Pendulous Crop

Pendulous crop (pendulum, baggy or drop crop) in poultry is a condition where the crop becomes abnormally enlarged, sagging and distended. It usually feels like a water-filled balloon hanging on the chest. Crop is the pouch in the bird’s neck that stores food before digestion. 

Causes Of Pendulous Crop
There are several reasons that can lead to pendulous crop in poultry birds and some of them are discuss in this article as follow:
1. Overeating or Gorging: When birds consume too much feed especially whole grains or fibrous feed at once can be one of the major causes. The process of digesting the feed will need more water consumption which prompt swelling of the crop. 
2. Impacted Crop: Ingestion of foreign materials like long grasses, string, straw, or indigestible material leads to blockage of the crop and prevent proper digestion. 
3. Yeast (Candida albicans) and bacteria in spoiled can ferment the feed inside the crop, producing gas and fluid.
4. Weak Crop Muscles often occurs in fast-growing broilers or overweight birds. The crop muscles stretch and lose elasticity.
5. Poor gizzard function lack grit or digestive imbalance prevents proper grinding, so food stagnates in the crop.
6. Secondary illness like worm infestation, infections or general weakness may slow crop emptying.


Prevention Of Pendulous Crop 
1. Provide balanced, high-quality feed; avoid too much coarse fiber or moldy grains. Don’t let birds gorge after long periods without feed or water.
2. Provide Grit essential for digestion, especially if birds eat whole grains or forage.
3. Avoid dirty, stagnant water that may introduce yeast or bacteria.
4. Monitor crop health by feeling the crops in the morning; a healthy crop should be flat/empty after a night’s fast.
5. Maintain hygiene by keeping feeders and drinkers clean to reduce infections.

Treatment Of Pendulous Crop
1. Manual Emptying: Gently massage the crop while holding the bird head downward to expel sour liquid but be careful to avoid aspiration.
2. Withhold Feed for 12–24 Hours: Give only clean water with electrolytes or apple cider vinegar in mild cases
3. Antifungal / Antibacterial Treatment: If sour crop (yeast infection) is present, treat with antifungals like nystatin or natural remedies like diluted apple cider vinegar. Antibiotics may be needed if bacterial infection is diagnosed.
4. Surgical Crop Emptying: In chronic cases, a vet may surgically open and clean the crop.
5. Supportive Care: Probiotics, vitamins especially Vit A & E, and grit after recovery.

Note: Birds with chronic pendulous crop often don’t recover fully because the crop muscles stay stretched. They may need to be culled if productivity is affected.

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