My baby chicks have rice in crop, should I be worried, can their small organs digest rice?

[Emelyn]

Did the OP’s chicken get uncooked rice or cooked rice? Uncooked rice should never ever be given. Onions and garlic should not be given to chickens or other animals because those may cause liver toxicity and anemia, if given in large quantities.

Chickens need a balanced diet in a commercial chicken feed. Either a flock raiser/all flock feed or a layer feed for layers should be used. If other things are fed in quantities, there would be a lack of protein, vitamins, and minerals. I have fed a small quantity of cooked rice a couple of times, but uncooked rice could possibly swell and block the crop or digestive tract.

I agree that you should NEVER give chicks or chickens a lot of onion. I gave my leghorn onion (not too much) and she seemed fine. I'm still pretty confused why people are saying that you should not give your chickens uncooked rice. I give my chickens uncooked rice and they seem okay. I also gave it to them as chicks and they also seemed fine.

 

[Eggcessive]

Years ago when people used to throw rice after weddings, they discovered that birds were dying from impacted crops and gizzards, when the rice would swell and dehydrate them. For decades they have been using bird seed or nothing at all.

 

[Emelyn]

Years ago when people used to throw rice after weddings, they discovered that birds were dying from impacted crops and gizzards, when the rice would swell and dehydrate them. For decades they have been using bird seed or nothing at all.

But can't you chop it into small bits and feed it? I did that for my chicks and they were fine.

 

[jonalisa]

I still disagree with you... Rice is fine and chickens will eat it. Feeding them only chick starter is like you only eating artificial food and colors until you grow up. Chicks will need a little dinner scraps too since it may also include important vitamins.

"Feeding them only chick starter is like you only eating artificial food and colors until you grow up. Chicks will need a little dinner scraps too since it may also include important vitamins."

No, this is wrong.

 

[Emelyn]

No, this is wrong.

I feel like everyone is just feeding chicks artificial things tbh...

 

[jonalisa]

Hello, firstly I want to say that I have 4 baby chicks of 2 and a half weeks old and that I feed and take care of them with my grandpa. I take care of the baby chicks by feeding them, giving them water and learning from internet information, like here, on how to raise the baby chicks, but my grandpa is very skeptical of internet information and he believes that because he worked in a farm in his 20s and gave rice to baby chicks, from what he remembers, he now can and should give rice to baby chicks, while from what I found while researching the topic was that I should not give rice to the baby chicks below 10 weeks old, so now I found out that the baby chicks had their crop swollen and when I go feel it, you guessed it, it was rice.

1. Baby Chicks (4), 2 and a half weeks old, normal size
2. When they went to sleep they were a little moving, not moving as chickens with fast movements but fluid movement like humans
3. It has been exhibiting that 1 day, I saw it at night and when I woke up I saw their crop smaller but not empty and still felt rice
4. Seems that 2 didn't eat rice so they have their crop empty but the other 2 have it a little swollen from the rice
5. No injury or bleeding
6. The situation is expressed above this list
7. It has been eating crushed almonds and some scrambled egg, but without my consent my grandpa gave them rice and corn pieces (the hard corn)
8. It seems ok, the usual
9. I haven't done any treatment, I found you should do nothing but I came here for guidance
10. I hope you guys can help me
11. Ill send a photo after writing this
12. They sleep in a box with a water station and food dispersed around, then when is time to sleep a mantle is given to them (they do go outside, 2 or 3 times a day for about 30 to 60 minutes)

P.S.
They ate full size rice grains and uncooked, not pieces or smashed rice, will they be fine?

I would go out and get chick grit and provide it now.

 

[Aapomp831]

I still disagree with you... Rice is fine and chickens will eat it. Feeding them only chick starter is like you only eating artificial food and colors until you grow up. Chicks will need a little dinner scraps too since it may also include important vitamins.

Whatever floats your boat.

 

[FeynmanLectures]

Should I send them to the veterinary?

 

[Aapomp831]

In India and other Asian countries broccoli is DELICIOUS. Some of my friends are Irish and Italian and they loved it too as kids.

 

[jonalisa]

I feel like everyone is just feeding chicks artificial things tbh...

Chick starter is formulated to give chicks all the nutrients that they need.