Baby Chick with Swollen Crop & lethargic

[Reptigirl]

Need help!! I have about a 8 week old Millie Fleur cochin chick that I found this morning VERY lethargic & her crop is ballooned out. Doesn't appear to have anything in its crop. *JUST put a little pressure on the crop & she bubbled out a clearish/white liquid*


This chick is very special to me! My other millies got attached by a venous snake and didn't make a few weeks ago. She is one of the few survivors to my future project!!

What do I do?!?! She is VERY lethargic. The baby chicks are outside with the big chickens & have been so for about 4 weeks. A few of my hens kinda "mother" them in a way. She seemed fine yesterday. Eating & active. This morning she was hiding out in the coop all alone.

HELP!

She has no interests in food or water!

 

[53convert]

impacted croop, better act quickly or you will loose her.
there are several differect methods to deal with this............
One I have used most successfully is to hold the bird up side down and GENTLY massage the croop.
It will vomit and most times MOST TIMES the item causing the blockage will dislodge. But not always

Others will suggest methods such as mineral oil (Ithink) but I havent tried that.

Lots of luck

 

[Reptigirl]

Turned her upside down and massaged.... The WORST smelling black, gritty stuff came out....

Letting her rest before doing it again... she is still swollen

 

[Reptigirl]

Just re-checked my other chicks and I found another who is acting "off"... Ballooning crop as well... I put ACV in the water for everyone.... I don't have yogurt. Should I put Probiotic powder on there food?

 

[Reptigirl]

Well that was quick.... lost them both

 

[djennings]

So sorry about your chicks

 

[colebarnhart]

Sorry to hear

 

[stcroixusvi]

I am so sorry to read about your birds.

This is really one of my worst nightmares.

Do you have any idea what might have caused the swollen crops?

 

[willkatdawson]

I'm so sorry you lost them...

 

[Reptigirl]

No idea... They were FINE this morning... Running around, active, eating & drinking.
They were outside free range with the bigger chickens. All the bigger chickens get free feed Layer Cumbles/Layer Pellets plus free feed pullet sized oyster shell.

Both chicks suddenly became lethargic. Not walking or standing. There crop ballooned out. You could not feel food in them.

First I turned each one upside & massaged the crop. I did this twice with the 1st one that went down. After the second time it started pooping and seemed to feel a little better. I gave it a few drops of probiotic powder mixed with water & a little ACV mixed with water. Seemed okay. Watched it for a little while and the crop filled back up again & a thick mucus started coming up. Went to pick it up again and it just kinda went limp and died a few minutes later.

2nd chick only got its crop emptied once and it never really perked up.

Both had VERY VERY bad smelling black "gritty" stuff that came up. Nothing else. Looked almost like dirt? The smell was horrific.

At the moment all other chicks & chickens seem fine.