10 d old chick impacted crop?

[JessicaHen]

Hello! This is my first time hatching chicks and I have one with a very hard, swollen crop. I can see the chick start and pieces of shavings through the thin skin. I have replaced shavings with straw now.
I started noticing about 4 days ago. I got on here and figured it was normal based on other people's posts but now I am noticing she is much smaller than the other chicks and the crop has never changed in size.
I started the olive oil and massaging tonight. I also took some photos as I can't find ANY of a baby chick with a hard swollen crop on the web or even on this forum.
Just wondering if anyone can tell me if this is indeed impacted crop?
Thank you!

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[Eggcessive]

If she is acting like a normal active chick, eating and drinking, it may just be a full crop. I would make her drink lots of water by dipping her beak and letting her swallow as much as you can. A severe impacted crop in a chick may require crop surgery, and if they are not getting nutrition, they can die pretty quickly. Is she gaping or moving her neck around like something is stuck in there. Paper towel makes the best bedding for the first week for chicks, until they learn what their food is. I hope your chick gets well.

 

[JessicaHen]

She won't drink water when I dip her beak in. It's really odd. I have to give her water with the dropper. This morning it's a tiny be smaller but at the base it is SO hard! She won't eat but she runs around with the other chicks. Yes she is doing that weird yawning/stretching her neck thing.
Can a chick survive an at home surgery?

 

[JessicaHen]

Yay!! After lots of massage and her second syringe of olive oil today, plus some water with probiotics/electrolytes she passed the shavings!!
I know it was shavings now causing the blockage because I dissected the droppings and sure enough it's all shavings!! I've learned my lesson, no more shavings for baby chicks!! Her crop is empty now as well for the first time in about 5 days now!
I included a pic so ya'll could see. There were two dry, hard droppings and one that was a darker color and more wet, looked like a normal chick dropping so I'm pretty sure she passed it all. Sooo happy!!! She has a really cool personality. The pic is of those two droppings I found in her pen that I crumbled up to see what all was in them.