Chicken has empty crop at night

[Chickenoreo]

My chicken seems fine throughout the day, walks, I see her eating and drinking water, her poop seems normal but yesterday I noticed her crop felt empty. It felt empty but it also did feel like she had barely ate something. Right now I felt her crop and it feels the same again. What could be the cause?

 

[Debbie292d]

My chicken seems fine throughout the day, walks, I see her eating and drinking water, her poop seems normal but yesterday I noticed her crop felt empty. It felt empty but it also did feel like she had barely ate something. Right now I felt her crop and it feels the same again. What could be the cause?

Do yours free-range? I ask because my silkies do that and go to bed with half-full to nearly empty crops and I've wondered about that too. I figured it out that they eat healthy in the morning before I let them out, then go out and it's just bugs, grass, whatever, and then they don't go back to the coop where the food is until dusk again.

What I just started doing was putting a different feeder right outside the coop. I've seen them stop before going in and eating so at least they're getting feed before bed now. Otherwise, I'm not sure what else to do.

 

[Chickenoreo]

Do yours free-range? I ask because my silkies do that and go to bed with half-full to nearly empty crops and I've wondered about that too. I figured it out that they eat healthy in the morning before I let them out, then go out and it's just bugs, grass, whatever, and then they don't go back to the coop where the food is until dusk again.

What I just started doing was putting a different feeder right outside the coop. I've seen them stop before going in and eating so at least they're getting feed before bed now. Otherwise, I'm not sure what else to do.

Yes she is. Have yours just started doing that or it’s been going on for a while? I see my chicken eat throughout the day too and even before she goes to sleep she eats again

 

[Fluffy_Moth_With_Silkies]

My silkies, with constant access to food, go to bed with like 3/4 full crops.

What I just started doing was putting a different feeder right outside the coop. I've seen them stop before going in and eating so at least they're getting feed before bed now. Otherwise, I'm not sure what else to do.

Yeah, we use a feeder because I don't free range.
I'd suggest giving them full access to a feeder at any time @Chickenoreo

 

[Debbie292d]

Yes she is. Have yours just started doing that or it’s been going on for a while? I see my chicken eat throughout the day too and even before she goes to sleep she eats again

It started when our younger batch of seven were old enough to stay in the coop as now it seems when I open the door, nobody wants to go back in until it's either pouring rain, snowing, or dusk. The older ones used to go back in and eat at least once a day but they hang out near the house or garage now where the younger batch used to live. It's odd. Like they think they might miss a treat or something when I rarely do treats. I've tossed some scrambled eggs out there now and then though.

Having the 2nd feeder outdoors now with starter in it gives them all a bit more protein too, but then it's imperative to have oyster shell in a separate dish as starter doesn't have as much as adult feed.

Have you noticed if she's got diarrhea? You could try give her some probiotics as that's good for digestive issues and if she's having any crop issues it would probably help that too. Sugar-free Greek yogurt is probably the highest probiotic thing, but we have Hydro Hen powder I've put in their water now and then. I also ferment their scratch grains with a bit of chia seed in there so they get lots of probiotics and prebiotics that way.