My 6-week-old chick has a sour crop. How can I help and treat it?

Check her crop for any impaction. This will prevent resolution of any sour crop by promoting bacterial or fungal overgrowth. If necessary, flush and massage her crop until it is empty. Keep her head tipped downwards to prevent aspiration. Once the crop is empty, withhold fluids for 12 hours and food for 24 hours. Resume feeding a soft diet and monitor her crop for emptying. If the condition persists, have Penny examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating domestic fowl. She may need an antifungal or antibiotic to clear any infection in the crop.

You should have the chicks or parents examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian vet. A culture may identify bacteria. If you are hand feeding, use fresh food for each clutch. Clean and sanitize all equipment between feedings or clutches. Clean and sanitize all cages, bowls, toys nest boxes and perches. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Change cage paper daily. Make sure the chicks are kept warm and are emptying their crops regularly. Sour crop, or crop stasis, can result in a hard crop full of spoiled food and bacteria or fungi. This can kill young chicks if left untreated.

Thanks for reaching out about your bird and including photos. A crop infection with a yeast (Candida) is highly likely, but bacteria could also be a component. Without medication, recovery is unlikely. Supply heat support in the 80-85 F range for immune support. Schedule a veterinary visit for prescription of medications. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about your pigeon. Crop problems can be infections (bacterial, fungal, yeast), a crop foreign body or other problem, so a veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Monitor appetite and water consumption. If you look into the mouth, can you see a white film, do you smell anything? Good luck.

It does sound as if Garf is pretty ill and needs to be seen by a vet in person. Sour crop can be caused by a number of things including infections, obstructions, etc, and if he can't keep any food down and is vomiting, vet care is needed to clear the crop and get him started on medications. Your question cut off, however, if you are having trouble affording vet care, this site may help give you some ideas so Garf can get the help he needs: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/having-trouble-affording-veterinary-care

Thanks for reaching out about Rick and including a photo. An over-sized crop can be due to over-eating or a disease. Crop infections (bacteria, fungal), ingested foreign bodies and obstructions, systemic illness are all possibilities. Check and correct husbandry, as baby birds need to be kept warm. If the crop appears firm, offering small amounts of water and massaging the crop might help. If Rick appears ill, a veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.

There could be many reasons for her being unwell, she could be suffering from candida infection causing crop impaction, or she could have a viral/bacterial infection, she could also be suffering from internal parasites. it's very difficult to know what could be wrong as the symptom is very general, if you want to help her you will need to take her to an avian vet ASAP in order to get treated.