New hen has lump in chest and is acting very lethargic!

[jodievaughan]

i just rescued 3 ex later (free range) hens from slaughter two days ago, and this morning I’ve noticed one is acting very sluggish. She didn’t leave the perch like the others and instead closed her eyes. When I picked her up to take her out with the rest of them, I noticed she has id say an egg-sized lump on her front which feels quite firm, below her neck. She’s not eating and is meanlessly pecking around the feed tray not actually picking any food up. Moving slowly, slower than normal reactions to me picking her up and that sort of thing. What could this be and what shall I do? I’d really appreciate any insight or help!

 

[AnimalGeek23]

I’m no expert at these kinds of things, there’s got to be someone who knows more out there but I’ll try to help.
Maybe you can gently pry her beak open and look inside? If there is a local vet nearby you can take her there. That’s always my suggestion when you don’t know what to do. If she can swallow liquid, guide her to drink some water so at least she wouldn’t be dehydrated.
Not all hens at the slaughterhouse are healthy, who knows what diseases they had there, and what the people did to them there. Take her to a vet to figure out what’s really going on.
Good luck with your hen!

 

[Squishychicken]

Is the lump above or below her crop?

If her crop is hard and not emptying properly then she could impacted crop. Were they given long grass lately or any access to hay or straw? These things can get caught in the crop and tangled up preventing digestion and the crop from emptying.

Do they have access to grit or small pebbles that they can eat to help grind up there food? If not I would get her some and see if she wants to eat any. What I would do is get her in a secluded area away from the other chickens and wait till the end of the day and through the night. In the morning the chickens crops should empty but if hers is still full and hard she has impacted crop.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

i just rescued 3 ex later (free range) hens from slaughter two days ago, and this morning I’ve noticed one is acting very sluggish. She didn’t leave the perch like the others and instead closed her eyes. When I picked her up to take her out with the rest of them, I noticed she has id say an egg-sized lump on her front which feels quite firm, below her neck. She’s not eating and is meanlessly pecking around the feed tray not actually picking any food up. Moving slowly, slower than normal reactions to me picking her up and that sort of thing. What could this be and what shall I do? I’d really appreciate any insight or help!

What does her poop look like?
Do you know how old she is?
Photos may be helpful.

It sounds like she is having a problem with her crop. Crop problems are often a symptom of an underlying condition like worms, coccidiosis, infection and reproductive disorders. Getting a fecal float will help rule out worms and coccidiosis, since you don't know her "history".

Here's a couple of very good articles for you
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

 

[jodievaughan]

Thank you very much everyone! It’s where her crop is. She was in a grass field before she came and is also in one now. I’ve got some oyster grit so I’ll offer some to her. She’s drinking plenty of water so hopefully that will help as well although I’ve never had to deal with an impacted crop before. Will massaging the crop help or will it make it worse? I’ve also already ordered a worm test so I’ll do that as soon as t arrives. Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you very much everyone! It’s where her crop is. She was in a grass field before she came and is also in one now. I’ve got some oyster grit so I’ll offer some to her. She’s drinking plenty of water so hopefully that will help as well although I’ve never had to deal with an impacted crop before. Will massaging the crop help or will it make it worse? I’ve also already ordered a worm test so I’ll do that as soon as t arrives. Thanks again for all the help!

Oyster shell is fine free choice, it's for added calcium, but it's too soft to act as proper poultry grit for the gizzard. You need crushed granite which can be found in most feed stores. I make both oyster shell and poultry grit available free choice.

It does not hurt to massage the crop, if it's full of water, massage in a downward motion since you risk pushing fluids into the airway. I usually massage mine like you would knead dough, you can feel the contents. You may want to start with giving her some coconut oil (about 1 tsp.) I refrigerate it and my girls will gobble up bit size pieces. Once you get the oil in her, massage. Massage 3-4times a day if possible, hopefully you can feel what's in there starting to break up. The articles I posted give very good instructions, I usually start with oil, but after a day or 2 if nothing happens, I move on to stimulant free stool softener. It can be a slow process at times. I will tell you, all mine that have had crop problems had something else going on. In my case it was reproductive problems - inflammation in the abdomen was pressing on the intestines/digestive tract which in turn slowed the process. I have been successful in getting the crop cleared and the hen thriving for a long time, but sometimes the crop is just a symptom of something else.

Good luck and keep us posted on how she's doing.

 

[DobieLover]

Thank you very much everyone! It’s where her crop is. She was in a grass field before she came and is also in one now. I’ve got some oyster grit so I’ll offer some to her. She’s drinking plenty of water so hopefully that will help as well although I’ve never had to deal with an impacted crop before. Will massaging the crop help or will it make it worse? I’ve also already ordered a worm test so I’ll do that as soon as t arrives. Thanks again for all the help!

Oyster grit is not actually grit. It is for calcium supplementation. She needs actual grit (small stones, crushed granite, etc.) to help her grind her food.

 

[jodievaughan]

Okay thank you everyone I'll go and buy another kind of grit. I've just massaged her crop and found it had already softened up a lot since this morning. I watched a few videos and found tipping them upside down while massaging can help get clogged food out, so i did that but there was only water left by this point so it seems she already sorted the issue herself. Thanks very much for the help everyone, I'll feel a lot more confident in sorting it out should this happen in the future!