Egg forming or just a large crop?

[Autumn Mama]

Well, my lovely EE hen is coloring up , looking like she's getting close to laying! She is ~16 weeks.

She has a very large "bump" on her right front chest area. Is this the developing egg region where I will see her fullness due to egg production? Or is there another reason for the large bump? I'm not exactly sure anatomically if this is her crop?

She eats normally, voraciously lately, and free ranges part of the day (no hay), gets grit, ACV in her water, and grower crumbles to eat.

Any thoughts as to why there is a bump there so large?

 

[Ferngully]

Quote:
That would be the crop area. The egg region is elsewhere (belly). Check to see if the crop is emptying(gets smaller), at bedtime or first thing in the morning before they start eating. If there are no changes in size during a 24 hour period there may be an indication of a problem. Does her mouth smell foul?

 

[Mrs. Glassman]

The bump is the crop. She is full of food and well fed!

 

[tulie13]

Quote:
That would be the crop area. The egg region is elsewhere (belly). Check to see if the crop is emptying(gets smaller), at bedtime or first thing in the morning before they start eating. If there are no changes in size during a 24 hour period there may be an indication of a problem. Does her mouth smell foul?

THIS... if it goes down overnight, there is no problem, but it still doesn't have anything to do with eggs...

 

[Ferngully]

Sorry if I wasn't clear, it was the middle of the night for me, lol

 

[tulie13]

Quote:
You were clear enough, I just felt like being a little silly...

I'm hopped up on caffeine right now, working on my 2nd cup of coffee...

 

[Ferngully]

Just on 2, sheez amateur, working on my first pot

 

[Autumn Mama]

Yes this morning the crop area does look flatter a bit, she just has a fuller look to her crop than our other chooks I compare her to.

I will continue to watch her...is there anything I can give her as a preventative, that is healthy and harmless, but would be acting on a potentially impacted crop? I'm wondering about plain yogurt, ACV (in the water anyways...) or EVOO soaked bread (Extra virgin olive oil, ha-ha we're foodies, so we only use the good stuff!

)

Any input on that?

She doesn't appear to have a foul smell around her beak, I checked that! Eating and drinking well today...eating grass in the tractor currently.

You know, I wonder if it's the fact that I've separated her from our hooligan teenage roos (due to a head peck that was bloody...

).She is maybe so happy to be away from the fray that she is eating more fully than the roos were permitting her to do in the coop. There are 5 maturing roos right now, all vying for top spot and the hens, and it was mayhem until I separated out the two EE girls who were bearing the brunt of the competition. These roos have a last chance at being re-homed today, and if not successful will be processed for us tomorrow am. I am looking forward to things returning to normal, but gosh, it's hard to say farewell to these beautiful roos.

I really admire their beauty and personalities.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Ferngully]

It sounds as though she is just getting full and happy. Too many roos can stress them and cause them to eat less. Too much harrassment, lol. I have a few roos to try and get rid of, 12 to be exact because I have a rooster-bator, if not its stew pot.

I think she will be fine.

 

[Autumn Mama]

Well, now she is craning her neck and gaping her beak open. She isn't panting, more like trying to move something along. Can't see anything long like hay in her beak. There is only short grass where she is eating currently + water.