions being attirbuted, just a logical observation that to operate without anaethesitic on a warm blooded animal with a nervous system will hurt. By stating that it didn't squawk nor struggle seems to me that you are attributing human reactions to it. I'd say backyard butchery rather than surgery.
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How do you explain the fact that the chicken is alive and well and laying eggs like a good 'un? If you look at the anatomy of a chicken you will see that there are no major organs in the chest area and I genuinely believe that she didn't feel any pain. I would sooner cut my arm off then cause pain to any animal. I think I have saved her life. you on the other hand would have probably put her down?
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I must admit to being puzzled on teh timescale of all this.
17th November post One of my Black Rocks is absolutely tickitie-boo in all aspects except that I think she has an impacted crop. It obviously looks larger than the other birds, sometimes like she has swallowed a golf ball & then some. It has a "gel" like feel near the base which is at odds to all the other birds, so what is the solution
19th November post After seeking advice I decided that my hen had "Sour Crop" so tried a number of things,none of which worked so I opted for surgery which my neighbour and I carried out in the garage
19th November post Wellieboots. I assure you that the chicken never squawked nor struggled when we operated on it. Within minutes she was running around and within days she was as fit and healthy as me. One week later she was back laying eggs and still runs to me when I call so she has no bad memories
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21st November post How do you explain the fact that the chicken is alive and well and laying eggs like a good 'un
By my reckoning there are only 4 days from beginning to end of this story - not a week or more as suggested.
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diffrent pain levels. with the lamb with the broken leg the vet moved it and it swung about but it did not bleat or make a noise. was it in pain of course it was. why did it not struggle or make a noise because its instinctive to remain quite. the more noise the more chance of being eaten. if this was the chickens only chance then well done for saving her but she would have hurt. how much who can say. its you chuck and your responsability.
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I am not very good with this technology. Of course its months since I operated on my chicken but I wasn't sure how to lift the original post and put it on the currant one. sorry. however I should tell you that I have operated on two chickens, both of whom are alive and kicking. I don't feel the need to apologise for my actions and would do the same tomorrow if the need arose, so this will be my last comment on the matter.
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thre is no need to apologize you did what you needed to do. i just feel your all very brave for doing it. please dont humanize them. if its a dead easy op then the vet is charging a lot we only paid just over a 100 for gelding a horse.
lets face it either they have this op or you kill them im sure they would prefer the op if they knew the options.
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Hear hear Shetlandpaul.
OH had been known to kill a chicken without anaesthetic (for eating) although he may have had a shot of whisky first, for courage.
In my youth I worked as a veterinary nurse for a year and believe you me, vets inflict pain in the name of healing.
One of the decisions we all have to take and retake is how much we get the vet involved knowing that it is going to cost us an arm and a leg. I hate to think what the op would have cost and I know that OH would never let me have chooks if he thought we were going to run up mega vets bills. Personally I have made peace with the idea that if I can't heal them then they get planted under a tree. Everyone has to work out their own thing - in an intelligent informed and humane context (of course)
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My thoughts exactly, Kirsty. I have practised non invasive surgery on a chicken before now - washed out the membrane under a torn down wing, squirted in antiseptic cream, wrapped a crepe bandage round and left fro 10 days to heal. That worked fine and cost very little. I'm sure teh hen was in pain at the time - she squawked enough anyway.
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its a bit bizarre how this has gone from me looking for ideas on dealing with an impacted crop (not many offered) to random posts on everyones surgical skills ???
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i thought you had been answered oil and massage. if that does not work and its sour crop the cleaning it out. or culling the hen.
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I am not very good with this technology. Of course its months since I operated on my chicken but I wasn't sure how to lift the original post and put it on the currant one. sorry. however I should tell you that I have operated on two chickens, both of whom are alive and kicking. I don't feel the need to apologise for my actions and would do the same tomorrow if the need arose, so this will be my last comment on the matter.
Sheila, if you look at the icons above when you open a message to make a post you will see a little yellow square with lines on it and a wee tail - that is the quote box. So you can either click on the word 'quote' at the top of every post as I have just done for this one, or if you want to quote just a line or a whole post from another thread then highlight and copy it (ctrl C) then open a message and click on the icon then paste between the two words 'quote' as I have done below. Hope that helps?
I am not very good with this technology. Of course its months since I operated on my chicken but I wasn't sure how to lift the original post and put it on the currant one. sorry. however I should tell you that I have operated on two chickens, both of whom are alive and kicking. I don't feel the need to apologise for my actions and would do the same tomorrow if the need arose, so this will be my last comment on the matter.
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I'm trying I really am! (my husband agrees!)
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I am not very good with this technology. Of course its months since I operated on my chicken but I wasn't sure how to lift the original post and put it on the currant one. sorry. however I should tell you that I have operated on two chickens, both of whom are alive and kicking. I don't feel the need to apologise for my actions and would do the same tomorrow if the need arose, so this will be my last comment on the matter.
I think I may have cracked it! Thanks
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I think she's got it! By George, she's got it! :o :o ;D ;D