The number of people keeping backyard chickens has been steadily increasing for around a decade now with more and more people starting to keep chickens as a way to provide themselves with free range, organic eggs that they are able to consume as they wish.
Thankfully, chickens tend to be very easy to keep and this is one of the reasons that so many people have been keeping backyard chickens in recent years as they can be very low maintenance.
Every now and then, chickens can have a slight problem though and we do see a few people reaching out worried about the health of their children every month.
One question that does seem to be more commonly asked than some of the others is about a chicken throwing up yellow liquid with this often worrying the keeper of the chicken.
Is It Normal For A Chicken To Throw Up Yellow Liquid?
It is not normal for a chicken to throw up yellow liquid and it is usually an indication that there is something wrong with the chicken be it a short term problem or something more serious.
Due to chickens loving to forage for food, it can be common for the chicken to eat something that it shouldn’t causing it to vomit yellow for a day or two.
This is your chickens natural reaction to eating something that it shouldn’t have eaten and the chickens body is just purging whatever it ate.
If your chicken is vomiting a yellow liquid for more than two days, especially if the liquid has a foul smell to it then it is highly likely that the chicken has a problem.
What Causes A Chicken To Throw Up Yellow Liquid?
The most common reason that a chicken will throw up yellow liquid is due to sour crop.
Sour crop is a condition that is usually caused by the chicken eating too much wet food or drinking contaminated water.
The symptoms of sour crop are a swollen abdomen, vomiting and listlessness.
If you think that your chicken may have sour crop, then you should take it to the vet as soon as possible as it can be a very serious condition.
Other causes of a chicken throwing up yellow liquid can be an infection, liver disease or even cancer.
If your chicken is showing any other symptoms such as weight loss, lethargy or diarrhea then it is important to take it to the vet as these could be signs of a more serious problem.
Is Sour Crop Contagious In Chickens?
Sour crop is not contagious in chickens and so if one chicken in a flock has it, there is no need to worry about the rest of the flock becoming ill.
However, it is important to make sure that you clean out the coop and change the bedding as soon as possible as there may be bacteria present that could make the chickens sick.
You should also make sure that you wash your hands after handling a chicken with sour crop to prevent the spread of bacteria.
Multiple chickens may have sour crop at the same time due to eating the same contaminated food or drinking the same contaminated water though so please keep that in mind.
How Do I Treat Sour Crop In Chickens?
If you think that your chicken may have sour crop, then it is important to take it to the vet as soon as possible as it can be a very serious condition.
The vet will usually prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection and may also recommend that you give the chicken probiotics to help restore the good bacteria in the gut.
It is important to make sure that you follow the vets instructions on how to treat sour crop as it can be a very serious condition if it is not treated properly.
We would also recommend that you do a full feed and water change if possible as well as remove any items in your chicken run that your chickens may be feeding on to prevent other chickens that you keep having problems with sour crop.
How To Prevent A Chicken From Throwing Up Yellow Liquid!
The best way to prevent a chicken from throwing up yellow liquid is to make sure that they have a healthy and balanced diet.
Chickens should have a diet that consists of around 80% grains and 20% greens with the occasional treat such as worms or bugs.
It is important to make sure that the food that you are giving your chickens is of a good quality and has not been contaminated in any way.
You should also make sure that your chickens have access to clean water at all times as water can often be the source of contamination.
If you think that your chicken may have eaten something that it shouldn’t have, then you can try giving it some activated charcoal which can help to absorb anything that may be causing the problem.
If you are concerned about the health of your chicken, then it is always best to take it to the vet as they will be able to give you a full check up and let you know if there is anything wrong.
