Fluid filled sac on chest?

When I said goodnight to my hens today, I noticed that one of them has a large fluid filled sac over her breast area. Looking at anatomy of chicken pix, it seems like it's her crop. When I palpated it, she didn't seem to mind, and she seems in otherwise okay health -- alert, eating and drinking, and laid an egg today. Are there possible ailments that are not too sinister? Is there something I should do?

Thanks.

Me again. Based on everything I've just read here, it seems like sour crop even though she doesn't smell bad. I gave her some bread soaked in olive oil and yogurt, which she was only too happy to eat. She pooped a very small amount and it looked normal. She lets me massage her crop, but it doesn't seem to do much. She actually seems perfectly happy despite this big swollen thing on her chest . . .

I don't know the answer, but someone will, so I'm bumping you up!
Good luck!

Maybe she just has a really full crop? I know my chickens gorged themselves on some watermelon a few days ago and scared the bejeezus out of me because they had big swollen crops. But in the morning they had digested it down and all was right in the world again. Hope you get an answer!! Best of luck with your lady!

Okay, it's been a couple of days, and her crop has gone up and down in size. I've continued to give her yogurt and bread soaked in oil. The thing is, she and my other two RIRs are all kind of pigs. They'll eat pellets out of my hand like they've never been fed in their lives. Now all three of them have big crops at night, smaller but still squishy in the morning. The other two I have (a black sex-link and an americauna) don't show any signs of puffy crop, but they also don't eat as much as the RIRs. Well, the black sex-link does, but not the little one. Again, they are all in good spirits, eating and scratching and roosting and pooping, and yelling at me because I haven't let them out in the yard since I noticed Caesar's crop the other day. So are RIRs notorious pigs, and I should just expect full crops? I was giving them table scraps, and letting them free range in the yard a bit each day, but, as I said, I haven't since I first noticed this. Emphasis on "notice" btw. It's possible the crops have been this way longer, and I just didn't feel them. Anyhow, I'd like to stop worrying about my girls all the time, since they seem otherwise healthy and are laying regularly. Within reason, of course. And I'd like to go back to giving them a few treats, because they are giving me the business every time I show up at the pen empty handed.

Hi Thom-

I really think you can stop worrying. You're just being a good chicken caretaker--very observant, but I think it's just the normal crop being sometimes very full, and sometimes just a little bit full.....if it's squishy, that's a good sign. If it's hard, that's a bad sign. So with everything you've described--normal behavior--they seem happy and healthy, I think you can rest and put your worries aside.

With impacted crop the crop will often feel like a bean bag, not soft. Sour crop you will often see them struggle with their crop, almost gagging type behavior trying to pass the contents.. If hers is mostly soft with bits of sand like grit in it, she is probably fine.