Baby chick Crop problems - advice?!????

[CaptnGreever]

I purchased 6 chicks of unknown breeds by the owner on Sunday, these are my first chickens I've owned myself! They all seemed fine, I examined each and selected ones I hoped to be hens. Yesterday I noticed two of my chicks had a tumor looking growth on their chest - after freaking out, calling every vet I could find a number for, and googling for a couple hours I came across the crop. Apparently this tumor looking thing is just their crop being full? So I purchased grit and tossed it around the coop and mixed it with their feed last night. Today after checking on them I noticed 4 of them now have enlarged crops.... :[
I've sat grit out in a separate dish and all I know to do is wait. Any advice???

I've included a picture of one of the chicks from yesterday, it's slightly bigger today.

 

[Pyxis]

It's normal. Unless the crop feels hard and the chick seems to be in distress, the full crop just means they have been eating that day. The way their digestive system works is the food they eat goes to the crop and is stored there and broken down a little bit. Then, usually at night, the crop empties out into the next stage of digestion. If you're feeding them chick feed, it's made so that they can break it down without grit anyway so you should be fine.

And !

 

[3riverschick]

A full crop is a good thing. What size grit did you buy ( chick, teenage, adult) and how old are your chicks?
Best,
Karen

 

[CaptnGreever]

Thanks soooo much for replying!!! I got chick grit... Appropriate for their size! The two original ones with the crop issues, I held the chick starter/grower from them today to see if it would go down & it hadn't. They actually look bigger :/ but I fed them all this afternoon with the grit mixed in.
I have one hen that I think is about 3/4 months - a barred rock. Then the 6 chicks are probably 4/5 weeks. The woman I bought them from had no idea of their breed, age, sex, etc. She just wanted them gone.

 

[3riverschick]

Thanks soooo much for replying!!! I got chick grit... Appropriate for their size! The two original ones with the crop issues, I held the chick starter/grower from them today to see if it would go down & it hadn't. They actually look bigger

but I fed them all this afternoon with the grit mixed in.
I have one hen that I think is about 3/4 months - a barred rock. Then the 6 chicks are probably 4/5 weeks. The woman I bought them from had no idea of their breed, age, sex, etc. She just wanted them gone.

Ok, sounds like you got the grit right for their age.
Best,
Karen

 

[lm84]

My chicks all have huge crops all the time. They are constantly eating. Chicks don't need any grit if they are just feed their normal chick starter.

 

[CaptnGreever]

Now all 6 babies have giant crops... And it just looks absolutely painful. They're big enough you can see it's pulling them to one side when they lay down and stuff. They act completely fine, no signs of distress - so I guess all of you are right! I'll see how they look in the morning. My hen doesn't have a protruding crop at all - is this something that with age they quit eating so heavily and it doesn't fill up as fully? Or is that a stupid question? Haha

 

[lm84]

I think that the feathers just cover up the full crops more and you don't notice it. Like I said, all of my chicks have huge crops, so big that they do look like they are going to the right side of the chicks body.

 

[Pyxis]

Yeah, it's a feathers thing that makes them less noticable! They look absolutely horrid on naked neck babies, lol.

 

[CaptnGreever]

Shew okay!!! Haha I was so worried... All 6 tonight were full! You can see the little grains in there through the skin!! And feel it! Ughhh.... So glad humans don't have crops :|