Bloated chicken?

Is free choice a brand or do you mean letting them roam around on their own looking for food? I do make sure to always leave grit around.

You might be right about the dehydration. I read that it was okay to leave their water outside but I didn't know what time they wake up so I usually open the door around 8AM but it looks like they get up really early. I wanted to keep their coop dry but I'm going to have to get a rabbit bottle waterer and put it inside their coop to make sure they always have access to water if they need it. I usually leave a feeder hanging inside the coop and keep it filled but since it looked like he was getting too big too fast I've been just giving them some feed twice a day.

Yes, I only have 2 birds. I didn't notice this yesterday and you can probably see in the picture but his crop does look very full. I watched a video on how to empty it, so I would tilt him over and very gently massage his crop, making sure to bring him back up every now and then for air, until it empties out his mouth... then I would feed him a yogurt and Pedialyte mixture to make sure he gets some good bacteria back in. Is there anything else I should do? It's kind of cold today. Should I bring them inside and wrap him in a towel? I wouldn't feel right leaving the other one out by herself.
The chick starter is fine! I would feed that until the pullet comes into lay, then if you want to, you can switch to layer feed or feed an all flock type feed. Provide oyster shell in a small cup inside the coop when the pullet starts laying eggs.

You feared he was getting too big too quickly? That is a cockerel, so he's going to get big. Do you happen to remember what breed he's supposed to be?
Feed them free choice means you make feed available during waking hours - they will eat what they need.

If your only feeding twice a day, they may be hungry and trying to find other things to eat which may be why the crop is not emptying. Re-check the crop first thing in the morning to make sure it's emptying completely.

I would not vomit him again. You risk aspiration. See that he's drinking and eating well. See what the crop is like tomorrow.

No, I would not bring them inside - why? Chickens can do perfectly fine outside. How cold is it?
 
The chick starter is fine! I would feed that until the pullet comes into lay, then if you want to, you can switch to layer feed or feed an all flock type feed. Provide oyster shell in a small cup inside the coop when the pullet starts laying eggs.

You feared he was getting too big too quickly? That is a cockerel, so he's going to get big. Do you happen to remember what breed he's supposed to be?
Feed them free choice means you make feed available during waking hours - they will eat what they need.

If your only feeding twice a day, they may be hungry and trying to find other things to eat which may be why the crop is not emptying. Re-check the crop first thing in the morning to make sure it's emptying completely.

I would not vomit him again. You risk aspiration. See that he's drinking and eating well. See what the crop is like tomorrow.

No, I would not bring them inside - why? Chickens can do perfectly fine outside. How cold is it?
My brother got them from a family friend and he said he doesn't know what breed they are. The cockerel kind of looks like a rhode island red and the other one a bantam rhode island but I don't know for sure.

Okay, I will go back to free choice then and let my brother know to make sure to have feed available at all times when I'm away.

I read that article from Eggcessive and I tried checking the crop but he was scared and kept running from me. I managed to feel it a bit and it did feel pretty hard. I didn't smell any saurkraut smell from his head. I thought he might have a water belly but I actually didn't see it when I lifted the feathers. It sounds like the culprit might be a full crop. Can it make them lose balance? I noticed earlier that when he was laying, his feet were shriveled up and he was shivering a bit.

I refilled their feed and left out yogurt and he's eating it. Will the crop empty on its own?

I haven't tried to vomit him yet. I was going to but I had an appointment and had to leave and saw the message about not doing it so I didn't. If it's still full tomorrow first thing in the morning I'll follow that article and give him coconut oil and massage his crop. It doesn't say to flip him upside down so I'll just try and massage it with him standing up.

I was just asking about post-treatment. It's about 58F right now and 44F low. We covered the coop with a tarp so hopefully, that can provide some warmth. I've been doing the deep litter method so I hope that helps too.
 
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Check his crop early in the morning while he's roosting to see if it's empty.
If I have to get ahold of any of my chickens, I do it in the coop, in the dark, ie, after they go to roost, or before they get up in the morning.

If you have a headlamp, both of your hands are free. And if the headlamp has a red light, the chickens can't see well enough to jump off the roost. I can take one off the roost, no problem, that way. So you should be able to feel his crop. You can feel the other bird's crop too, as a comparison.
 
I was out there just now to check on him and he seems to be holding himself up a bit better than yesterday but still falling back a bit. His feet still seem a little shaky but he can move them. I got him Pedialyte earlier when I was going to make him vomit. Should I go ahead and give him some today to see if that will help? I was also going to give him some nutritional yeast. Should I go ahead and give both of them these things?
 
Just an update... I checked their crop last night before I closed the coop and I could feel it was kind of hard and bulgy like it should be I think. I checked again this morning while they were still sleeping (or brooding? in poultry terms?) and both seemed softer. I don't think I know enough to try and make him vomit but it seemed fine to me. He is eating and seems a lot better this morning and able to hold himself up more. Still falling back a bit but not as bad. I'm going to continue giving them the Corid water and sprinkle a bit of nutritional yeast in their food since I read that cocc depletes B vitamins and it's starting to get kind of cold here. I did give them some food with 1/2 tsp Corid two days ago but I was worried it might be too much since I'm still putting Cord in their water.
 
He's able to stand up better today but still shaky. I noticed that he was pecking at his feathers earlier and his feet look scaly. I don't think it was yesterday. Maybe mites? The other chicken doesn't seem affected though. The first pic is his and second is hers. I would check but I didn't know how to train them to be comfortable around me so they run when I try and get close and won't let me pick them up.
 

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I've been putting 1.5 powdered Corid in their water since last Tuesday but he doesn't seem to be getting much better. Maybe I should try Sulfadimethoxine? He looks out of it and has been picking himself a lot at the back near the nape of his neck. I'm beginning to see some patchy areas where there used to be feathers. Should I get food grade diatamacaeous earth and try and treat them for mites? He runs from me when I get near so I don't know how I'll do it. Should I clean out their entire coop or just sprinkle DE all over it?

I've been letting them out of the coop to roam around so the chicken looks like she's getting antsy and wants to come out again. I saw a wild cat in my yard yesterday when they were out so I ordered a cat scat mat and waiting to install it before I feel safe letting them out again.

Does the chicken sound normal btw? Since the weather change her voice has been sounding kind of hoarse.

Here's a video of them:

You'll hear the neighbor's dog barking in the background but he's on the other side where they can't see him.
 
Sounds like the crop is not emptying completely overnight. Re-check it! If it's not flat or empty first thing in the morning, then begin treating it.

Provide fresh chick starter, provide fresh plain water and poultry grit (crushed granite).

You have finished the Corid treatment, so adding a little nutritional yeast to their feed is fine.

He's trying to preen. He's young and is going through a juvenile molt, this is why his feathers looks a little out of sorts.
Do carefully and gently look through his and her feathers to make sure that lice/mites are not an issue.

De is not going to get rid of lice/mites. Provide them with enough space so they can take a dust bath. This will help condition their feathers as they molt too.

I think if you can get some good feed into them consistently, keep their space clean, provide them with fresh water you will see some improvement.

How big is the cat? The birds are likely too large for the cat to mess with. Trap the cat and take it to the shelter if it keeps coming around.
 
Sounds like the crop is not emptying completely overnight. Re-check it! If it's not flat or empty first thing in the morning, then begin treating it.

Provide fresh chick starter, provide fresh plain water and poultry grit (crushed granite).

You have finished the Corid treatment, so adding a little nutritional yeast to their feed is fine.

He's trying to preen. He's young and is going through a juvenile molt, this is why his feathers looks a little out of sorts.
Do carefully and gently look through his and her feathers to make sure that lice/mites are not an issue.

De is not going to get rid of lice/mites. Provide them with enough space so they can take a dust bath. This will help condition their feathers as they molt too.

I think if you can get some good feed into them consistently, keep their space clean, provide them with fresh water you will see some improvement.

How big is the cat? The birds are likely too large for the cat to mess with. Trap the cat and take it to the shelter if it keeps coming around.
Thanks for your advice. I forgot to mention that I didn't realize I was supposed to change the size of their grit at 8 weeks of age, which was about 3 weeks ago, when he started wobbling a bit. I got them the poultry-sized grit on Friday but it seemed like it was too large for the chicken so I left both sizes out for them. I'm quite nervous about trying to make him vomit. Will it take a few days for the new size to help his crop empty completely?

I'm glad you mentioned that he's just preening. I thought it might have been worrisome behavior.
 
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