Air pocket on chick

[Kpenney]

Chick just hatched and seems fine, but wondering if anyone has experienced this before?

 

[DemeterAD9]

Probably not an air pocket but the crop. I've noticed on a couple I had hatched with the same thing, one was red and that chick in particular pipped the wrong end and ruptured a blood vessel while doing so. In short my little chick's red bubble was just a crop full of egg fluids and blood that it had to either swallow or drown in. The crop sits sort of lop-sided on the right like that too so even more reason to think it is the crop.

 

[Kpenney]

Probably not an air pocket but the crop. I've noticed on a couple I had hatched with the same thing, one was red and that chick in particular pipped the wrong end and ruptured a blood vessel while doing so. In short my little chick's red bubble was just a crop full of egg fluids and blood that it had to either swallow or drown in. The crop sits sort of lop-sided on the right like that too so even more reason to think it is the crop.

This one is definitely filled with air. I have her on my chest right now and can hear what sounds like a little wheeze.

 

[DemeterAD9]

I would expect an air pocket under the skin to be somewhat mobile when squished around. It could be a ruptured air sac but it seems odd to have it in such a fresh chick.

How is the chick today? Is the bubble still there?

 

[K0k0shka]

Probably a ruptured air sac that leaked air under the skin. Chickens have 9 air sacs, in addition to lungs, that make up their respiratory system. The air sacs have very thin walls and, especially on very young chicks, can be ruptured if the chick is dropped or bumped. I once had a chick hatched with severe wry neck who was extremely uncoordinated and difficult to handle for treatment. One time while I was trying to syringe vitamins into him, he flopped out of my hand and fell a few inches down on the sink counter. It wasn't a major fall, but it was enough to burst an air sac, so he developed an air bubble just like that. It would grow and shrink as the day went on, and kind of shift under the skin. The chick had too many issues going on and ultimately didn't make it, so I can't say what, if any, long term effect the air bubble would've had on his life. I know that you can express the air (carefully) to alleviate the pressure and help it heal up.

Here's a little more on the subject:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ruptured-air-sac-subcutaneous-emphysema.1432594/