CHAPTER XXXV 

 CROP BOUND 



Common Form of Indigestion. — Almost everyone who raises 

 chickens in any numbers will be troubled at some time or other 

 with an ailment known as crop bound. It is a form of indi- 

 gestion, perhaps the commonest form of crop trouble, and is 

 generally caused by improper feeding. The poultryman, how- 

 ever, is not always to blame, for the condition is very often 

 brought about by the stupidity or gluttony of the fowls. 



Easy to Detect. — ^As the name implies, crop bound is a com- 

 paction or hardening of the crop, and fortunately, it is easily 

 discernible. Instead of the crop having a full, close appearance, 

 in fact, scarcely noticeable in the well-proportioned bird, it is 

 seen to hang down like a bag, and on closer inspection it will be 

 found to be greatly enlarged, hard and heavy. The fowl thus 

 afflicted is usually droopy and inactive, and frequently a bad- 

 smelling liquid runs from the mouth. In an advanced stage of 

 the ailment the fowl's comb will be purple in color, and the bird 

 may gasp for breath. 



Two Forms. — Generally speaking, there are two forms of crop 

 bound : One is the result of a weakened or paralyzed condition 

 of the crop muscle, and is usually observed in old fowls whose 

 vitality has been impoverished by old age and improper care, or 

 in chicks of low stamina. It is possible to relieve this condition 

 by careful medical treatment, though a permanent cure is sel- 

 dom effected. Therefore, unless the victim is considered very 

 valuable for some particular purpose, it is generally more profit- 

 able to kill the sufferer, and to devote one's time and energy to 

 correcting the conditions that brought about the trouble. 



Clogging of the Crop. — The other form of crop bound is induced 



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