8 week old pullet with slow/impacted crop

[tmann14]

I got this chicken from a backyard breeder about 8 weeks ago. I just noticed in the last two days that her chest looked very 'puffy'. My husband held her yesterday and made me realize that it was more than puffy, her crop seemed to bulge. I picked her up this morning around 8 am and massaged her crop. It definitely has food in it, but it is not hard or solid. It feels to be the size of an apricot. It is slightly squishy, but also definitely protruding. I did not get to her before she ate breakfast, so I cannot say for certain if her crop completely emptied last night. My chicks sleep in a pine shavings coop and have a 10 ft covered run on dirt. I have not put grit in their run, and have only been feeding them chick feed with an occasional meal worm as a treat. This is my first time raising chicks- am I over-reacting or is this something serious? (sorry for the pic of my face, I was taking a selfie and was more concerned about the pic of the chick than my face).

 

[Eggcessive]

She might just be a big eater. Does she have access to food at night with a light on, or do they sleep in the dark? Most crops should empty by early morning, so catching them before they get food or water is the best time to check it. Don’t massage her crop, but just feel of it. Massaging is only done if the crop is hard or doughy in early morning, if a suspected impacted crop is found. If the crop feels squishy, you can cause them to regurgitate crop contents up into throat, and possibly choke to death.

Is she acting completey well, eating, drinking, and running around? How do her poops look? If you find a full and hard crop in the morning, confine her with water only in a dog crate. Then check it again later. Sometimes chicks may get coccidiosis and have a puffy slow crop. But if she is doing fine, I would watch her. Keep her on chick grower/starter for 90% of her diet, and make sure that she has access to chick grit.

 

[tmann14]

Thank you so much for your response! I do leave their feed in the run, and they could have access to it if they wanted, but it is nice and dark and they roost in the coop, away from the food. I do not think they eat during the night. She is acting like her other sisters, but I have not been able to check her poop, yet. I will try to do that today. If it is caused by cocci, what else should I be looking for? Should I start a cocci treatment right away?

 

[Eggcessive]

Coccidiosis may cause runny poops, sometimes with blood, standing puffed upmor hunched, not eating, and weakness. Corid from the feed store is the usual treatment. Dosage is 2 tsp of the liquid or 1.5 tsp of the powder per gallon of water for 5-7 days. It won’t harm them if you feel it is needed. I would watch their behavior. You could get the Corid just in case and hold off using it.