3 day-old chick with impacted crop :-(

[technodoll]

Good thing I love cuddling these little buggers... Tonight I found one with a HUGE, hard impacted crop - baby isn't acting differently from his mates but it's got to be hurting! None of the other chicks have this.

I've massaged gently and it feels like a crop full of wood shavings

I'm afraid to wake up tomorrow morning and the chick will have died overnight - is there anything else I can do?

The massage seems to have helped a bit but the crop is still very big and quite hard, although it does get a bit softer with lots of rubbing.

Would some olive oil help?

How much for a tiny newborn chick and how the heck do I get it down to the crop?

 

[chickenvirgin]

The little chick is probably just full, all chickens and chicks have full hard crops at night, just means they had a great day. Check in the morning and it will most likely be empty, I wouldn't worry, but I would check in the morning just to make sure.

 

[technodoll]

Well none of the 15 other chicks have anything like this... I've checked them all to make sure.

I know what a full crop feels like, and this is not full - it's stuck.

You can FEEL the bits of wood shavings in there - it's distended beyond belief.

My poor little baby!

 

[PunkinPeep]

I really wouldn't mess with it too much. It may pass just fine during the night - even if it is wood shavings.

And you might put down some paper towels over the shavings for a few days so they can start understanding the difference.

Even if it's only half down in the morning, (the crop that is), i would just keeping watching it and make sure he's getting it passed through.

If it's still just as big in the morning, then i would want to find out what can be done. I wouldn't mess with it before then.

 

[technodoll]

OK thank you - it's one of the cutest chicks, an olive-egger - of course!

I'll go give another gentle massage and hope all is better in the morning.

Thanks!

 

[PunkinPeep]

will be watching to hear how he's doing.

 

[technodoll]

Well, you were right - baby is fine this morning!

 

[goldnchocolate]

I'm glad that the baby is doing well this morning

. I have never tried it but I remember reading about someone who uses chick crumbles as bedding.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
Yay! so glad to hear!