[Pavlodge]

Yesterday I noticed that my blue ranger was not her usual self , she was very slow & not running around with the others as usual    . This morning I picked her up to segregate her & she seems to have a very bloated chest , as if it is full of fluid, it felt like a water balloon !   I have put her in a small coop on her own with food , water & grit .   What else can I do ?  does anyone know ?

[Casey76]

That sounds like sour crop, which is where food ferments in the crop.  Apparantly it smells :sick:

One thing which will help your hen feel better is if you can empty the crop.  To do this you have to tilt your hen: hold your hen so her abdomen is near the crook of your elbow, and you are supporting her chest with your hand; gently tilt her so her head is lower than her bottom, and gently massage her crop.  Only do this for a few seconds at a time, as you don't want to drown your hen   She should disgorge the liquid which is in her crop.

Keep her diet very simple: damp some layers pellets so they turn soft and fluffy, but not so much they turn into mush.  Replace very often as damp pellets spoil very easily.  She may also appreciate some Avipro plus, which is a prebiotic, and has the benefit of being lactose free.

If the sour crop persists, you might want to ask your vet for some nystatin, which is a treatment for oral thrush for humans and animals.

Good luck