Bloated neck

[fishbone033]

My birds neck is swollen/bloated .... Feels like a balloon inside her neck!!!! Suggestions??

 

[heatherlaw]

Her crop is probably blocked. Dont know if you know about the crop but I'll explain just in case. The crop is a storage bag on thier neck which is the first place food goes when they eat. Its a muscle and slowly contracts squeezing the food into the next part of the digestive system. A normal, full crop should feel a little like a stress ball. Sometimes softer if they have drank a lot, sometimes harder if they eat a lot of whole seeds or something. Sometimes it gets blocked for one reason or another and then they just keep eating and drinking but the crop isnt emptying. Thats why it feels like a balloon.
Try massaging her crop to help break up the blockage. Dont worry, she may not like it but this wont hurt her a bit. While you are at it, take a whif of her breath (gross i know) and see if it smells off. If it does let us know on here and i can tell you how to treat. If you can, separate her into a cage and give her no food or water overnight after her masage and see if it starts emptying on its own. If it does great! She can go back to doing her chicken thing. If it stays full overnight she will need more masaging and fluids to help soften the blockage.

 

[chickcrack]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments

Here is a great article for you to read.

 

[fishbone033]

Thank you yes I kinda figure food block I massaged her neck down last night and forced her to drink and it's half the size this morning so I appreciate ur advice and link

 

[heatherlaw]

Keep us posted. Unfortunately i have had far too mych experience with this particular issue. I only have 8 backyard hens in town but ive delt with blockled, sour, slow, AND pendulus crop. Ugh. I swear i take care of my girls but sometimes no amount of care can prevent these things. One of them i ended up doing home surgery on to remove what turned out to be a tumor that was causing cronic slow crop. Vets in this area look at you like you've lost your mind if you want them to treat a chicken. People just dont get how you can have chickens as pets. Good luck with your little lady! Try mixing a little coconut oil in her food. Thats what has worked best for me when dealing with slow crop