[The Woodsiders]

I would like some advice please regrding one of my hens(Warren) about 2 years old, she is not eating but still drinking, tail is down and neck withdrawn, I have examined her and the crop area seems very soft, she appears to be heaving like she wants to vomit, I have held her upside down and gently massaged her neck and crop area and she discharged a fair amount of fluid, she does not appear to be eggbound.Any advice would be appreciated, we have not had any eggs from her for a long time and she did have the same symptoms about 6 months ago, I massaged her neck then and she appeared to be on the mend but no luck this time.
 

[jaykay]

The crop area can be soft because it's empty. But if it's full and soft, it could be full of rotten food (sour crop). In which case, you can massage out the stuff, holding her upside down as you have, helped if you syringe some olive oil in, allowing her to swallow it not inhale it.

She hasn't got worms or cocci? (mucky bum?)

[chrismahon]

With sour crop the breath smells rancid or the poos smell rancid. They do drink a lot of water possibly to try and flush it out. The way we treat ours is to mix a teaspoon of Epsom Salts into 250mL of luke warm water. Then take 5mL of that solution and dribble it down the back of the neck (and throw the remainder away). Then no food or water for 12 hours at least. You may find that this has destroyed the gut flora as we did once, so feed comes out undigested. Small amount of Probiotic Yoghurt works -too much encourages sour crop again. If that fails try Beryl's -be see how you go. I haven't discovered the 'official' way to treat sour crop effectively yet.
 
If the sour crop becomes regular it may be fungal throat cankers causing it. Very difficult and expensive to treat and we failed after a month of medication

[The Woodsiders]

Thanks for your answers, I will give it a try, will keep you posted

[The Woodsiders]

Hi Jaykay, no mucky bum, clean as a whistle, Hi Chris, what is Beryls?? am I being a bit dim?

[Pedwardine]

Could also be a chest infection. I've found Tylan helps, you can get Tylan 200 powder which is dissolved in their drinking water for periodic management or in the form of an injection (Short 20 gauge needle with a smaller syringe set at .25 of a millilitre should sort your girl out. Inject in the chest adjacent to the breastbone) for more severe cases.

[kegs]

Hi Jaykay, no mucky bum, clean as a whistle, Hi Chris, what is Beryls?? am I being a bit dim?

Google 'Beryl's Friendly Bacteria' and you should find it.  I haven't tried it but was advised that this was a similar product.
http://www.vetark.co.uk/Shop/Cage--Aviary-Birds/Health/Avipro-Plus_4.aspx

[chrismahon]

I've just used Beryl's on a hen with chronic digestive problems. She seems fine now (7 days on)with the most solid poos she's laid for ages and she's started laying again which means the food she is eating is getting digested. Good digestion in your hens has got to make the cost of Beryl's worthwhile -they eat less but produce the same.
 
Need to be careful about ordering it. Storage temp is 2-8 degrees. It comes with a cool bag attached but you need to be in the next day to sign for it otherwise it goes to the post office and gets hot. Don't know what effect that has (presumably a dramatically shortened useable life) but we used it minutes after receiving it.
 
What was left went to one hen in each coop on the basis that they eat poo and it will therefore be distributed.

[The Woodsiders]

Thank you all, will give Beryl`s a go

[kegs]

Chrismahon - Do you think the Avipro is a similar product and would it be worth trying (or the Beryl's) on chickens who may have Egg Drop Syndrome?