Chickens all have big air bubbles on their necks - right at crop -

[thepetpaw]

Chickens all have big air bubbles on their necks - right at crop - it looks like the size of a golf ball on them. They are two months old and I felt it and it doesnt feel like anything is in there but air. I started feeling all their necks and all of them are getting it - what is it?

what can i do?

they are all eating and drinking but these air bubbles are huge - it looks like they swollowed golf balls some are on the fron and some are on the sides of their necks...what can it be

 

[redwa]

Could it just be that their crops have food in them? When they have had a lot to eat the food collects in the crop until it goes to the gizzard. As they get older, their capacity to hold more food in their crop increases often resulting in them looking like they have golf balls in their neck. They should return back to normal by the morning once they have emptied. If not, then you know that it is something else.

 

[thepetpaw]

I felt the iar bubbles and it does not feel like they have anything in there - it just feels soft like air. they were not like that this morning....I am really worried about them!

 

[justusnak]

My advice is to take all food away for the evening. Just make sure they have plenty water tho. Waite untill morning...see if it goes down. Im betting they are just full and you cant feel the " feed" . Let us know.

 

[sammi]

most likely it's full crops..they can be little piggies..LOL
..see if they go down in the morning..

what bedding are you using?
describe the droppings..color and consistency

just in case:
here is a pic of a chick with injured air sac..is this what it looks like?

click here

 

[GopherBoyFarms]

i am not expert, but when I first got the chickens and they started to free range I noticed their crops being really large in the evening when I held them. I waited till morning and felt them again and it had gone down a bit....checked them then that night and it was big again and by next morning it was down...it kinda freaked me out at first but I learned (with mine) it was just them filling their crop in the day and it went down at night. try checking them at bed time and then again in morning and as someone else said, take food away in the evening when they go to bed, and dont give it back to them till you have felt to see if the crop has emptied.

Hope thats all it is.

 

[Ladysonja]

It is ok to be worried, but I have to agree with the rest... The crops are full of feed.

My two week olds had large crops one evening when I got home and all the feed was gone.

I nearly freaked. I settle down after I read a post like this. The crops went down on some, but not by much on other chicks.

Even today with my girls nearly egg laying age can tend to over do it and their crops will be bigger than I think they should be.

Just kept an eye on them and eventually all will be well.

Good Luck and let us know what the morning brings.