Please

[JaysGirl]

Please help!! I put my week old chicks in their coop today and I have noticed that one of them is doing something unusual and I don't know if shes ok, if I should do anything. It is 91 degrees in the coop. They have fans, frozen water bottles and frozen veggies. Is she ok? She is walking around she just keeps doing that and kind of stretching her neck! This is my first time and I just don't know whats normal but I know she has not done this before.

 

[CrazyChickns]

Let me start off by saying that I am not a very experienced chicken owner but I will give you my guess. First, I would bring her inside into air conditioning if possible to see if that helps just in case the heat is either causing it or making something worse. She seems to be acting like there is something bothering her in her throat. Check her throat and try to at least separate her and make sure she has cool water to drink. And check her crop to see how full it is. Maybe she ate too much or too fast.

 

[JaysGirl]

I meant 4 week old chicks!

 

[JaysGirl]

Where is the crop? And exactly how would I check it?

 

[animalgrl]

Check the crop. Google it or do a search on this site. She could have something stuck in her throat, or she could have an impacted crop. Those are two possibilities I can think of.

 

[CrazyChickns]

Sorry the pic is so big but this is a picture of a chicken with a full crop so that you can see where it is located. It's like a chickens storage pouch for its food before it goes into the gizzard and stomach to be digested. You just check it by seeing if you can feel a lump on its chest. If there is no lump then the crop is empty. Make sure you try to feel under the feathers because it will me more difficult to feel than it would in a grown bird. If you separate the chick and give her only water and check the crop tomorrow, it should be empty. If it is not then the crop is most likely impacted or she has something stuck in it. If it is empty and she stops doing that thing with her neck then she should be fine and you can put her back with the others. If it is not then you can go from there and google what to do for it.

 

[WiddleChix]

The crop is on the right side of their chest it feels like a small bean bag so it a little squishy and you can feel the feed inside of it.

This chicken has a crop problem but the picture shows you where the crop is located.

 

[WiddleChix]

Oops you beat me to it! Lol

 

[JaysGirl]

Thanks so much everyone! I have brought her in the house and boy was she upset! She is calmed down now and I have felt what I think is her crop and it feels like a bean bag. I can't feel anything big in there or in her throat. I massaged her crop a little and only given her water. I haven't noticed her doing it anymore

so I guess I'll do what you suggested and keep her inside until tomorrow with no food. Hopefully she will be good to go! Thanks again for the quick responses

 

[JaysGirl]

Update! She is much better this morning. Her crop seems empty, so I took her out to be with her sisters. And boy is she glad

I will keep a close eye on her today. Thanks again you guys for your advice!