First time chick owner!!

[debid]

No I'm positive. Someone abandoned them in detroit. She was doing a farm fresh project down there and someone left them in a small cat carrier in front of the building.

Ah. Almost certainly an impulse buy of "pets" they weren't prepared to care for.

ETA: The full crop freaks a lot of folks out. It really sticks out on the littles. I put mine on shavings at 3 days old. I believe the shavings risk is grossly exaggerated. Yours are old enough that it's unlikely they've failed to learn what food looks like.

 

[shwaaskii]

Ah. Almost certainly an impulse buy of "pets" they weren't prepared to care for.

ETA: The full crop freaks a lot of folks out. It really sticks out on the littles. I put mine on shavings at 3 days old. I believe the shavings risk is grossly exaggerated. Yours are old enough that it's unlikely they've failed to learn what food looks like.

So will it leak out on its own? I read to try Epsom salt in their water . Also a mixture of ginger,cinnamon, baking soda and water/lemon juice in a little syringe could help.

Also what if it accidentally ate a shaving while stuck with no food down there? I'm going to try massaging it when I put baby down for a nap and see if we can work on getting stuff out. Anything I should look for? It was still full this morning when they woke up

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: You should definitely not try any of the concoctions you've read about. Epsom salt is Magnesium sulfate. It will seriously mess with their electrolyte balance, and give them a very bad case of diarrhea, which will dehydrate them. No syringes, please!!!! The crop is like a storage container for the food they eat. They eat as much as they can, then they are free to travel about and do other birdy things while digesting it at a slower pace. If they have a light, they will be eating all night.

 

[debid]

You should definitely not try any of the concoctions you've read about.  Epsom salt is Magnesium sulfate.  It will seriously mess with their electrolyte balance, and give them a very bad case of diarrhea, which will dehydrate them.  No syringes, please!!!!  The crop is like a storage container for the food they eat.  They eat as much as they can, then they are free to travel about and do other birdy things while digesting it at a slower pace.  If they have a light, they will be eating all night.  

X2

Full at night, empty in the morning relies on having day/night cycles. Heat lamps eliminate day/night and they'll be full whenever they tank up. Honestly, if the chick seems alert and active, you're more likely to do harm than good trying to help it.

 

[shwaaskii]

So I was just massaging it and I could see bubbles in through her skin and when I would apply pressure it would like bubble out of her mouth.. she does have diarrhea too..

 

[Double Barrel]

So I was just massaging it and I could see bubbles in through her skin and when I would apply pressure it would like bubble out of her mouth.. she does have diarrhea too..

Unless she is acting sick, leave the poor thing alone. She doesn't need her crop massaged. It's like your stomach. It gets bigger the more you eat. It's normal. Chicks tend to have a little runny poo. If it's acting ok....it's probably ok.

 

[shwaaskii]

X2

Full at night, empty in the morning relies on having day/night cycles. Heat lamps eliminate day/night and they'll be full whenever they tank up. Honestly, if the chick seems alert and active, you're more likely to do harm than good trying to help it.

Unless she is acting sick, leave the poor thing alone. She doesn't need her crop massaged. It's like your stomach. It gets bigger the more you eat. It's normal. Chicks tend to have a little runny poo. If it's acting ok....it's probably ok.

OK so just continue to feed normal? Maybe at night I'll take the food out to see if it's empty in the morning.

ETA: thus is my first time with chicks. All of my ladies are 2-3 years old and we got them when they were 6 months. I've only had the babies for 2 days now .. they were cold and wet when we found them. I just want to make sure they are ok and healthy!! I would be crushed if something happened to them while trying to save them..

 

[debid]

Massaging up crop contents is a last-ditch effort for a chicken​ with a
crop impaction that you aren't willing to pay a vet to surgically empty. It should not be attempted otherwise because it carries a risk of choking or aspiration of crop contents which would then cause pneumonia.

 

[Double Barrel]

OK so just continue to feed normal? Maybe at night I'll take the food out to see if it's empty in the morning.

ETA: thus is my first time with chicks. All of my ladies are 2-3 years old and we got them when they were 6 months. I've only had the babies for 2 days now .. they were cold and wet when we found them. I just want to make sure they are ok and healthy!! I would be crushed if something happened to them while trying to save them..

I completely understand your concern. It's best to keep an eye on things and try to get ahead of any issues. It can be hard to diagnose problems with a picture and description sometimes. With what I see, I agree with the others concerning it's crop. You are there in person and may see something I/we can't.
Just keep an eye on them and if you have a flock already, keep the newcomers isolated/quarantined from them...until you see if they do have some illnesses.
...and yes, I suggest to just feed as usual and monitor closely for now. If it just keeps getting bigger, there may be an issue. It should fluctuate in size.
As previously stated, if you have a light, they will eat throughout the night. Removing feed at night, may help you notice changes in the crop.

A pic of the poo may help, also.