5 of 7 Chicks Have Hard Crops

[CityslickerHomestead]

I need help on possible crop issues and after searching the forums and troubleshooting for a few days I’ve decided I need to ask for more help!

I am brand new to raising chickens and currently have seven chicks (3 polish, 2 Welsummer, 1 Wyandotte, and 1 Americana) around 2 and 3 weeks of age.

A few days ago I went to the local feed store and added a 3-week-old Americana to my existing flock and noticed she did NOT have a hard crop like all my other chicks. I assumed because all my existing chicks had large, grainy feeling crops that it was normal. I shouldn’t have googled anything because now I feel like they’re all going to die.

Research on BYC lead me to make many changes to my brooder setup that were originally recommended to me by the cashier who boxed the chicks up for me. I now remove their food at night to stop them from 24/7 eating, added nutrients to their water for digestive health (sav-a-chick probiotics), removed their chick grit since the crumble shouldn’t need grit, and replaced their pine bedding with paper towels since they seemed to be eating the bedding. However only one chick, the Wyandotte who is the oldest and largest, responded well and her crop is soft. The remaining flock still have hard crops. It feels like grains are just below the surface, and super inflated. Almost like a little water balloon filled with coarse sand.

My three polish have been very slow growing and although they are over 2 weeks old they barely have any feathers. The Welsummers of the same age are much farther along in feather development, and their crops are not as large or hard as the polish, but still hard. I’m wondering if size plays a role as my Wyandotte and Americana are the largest and don’t have the hard crops. All my chicks have large appetites and eat constantly, and drink constantly. Only one polish has pasty butt, all other chicks are fine. Yesterday I noticed some reddish tint in two of the polish droppings, but it wasn’t bright red so I don’t know if that’s blood?

The brooder floor temperature is about 85+- a few degrees, and I use a ceramic bulb that does not emit light, so they can have a normal sleep cycle.

Do any of you have additional suggestions, or should I just give it a few more days?

Thanks in advance!

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

That is totally normal! That's why you feed grit!

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Put the food back in!

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

I hope you realize that they are in serious danger now! Please let them have access to food water and grit 24\7.. that is why they are not growing.. also put shavings back. You may want to check with the byc community next time to ensure your chicks have the best!

 

[CityslickerHomestead]

That is totally normal! That's why you feed grit!

The other threads I searched using the keywords “chick” and “crop” BYC members would post to remove the food at night while they were sleeping. I did that but I haven’t seen a change in their crops. I can easily put it in back in but overnight it’s pitch black in the room so I don’t know how much they will eat in the dark anyways.

I definitely do NOT want to starve my growing babies.

 

[CityslickerHomestead]

I hope you realize that they are in serious danger now! Please let them have access to food water and grit 24\7.. that is why they are not growing.. also put shavings back. You may want to check with the byc community next time to ensure your chicks have the best!

Every change I’ve made to their brooder/food/grit options was based on BYC feedback on other threads posting about the same issues.
I guess if you ask 10 people the same question you get 10 different answers?
Believe me I want what is best and that’s why I researched it on BYC forums first. I only decided to post my own thread when I wasn’t seeing results after following BYC community advice.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

The other threads I searched using the keywords “chick” and “crop” BYC members would post to remove the food at night while they were sleeping. I did that but I haven’t seen a change in their crops. I can easily put it in back in but overnight it’s pitch black in the room so I don’t know how much they will eat in the dark anyways.

I definitely do NOT want to starve my growing babies.

Every change I’ve made to their brooder/food/grit options was based on BYC feedback on other threads posting about the same issues.
I guess if you ask 10 people the same question you get 10 different answers?
Believe me I want what is best and that’s why I researched it on BYC forums first. I only decided to post my own thread when I wasn’t seeing results after following BYC community advice.

I 100% believe you want the best for your chicks! I have never heard someone say to remove the grit, but I'll get a second opinion.. @A_Fowl_Guy ?

 

[CityslickerHomestead]

I 100% believe you want the best for your chicks! I have never heard someone say to remove the grit, but I'll get a second opinion.. @A_Fowl_Guy ?

It’s scary! I don’t want to lose any chicks and I don’t want them to surfer!

I put their food back in. Half were sleeping, half were softly peeping. Only the Wyandotte seemed happy to see me, but she(he?) is the friendliest and least flighty of the bunch. My Welsummer girls attack me any chance they get. I’m doubting they were correctly sexed and in a few months I’ll have my suspicions confirmed.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Yup, we all have opinions ... You need to read & think & make your own decision as to what makes sense. I agree with ButtonquailGirl14 - Offer Chick Grit as they will eat as they need. Leave the food/water in 24/7, chicks grow fast and that's why the constant food/water. When they are older & in a coop, they won't eat at night cause they'll roost and sleep but right now they are chicks and growing. Shavings is good cause it absorbs the wetness front their poop and they love scratching in it, it's all part of being a chicken.

A full crop will feel "hard", a squishy crop could be someone's drinking more water. When you say hard is it like a rock? Are they drinking water? They will eat some shavings (normal) & that's what the grit is for, the grit is their teeth, grinds their food & whatever else they eat.

If they're eating, drinking and pooping, active and making a mess = normal. Check their butts for any caked poop, clean off with warm water & paper towel. If it's excessive, then it possible they're too warm. It's recommended to lower the temp by 5* every week but they/chicks let you know.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I need help on possible crop issues and after searching the forums and troubleshooting for a few days I’ve decided I need to ask for more help!

I am brand new to raising chickens and currently have seven chicks (3 polish, 2 Welsummer, 1 Wyandotte, and 1 Americana) around 2 and 3 weeks of age.

A few days ago I went to the local feed store and added a 3-week-old Americana to my existing flock and noticed she did NOT have a hard crop like all my other chicks. I assumed because all my existing chicks had large, grainy feeling crops that it was normal. I shouldn’t have googled anything because now I feel like they’re all going to die.

Research on BYC lead me to make many changes to my brooder setup that were originally recommended to me by the cashier who boxed the chicks up for me. I now remove their food at night to stop them from 24/7 eating, added nutrients to their water for digestive health (sav-a-chick probiotics), removed their chick grit since the crumble shouldn’t need grit, and replaced their pine bedding with paper towels since they seemed to be eating the bedding. However only one chick, the Wyandotte who is the oldest and largest, responded well and her crop is soft. The remaining flock still have hard crops. It feels like grains are just below the surface, and super inflated. Almost like a little water balloon filled with coarse sand.

My three polish have been very slow growing and although they are over 2 weeks old they barely have any feathers. The Welsummers of the same age are much farther along in feather development, and their crops are not as large or hard as the polish, but still hard. I’m wondering if size plays a role as my Wyandotte and Americana are the largest and don’t have the hard crops. All my chicks have large appetites and eat constantly, and drink constantly. Only one polish has pasty butt, all other chicks are fine. Yesterday I noticed some reddish tint in two of the polish droppings, but it wasn’t bright red so I don’t know if that’s blood?

The brooder floor temperature is about 85+- a few degrees, and I use a ceramic bulb that does not emit light, so they can have a normal sleep cycle.

Do any of you have additional suggestions, or should I just give it a few more days?

Thanks in advance!

Sounds like you are doing everything right. I don’t think you have to remove the food and water at night because they are not going to be eating in the dark if you use a ceramic bulb. When my chickens were little chicks they had huge swollen crops that felt just like what you described, hard and grainy. In the morning the crops are usually small. What are their crops like before they have eaten? I would worry more about the change of blood in their stool‘s, you said you added a new chick a few days ago. Were the chicks from a hatchery? All chicks have different bacteria unless they come straight from a bio secured hatchery.