We butchered a turkey today and discovered a baseball sized crop that appeared to be filled with air. I punctured it with the knife tip and it deflated. I cut it open and there was nothing there. This turkey was butchered at noon and had been penned up since the sun set the night before. He free-ranged all day every day and was also fed chicken lay crumble (free choice because he was tall enough to reach into the bag and take his fill).
His gizzard had lay crumble, lots of grit, and what looked like seeds but were probably worn-down corn bits. It all smelled sweet, like dates, because he ate them off the ground every day.
The roosters we butchered last month had swollen crops, too, but they had some lay crumble in their, too. Not just all air. They were NOT free range, and only got lay crumble.
Does the lay crumble cause a balloon crop, or is this normal in chickens and turkeys???
His gizzard had lay crumble, lots of grit, and what looked like seeds but were probably worn-down corn bits. It all smelled sweet, like dates, because he ate them off the ground every day.
The roosters we butchered last month had swollen crops, too, but they had some lay crumble in their, too. Not just all air. They were NOT free range, and only got lay crumble.
Does the lay crumble cause a balloon crop, or is this normal in chickens and turkeys???
