Chicken with enlarged crop?

[Amazon]

One of our girls (one of six) has developed a very large crop. As in it hangs...

We got them as chicks in July. So about 11 weeks old. On day two home from TSC she had pasty butt, but that was easily remedied and no other issues.

She then started to look “plump” and is now like this. She seems happy and healthy otherwise and is quite outgoing.

Any ideas? She’s a Rhode Island Red

Thanks in advance

 

[Soy Milano]

Have you tried using the chicken symptom checker tool? http://www.poultrydvm.com/views/symptoms.php It might help you rule out the possibilities..

 

[Tesumph]

Looks like pendulous crop.
The crop is like a balloon. Its a holding tank for feed that stretches and signals to the bird when it’s time to stop eating and wait for digestion to catch up. Once the feed makes its way to the proventriculus (a bird’s “stomach”) the crop shrinks back and they can fill it up again.
A crop that does not have the ability to contract back up is pendulous.

This can cause several problems, including yeast infections in the crop (sour crop), and general malnutrition from not being able to utilize the feed they’re eating.
Unfortunately there’s really no cure for pendulous crop. Some people make “chicken bras” that are designed to manually hold the crop up so it can properly function, but this will only stop it from getting worse. In severe cases, the bird has to be euthanized.

Go out and feel your girl’s crop first thing in the morning, before she eats anything. Is it empty, or still full?
What does her crop feel like normally—mushy like bread dough? Does she have sour smelling breath?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

11 weeks old

She then started to look “plump” and is now like this. She seems happy and healthy otherwise and is quite outgoing.

What does her poop look like?
What do you feed, including treats?
Do you provide grit?

I would check her crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks, the crop should be empty. If it's not empty, then report back to us and let us know if it's hard, soft, squishy, doughy or if she has a sour smell to her breath.

Here's some reading about crop issues:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments

 

[Amazon]

Thanks for the replies everyone

I would say pendulous crop as well.

I finally had some time to observe her outside the run yesterday. She was actually vomiting. (She’d eat, drink.. later I’d see some come up)

For food they primarily get their starter feed, some grit, occasional dried meal worms, and they now get out in to the yard when we are home.

No one is picking on her, but I do see she is keeping to herself and no longer getting up to the roost bar.

Although new to chickens, I’ve had parrots for 20 years. I know how avians hide symptoms and I’m quite irritated with myself for not seeing this earlier. I know that this is not going to end well for her and just don’t want her to suffer. I’m happy to fashion a support for her if it will help, but also have mixed feelings on prolonging the situation.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks for the replies everyone

I would say pendulous crop as well.

I finally had some time to observe her outside the run yesterday. She was actually vomiting. (She’d eat, drink.. later I’d see some come up)

For food they primarily get their starter feed, some grit, occasional dried meal worms, and they now get out in to the yard when we are home.

No one is picking on her, but I do see she is keeping to herself and no longer getting up to the roost bar.

Although new to chickens, I’ve had parrots for 20 years. I know how avians hide symptoms and I’m quite irritated with myself for not seeing this earlier. I know that this is not going to end well for her and just don’t want her to suffer. I’m happy to fashion a support for her if it will help, but also have mixed feelings on prolonging the situation.

A lot of crop issues are treatable, see the links posted previously. Since she's young and if you treat the crop right away, there's a good chance the crop has not lost it's elasticity and will go back to normal size. Sometimes you may need to cage them while you treat so you control what they eat or you may need to withhold feed for a day or two (always have fresh water available) so the crop can empty - adding foodstuff to an already full crop just compounds the problem.