Why would a chicken throw up?

[i_am2bz]

I have a chicken in a tractor today, & when I went out to check on her she hadn't touched her bowl of feed. I put in a cob of corn & she just ignored it. Highly unusual.

(WARNING: GRAPHIC, in case anyone is eating while reading this.)

I bent down to pet her, & she opened her beak & a pretty big stream of thin brown liquid came out. She walked a little way & did it once or twice more. She wasn't "heaving" (like a human), she just opened her beak & it came out. :/ I watched her for a few more minutes but nothing more. I keep watching her from the window, she's just standing in the tractor not moving.

I've never seen this before. Can you experts tell me what this could be?

 

[AL]

Might it be sour / impacted crop?

 

[hoosier]

I suspect sour crop. Look over on BYC for more info. I am not an expert.

 

[Avalon1984]

Definetely sour crop. Put her on organic apple cidar vinegar to offset the acid asap, remove food, she shouldn't eat. Gently massage her crop. There are tons of threads about this on BYC. Consider this an emergency situation.

 

[i_am2bz]

I think sour crop is exactly what it is. I pressed on her chest & a bunch more came out. I held her upside down & pressed out as much as I could (saw to do this on a website). My, that was pleasant. It also said to feed yogurt; not sure how I'm going to get her to eat it, but I'll get some this afternoon with the ACV. I'll go pick up her food now...

 

[Avalon1984]

I think sour crop is exactly what it is. I pressed on her chest & a bunch more came out. I held her upside down & pressed out as much as I could (saw to do this on a website). My, that was pleasant. It also said to feed yogurt; not sure how I'm going to get her to eat it, but I'll get some this afternoon with the ACV. I'll go pick up her food now...

You will likely have to force feed her some of that yoghurt. I don't know how good of an advice I can give you. The only case I have ever had was severe and fatal. She died within 30min of me noticing. Not sure why I didn't notice it earlier. Take good care of her, maybe put her under a heat lamp? Good luck!

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

I think sour crop is exactly what it is. I pressed on her chest & a bunch more came out. I held her upside down & pressed out as much as I could (saw to do this on a website). My, that was pleasant. It also said to feed yogurt; not sure how I'm going to get her to eat it, but I'll get some this afternoon with the ACV. I'll go pick up her food now...

Use a medicine syringe and gently squirt it down. Nothing really forceful, so you do not get it in the lungs.

 

[i_am2bz]

Sounds like I'll have to bring her in the house & crate her; any idea how long I use the yogurt for? Or how I know she's okay?

 

[Avalon1984]

It will be several days, if not a week or so. Feel her crop. It is impacted somewhere so the rest of what is in there is decomposing, causing the smell. See if you can gently massage it to get the blockage to go away. You may even have to do a crop surgery. look it up on BYC if you have to as there is a very gifted lady who did this and saved her hen. of course, you could also bring her to the vet. Immediate care needs to be:

isolate
take food away
massage crop
heatlamp
water with apple cidar vinegar (I believe you can forcefeed some of that but do read up on that before trying, I don't remember it all)
rest
sometimes it helps to have the chicken upside down and empty the contents of her crop but you could choke her while trying.

good luck!

 

[i_am2bz]

Wouldn't you know, I'm going on vacation for a week starting Saturday?? Sure hope she's okay by then!! Surgery isn't an option; there aren't even any poutry vets around here (except at the vet school). I did hold her upside down & "emptied" her earlier.

Anyone know when I should offer her food again? I mean, how long do I make her "fast"...?

Thanks for all your suggestions!!!