A few days back I noticed that Coco had runnier poops than normal. She was drinking more water than usual. It's winter and cool so I couldn't blame it on hot weather. I should have picked her up strait away and given her a once over. But she so dislikes to be held or touched. And she looked fine otherwise, tail up, eating, drinking, scratching and running her beak at me.
On the roost the following morning I was giving everyone a tummy tickle when I felt it. A golf ball sized lump in her crop. It wasn't rock hard. But it still shouldn't have been there in the morning as hens should wake up with an empty crop.
Coco eats like a goat and I'm sure she just ate too many leaves or grasses that got wadded up in her crop. So I gave her a quick massage which she made very clear she wasn't enjoying. I was dressed for work and I didn't want to push my luck.
That afternoon I came home and the lump was still there. Coco won't eat carbs so soaking bread in olive oil isn't an option for me. Holding her down and syringing in oil wasn't my idea of fun. Hers either for that matter. So I gave her a two inch piece of banana and massaged and massaged and massaged the lump to try and break it up.
I gave her more banana and another massage before bed. I was really hoping that the moisture in the banana and the massage would break up that lump over the next few days.
This morning I went out early to say good morning and they were all still on the roost. I felt Coco's crop and it was completely empty. WOO HOO!!!
Not sure which I should give more credit, the banana for introducing moisture and softening up the ball, or the massage for helping to break it up. Either way, she loves banana so it was easy to get her to eat some. And the ball is gone.
Here's an old video of Coco eating banana. It really is her most favorite thing to eat in the whole wide world.
It is so good to read a happy ending and to have you back. It's so lucky that Coco likes banana so much. I have tried my girls with banana several times and they have no interest in it at all.They looked like I was trying to poison them.I am so glad that this worked so well and am sure it was the combination of massage too.
ReplyDeleteYes, I was soooo happy to find the knot gone the following morning. I swear, it's always something with these girls.
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