Ewww! Sour Crop....What is it and how to fix it
“My Hen’s Chest Feels Squishy!” — A Simple Talk About Sour Crop
My hen’s chest looks puffy and feels squishy this morning. She’s moving slow and her breath smells… sour. What is going on?
It might be sour crop. That’s when food and water sit too long in the hen’s crop and start to ferment (go bad). Let’s talk about what the crop is, how to spot sour crop, what to do at home, and how to stop it from happening again.
What Is the Crop? (The “Food Pouch”)
What is the crop, anyway?
Think of the crop like a little lunch bag that sits on the right side of a chicken’s chest, low on the neck. When a chicken eats, food goes from the beak → esophagus → crop. The crop stores and softens the food for a short time. Later, food moves on to the stomach and the gizzard (that’s the grinder that uses tiny stones called grit).
-
At night: The crop is usually full and soft (she just ate before bed).
-
In the morning (before breakfast): It should be flat or empty.
-
How to check: Gently feel the right side of the chest. Don’t squeeze hard. Keep the hen upright.
What Is Sour Crop?
Sour crop happens when the crop doesn’t empty like it should. Food and water sit too long and turn sour. Yeast (a tiny germ, like what makes bread rise) can grow there. That’s why the breath can smell yeasty or sour.
Where the name comes from: The stuff in the crop smells sour—like sour milk or sauerkraut.
How to Recognize Sour Crop
What will I see or feel?
Check her first thing in the morning, before breakfast.
-
Crop feels squishy or sloshy instead of flat.
-
Sour or yeasty smell from the beak.
-
She may act tired, eat less, or lose weight.
-
Sometimes a little liquid dribbles from the beak.
Safe First Steps at Home
What can I do right now?
Keep it gentle and safe.
-
Isolate her in a quiet, warm spot so you can watch her.
-
Rest the crop: For 12–24 hours, no solid food. Offer small sips of fresh water. (Electrolyte water for chickens is okay if you have it.)
-
Very gentle crop massage while she is upright—soft circles to encourage movement. Stop if liquid moves up toward the mouth.
-
Do NOT turn her upside down, force water, or pour oils down her throat. These can cause choking.
-
After the rest, offer soft, easy feed (like warm wet mash or a little scrambled egg) and grit if she doesn’t have it.
-
If she is not better in 24–48 hours, or seems worse, call a vet. A vet may give medicine for yeast and check for a blockage.
What Else Could It Be?
Sometimes crop problems look alike. Here’s a simple guide for morning checks:
-
Sour crop: Crop feels squishy/sloshy; sour smell.
-
Impacted crop: Crop feels hard or tight, like a little golf ball (often from long grass, straw, or stringy treats).
-
Pendulous crop: Crop hangs like a saggy water balloon and refills easily (crop wall is stretched).
If the crop is very full of liquid, or your hen is weak or breathing fast, call a vet right away.
What Causes Sour Crop?
-
Crop doesn’t empty on time (food sits and ferments).
-
Yeast overgrowth in the crop.
-
Moldy or damp feed or dirty waterers.
-
Impaction first, then sour crop on top of it.
-
Too many soft or sugary treats, or sudden diet changes.
Why Grit Helps Prevent Sour Crop
-
Grit is your chicken’s “teeth.” Chickens don’t chew. Grit (tiny stones) sits in the gizzard and grinds food. The gizzard is your chicken's muscle stomach that grinds the find. Crazy right?!
-
Ground-up food moves out of the crop on time, so it doesn’t sit, ferment, and turn sour.
-
Grit also lowers the chance of a hard, stuck crop from long grass or stringy treats.
Use the right kind
-
Choose insoluble granite grit.
-
Oyster shell is for calcium (eggshells), not grit.
Pick the right size
-
Chicks: chick grit
-
Young birds: medium
-
Adults: regular/large
How to offer
-
Put grit in a small dish, free-choice. Keep it dry and refill as needed.
-
If birds eat only pellets/crumbles and no treats, they may need less—but keep some out.
Don’ts
-
Don’t use sand or aquarium gravel.
-
Grit prevents problems; it doesn’t cure sour crop. If a hen is sick, follow care steps and call a vet if she’s not improving.
Prevent Sour Crop
Keep things clean, dry, and simple:
-
Feed fresh, dry feed; store bags off the floor; toss moldy feed.
-
Scrub waterers weekly (more in hot weather).
-
Give grit if hens don’t have access to coarse soil.
-
Limit long grass clippings and stringy treats; keep twine and plastic out of reach.
-
Don’t overuse antibiotics; ask your vet about probiotics after any antibiotic use.
-
Do a quick morning crop check once a week. Crops should be flat before breakfast.
When to See a Vet for Sour Crop (Big Red Flags)
-
Crop is very full of liquid or she is drooling a lot.
-
Hen is weak, wobbly, breathing fast, or not drinking.
-
No improvement after 24–48 hours of gentle home care.
-
You suspect a blockage (hard crop) or pain.
Fast Home Checklist
-
☐ Isolate and keep warm
-
☐ No solid food for 12–24 hours; small sips of water
-
☐ Upright, gentle crop massage (stop if liquid rises)
-
☐ No upside-down draining, no force-flushing, no oils
-
☐ Soft feed + grit when you restart
-
☐ Call a vet if not better in 24–48 hours
Friendly Disclaimer
This article is for education, not a diagnosis. Sour crop can get serious. If your hen is weak, breathing hard, or has a very full, liquid crop, contact a poultry-experienced veterinarian right away.