Impacted crop

[Beth Curran]

My friend posted this question to a local FB page and I am very disturbed by some of the suggestions. I have no experience with this so I can't really offer advice myself, so I'm hoping some of you can.

(Since it's a closed FB group, I'm attaching a PDF of the conversation)

[Russ Blair]

I have only had 1 bird, a juvenile while growing out, ever get impacted crop. This was early on when I just got back into chickens and I wasn't giving them free choice of grit. I ended up culling my bird due to the appearance it was suffering. When I dissected it I found the crop was full of grass, apparently it acquired a taste for it and could not digest it. So I can not give any advice on cures, but have heard wheat germ oil and massaging to help break it up??? Sorry 

[John W Blehm]

Russ mentioned offering grit (free choice).  When feeding anything other than a commercial crumble or pellet that is the best prevention that I can think of.  When it comes to cures I don't have experience either.

[Beth Curran]

Thanks, guys. The bird appears to be doing better, but I was surprised to learn that the primary cause of impacted crop was grass. Knock on wood, I've never had it happen either, although about half of my birds are on grass (I move my grow out pens frequently). Unfortunately, if it is grass, most of the time surgery is the only fix.

John, just curious, do you still offer grit using sand in your pens? With our sandy soil I never thought I needed to, and so far so good.

[John W Blehm]

I recall my brother having problems with young pheasants that were fed grass that was picked/pulled up and put in their pens.  The problem is the blades were too long to properly swallow.  When birds eat standing grass they break off short pieces and don't have the problems.  I give my birds mowed grass and haven't even noticed a problem with it.

Sand may help digest grains, but I doubt it would be as good as grit.  We don't see wild pheasants much anymore, but I remember seeing them eating pebbles along the side of the roads in winter.  I believe they instinctively knew they needed pebbles/stones in their gizzards.

[Beth Curran]

I remember being warned about long, fibrous grasses when I had pheasants. Her birds aren't on grass but they do get grass clippings, I think. And she gives them greens (spinach?). I know she does offer grit.

[Suki]

I had this problem with a buff chantecler.  i poured warm olive oil down her gullet and massaged the crop and within minutes she threw everything up.  The crop though did not return to normal size.