Baby Chick Crop issues--please help!

[jmarsh]

Hello. I'm new to raising chicks and need some help. We have 5 baby chicks that are about a week and a half old or so. One of them is much larger than the rest and has a full crop. I have been giving olive oil, massaging crop, giving yogurt, probiotics, etc. I can't seem to get the poor chick to empty her crop. It does go down throughout the day, but in the morning the crop still has stuff in it. The crop is not hard, but soft and squishy. Just yesterday and this morning she has started separating herself from the other chicks. She still eats and drinks, but just isn't acting right. Or maybe I'm over reacting and she's fine. But, as this is my first ever experience with chicks, I have no reference as to what's normal, what's not, and what I should do. I've read most threads here about sour crop, doughy crop, impacted crop, etc. Any advice would help. She is my 6 year old son's chick and we just had to put our 13 year old lab down. Having his chick die would be very devastating for him! Plus I can't stand the idea of the chick not feeling well and not helping her!

 

[nightowl223]

Hello. I'm new to raising chicks and need some help. We have 5 baby chicks that are about a week and a half old or so. One of them is much larger than the rest and has a full crop. I have been giving olive oil, massaging crop, giving yogurt, probiotics, etc. I can't seem to get the poor chick to empty her crop. It does go down throughout the day, but in the morning the crop still has stuff in it. The crop is not hard, but soft and squishy. Just yesterday and this morning she has started separating herself from the other chicks. She still eats and drinks, but just isn't acting right. Or maybe I'm over reacting and she's fine. But, as this is my first ever experience with chicks, I have no reference as to what's normal, what's not, and what I should do. I've read most threads here about sour crop, doughy crop, impacted crop, etc. Any advice would help. She is my 6 year old son's chick and we just had to put our 13 year old lab down. Having his chick die would be very devastating for him! Plus I can't stand the idea of the chick not feeling well and not helping her!

Is the chick you're worried about still eating and drinking? Is her poo like the others' is? What do you have the chicks on? Is it pine shaving bedding, or paper towels, or sand, or something else? Would there have been anything loose in the brooder that this little one could have eaten that's not food, like hay or something? If she has some sort of congenital problem, there's not much that can help her, but if she's eaten something that she needs to break down, then some chick grit might help her.

 

[jmarsh]

She is still eating and drinking. I wet their food down and she seems to feel better today. Maybe she had something partially obstructing her crop and it has moved through. I'm hoping the issue has resolved itself at this point but will continue watching her. I did have them on shavings, but have since put them on newspaper and paper towels. They have chick grit at all times, plus food and water (with probiotics). Now they have wet down food with some olive oil in it, and I've been giving yogurt once a day. Her poop is the same as they others, although a few days ago it seemed a bit dry. Now ti seems fine. Fingers crossed she's going to be ok.