Gurgling /wheezing when breathing, squishy mass in crop.

[neragera]

Hello all,

I have an approximately 5 year old Brahma hen displaying respiratory symptoms but also with crop issues.

I noticed she has been a bit lazy the past few days but couldn't find any other issues so wrote it off. Yesterday, however, I noticed her breathing was laboured and with every inhale and exhale there is a gurgling sound. Her crop is very loose and there is a mass in there that she did not pass overnight (I checked around 5:45am before they left the coop). I have been massaging it gently throughout the day. I haven't isolated her, and I don't think she's been eating today. I've read that fasting can help with sour crop so I just thought to let her fast for now. She hasn't yet exhibited any weight loss.

I thought it was a respiratory issue last night, so I started her on antibiotics. I gave her 1ml of Tylan50, orally (since I was out of needles & syringes, will get more today). My main question is: would a gurgling sound be a symptom of sour crop, or is it possible I'm looking at two separate issues here? Sour crop and a respiratory infection? Should I continue the antibiotics, or will that not make a difference with sour crop?

I'm also not super clear on what the treatment is for sour crop. I've read this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-treat-sour-crop.613861/ but I really do not want to try to vomit her unless it is a very last resort. I'll put ACV in the water, and if it comes to manually watering her, I'll make sure she's getting ACV that way also, but that seems a very passive approach. Is there something more proactive I can do other than massaging her crop and making sure she fasts?

Someone in that threat suggested feeding krill oil as a treatment for sour crop; can anyone comment on that? They called it a "remarkable recovery" so I'm very willing to try that route, but wondering if someone else has tried it?

Also her breath does not smell bad. Yesterday I thought it smelled a little weird, but certainly not a very strong "putrid" smell like I've heard sour crop smells like. Today I can't smell anything. I opened her mouth and looked in and I don't see any white bacteria growing.

She's been pooping ok, but they're very small for her size (she's a big bird). The most recent one was very green, so I'm wondering if the mass in her crop could be grasses (I read that is a cause of sour crop). They have been eating a patch of fresh grass coming up.

Anyone with any advise or comments, please help!

Thanks!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

5 year old Brahma hen displaying respiratory symptoms but also with crop issues.

breathing was laboured and with every inhale and exhale there is a gurgling sound. Her crop is very loose and there is a mass in there that she did not pass overnight

I thought it was a respiratory issue last night, so I started her on antibiotics. I gave her 1ml of Tylan50, orally (since I was out of needles & syringes, will get more today).

would a gurgling sound be a symptom of sour crop, or is it possible I'm looking at two separate issues here? Sour crop and a respiratory infection? Should I continue the antibiotics, or will that not make a difference with sour crop?

I'm also not super clear on what the treatment is for sour crop. I've read this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-treat-sour-crop.613861/ but I really do not want to try to vomit her unless it is a very last resort. I'll put ACV in the water, and if it comes to manually watering her, I'll make sure she's getting ACV that way also, but that seems a very passive approach. Is there something more proactive I can do other than massaging her crop and making sure she fasts?

Someone in that threat suggested feeding krill oil as a treatment for sour crop; can anyone comment on that? They called it a "remarkable recovery"

her breath does not smell bad. Yesterday I thought it smelled a little weird, but certainly not a very strong "putrid" smell like I've heard sour crop smells like

Where are you located in the world (state/country)?

You can give Tylan50 orally, that would be better than injecting it since it's supposed to be administered 3 times a day, your hen will be sore from injections and you risk injection site necrosis. Dosage is 0.25ml per pound of weight given 3 times a day for 5 days.
Antibiotics may help her situation, if you started them, then it's probably best to finish the round of antibiotics.

I would not vomit her at all unless it's necessary.
There is better information about treating crop issues - read these 2.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments

If the crop is sour, you should smell a yeasty or sour odor, if that's not present, then I would start out with some coconut oil and massage. Make sure she's got plenty of water and drinking. If you haven't given her anything to eat in a day or 2, offer her some soaked chicken feed - wet feed is a little easier to digest.
I have no idea about the Krill oil, I would assume, the coconut oil is probably doing the same thing(?). If there is a hard mass in the crop, that sounds more like it's impacted but if left for a while and the crop is not emptying it can turn sour. After you give the oil, then massage, see if you can break up what's in there.

Yes, there can be gurgling from crop issues. It's hard to know if she has a respiratory illness in addition to the crop problem or not. It's always possible she aspirated fluid into her airways.
Often crop issues are a symptom of an underlying condition - reproductive disorders, worms, coccidiosis and infection are some things that cause a crop to slow or makes it hard for the digestive system to function properly due to inflammation/swelling.

Since your hen is 5yrs old, does she still lay eggs regularly? Does she have any bloat/swelling or fluid in the abdomen? Laying issues can be common in older hens and it's not uncommon to see crop problems arise from that.