THE INTESTINES AND CROP 



gorged themselves with it, and then drunk water, causing the corn to swell 

 so as to stretch the crop to its utmost. Such cases usually correct them- 

 selves, or with a little manipulation soon get cleared of the packed contents. 

 Now and then you will run across a case of impaction caused by some foreign 

 substance fiUing the outlet of the crop. This may be wood or bone, with a sharp 

 point sticking into the sides of the crop, or possibly lying across the outlet. So 

 far as the size of any substance is concerned, you may accept it as a fact 

 that anything a hen swallow^ will pass through the digestive system safely. 



Treatment • 



A case of impaction due to over-feeding or swollen grain should be 

 handled by manipulation. Try to get a little castor oil down the food pas- 

 sage, then gently begin at the part of the crop nearest the mouth and push 

 a little grain toward the head. Hold the birds head down, thereby letting 

 gravity help do the work. Have patience, work carefully, and if you do 

 not succeed along this line then you can open and clear out the crop through 

 an opening in the skin. 



Opening the Crop and Removing the Food 



Have someone hold the bird so you can have both hands free to work. 

 Pluck enough feathers from the breast to give bare skin J inch wide by 2 

 inches long. Then with a sharp knife cut through the skin, lengthwise 

 of the bird, an openi,ng one inch long over the place of the swollen crop. 

 Cut only the skin, leaving the crop untouched until the blood of the first 

 incision has ceased to flow. Then cut through the crop a line a little over 

 i inch long. Half an inch may seem short, but you will be surprised to 

 see how long the opening is after you have worked through it for a while. 

 In removing substances from the crqp be careful to let as little as possible 

 slip between the skin and the crop. With an opening into the crop, be- 

 gin with sugar-tongs, tooth-picks, or anything else handy, to remove the 

 contents. If filled with grass or hay, it may be necessary to cut the mass 

 with scissors before any start can be made. When the 'crop is apparently 

 empty, push your little finger into it, feeling to know whether there is any 

 obstruction at the outlet. If you find the opening clear, sew up the cut. 

 With needle and white silk thread, take two single stitches in the cut in the 

 crop, leaving ends long enough to hang out of the wound an inch. Then, 

 in the same way, take three stitches in the skin, being careful not to include 

 the crop in the knot tied. After the operation, feed lightly on well cooked 

 mash, omitting grain for a week. 



Additional Treatment 



Some cases can be entirely cured by putting the fowl in a coop by 

 itself, giving a plentiful supply of sharp grit and oyster shell, and feed- 

 ing exclusively on hard dry grain. Cases that will not respond to this 

 form of treatment may be operated on in the following manner: 



71 



