Crop issue in chick?

[RockHillR]

So this year we had a very bad brooder experience, and I suspected the feed to be the cause but it could just as easily have been bad incubation as we had a cold snap and even with full heat on the house had trouble staying warm. I switched away from the organic starter I used last year to a local one from the feed store and all but one chick has died.
I took it off the feed and have given it a mix of small enough seeds for them to digest (flax, sesame, etc.) but think they are having issues now as yesterday their crop was full of liquid. I was worried about sour crop so gave them some apple cider vinegar through a syringe (about 1.5 ml or less). I was afraid to massage the crop too hard since they are so small but I have been doing that. This morning I felt some grit in their crop and the liquid has died down, so I am hoping that they are feeling better….
Question to you guys is whether you think I should keep up the acv treatment and how often- and how long before I allow food again… I will feed them egg when I do give food… I’m also worried they are impacted further down or just underdeveloped and I have no idea how to tell if that is the case. Going to administer some coconut oil today to try and keep things moving. They have pooped but it isn’t super solid looking. Yesterday when they pooped it was normal but stuck to their rump so I had to bathe them.
I have a mortar and pestle so I think I may grind their food a bit before giving it to them to make impaction less likely.

Their crop really does look much smaller now but they seem weaker today. Peeping a lot but not eating the few seeds out for them to test hunger…
Any suggestions I would be very grateful for, thanks very much.

 

[MysteryChicken]

What feed did you feed them when you switched exactly?

To slicken an impacted crop, feed hardened chunks of Coconut oil, & massage in a circular motion.

If you feed anything besides their normal chick feed, they need chick grit to break it down. Seeds/corn/mealworms, stuff like that need grit to be digested. These items listed are treats, by the way.

Do you have Nutridrench, to give them a vitamin boost?

 

[RockHillR]

What feed did you feed them when you switched exactly?

To slicken an impacted crop, feed hardened chunks of Coconut oil, & massage in a circular motion.

If you feed anything besides their normal chick feed, they need chick grit to break it down. Seeds/corn/mealworms, stuff like that need grit to be digested. These items listed are treats, by the way.

Do you have Nutridrench, to give them a vitamin boost?

I do not have a poultry nutridrench, only a goat oriented version.
I had full success last year without nutridrench and all I changed this year was their feed (was using a crumble started and switched to what local feed store gave me as their starter).
I really suspect the incubation as being culprit since only about half hatched (compared to last year’s 11/14 hatch rate).

I always feed grit but I wondered if they were not eating enough of this variant. The chick has seemed fine for weeks before this and has been off the “problem” feed for a bit…
I haven’t given them mealworms etc but they did catch a fly yesterday (before I noticed the crop being enlarged.)
They are active and interested in my hand (want to cuddle under me) but easily tipped over/weak.
I’m going to the store to get poultry nutridrench, a smaller size grit, and the same crumbles I had my last hatch on before this nonsense….

 

[Jaime918]

a smaller size grit

Look for chick grit. The standard grit is far to large for chicks.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I do not have a poultry nutridrench, only a goat oriented version.
I had full success last year without nutridrench and all I changed this year was their feed (was using a crumble started and switched to what local feed store gave me as their starter).
I really suspect the incubation as being culprit since only about half hatched (compared to last year’s 11/14 hatch rate).

I always feed grit but I wondered if they were not eating enough of this variant. The chick has seemed fine for weeks before this and has been off the “problem” feed for a bit…
I haven’t given them mealworms etc but they did catch a fly yesterday (before I noticed the crop being enlarged.)
They are active and interested in my hand (want to cuddle under me) but easily tipped over/weak.
I’m going to the store to get poultry nutridrench, a smaller size grit, and the same crumbles I had my last hatch on before this nonsense….

I don't think incubation was the issue.

What's the brooder set up like?

 

[RockHillR]

What feed did you feed them when you switched exactly?

To slicken an impacted crop, feed hardened chunks of Coconut oil, & massage in a circular motion.

If you feed anything besides their normal chick feed, they need chick grit to break it down. Seeds/corn/mealworms, stuff like that need grit to be digested. These items listed are treats, by the way.

Do you have Nutridrench, to give them a vitamin boost?

It wasn’t for very long- finely crushed oat, wheat, poppy and flax seeds I had in my kitchen.

 

[RockHillR]

I don't think incubation was the issue.

What's the brooder set up like?

Brooder was set up the same way as I set it up last time. Only difference (including location) was the feed and the poor hatch rate preceding the brooder….
This is unfortunately the only chick left after this fiasco. I went and bought the same starter grower ration I used last year and this chick seems to be doing much better after I administered some coconut oil, honeyed water for a spike in energy and went to the store for some nutridrench (They had no nutridrench when I went sadly…)
Chick is standing and scratching and the crop is deflated and looks normal….
Perhaps I was over-frightened due to the losses this year or caught it early enough?

I’m still wondering over the loss of the hatch… water consumption was markedly different compared to last year’s feed and the starter I fed this year that seemed to cause issues would dirty their feathers. They had emergency backups I would have to wash and soak to save them as well so that made me suspect under developed chicks… Even with grit and non-edible bedding that was clean we had issues with them getting dirty on that feed, which immediately resolved for this chick when I changed feed. I did give them their own separate brooder box when we switched in case it was some communicable disease…
I’m by no means an expert but I did everything the same way other than the feed so unless I had completely accidental success I would think it was feed, developmental issues, or a transmissible illness…
Hopefully this little chick will do well now that I have bought the crumbles that worked well for my hatchlings last year….

 

[RockHillR]

Look for chick grit. The standard grit is far to large for chicks.

I just got back from store with some and compared it and some of the pieces are the same size but yes it is too big. They seem to be doing better now and the crop HAS been emptying. Hoping that the coco oil and the smaller grit I have them on will do the trick. If so I will be getting some orphingtons in the next few days to give them some friends, poor little thing…

 

[MysteryChicken]

Brooder was set up the same way as I set it up last time. Only difference (including location) was the feed and the poor hatch rate preceding the brooder….
This is unfortunately the only chick left after this fiasco. I went and bought the same starter grower ration I used last year and this chick seems to be doing much better after I administered some coconut oil, honeyed water for a spike in energy and went to the store for some nutridrench (They had no nutridrench when I went sadly…)
Chick is standing and scratching and the crop is deflated and looks normal….
Perhaps I was over-frightened due to the losses this year or caught it early enough?

I’m still wondering over the loss of the hatch… water consumption was markedly different compared to last year’s feed and the starter I fed this year that seemed to cause issues would dirty their feathers. They had emergency backups I would have to wash and soak to save them as well so that made me suspect under developed chicks… Even with grit and non-edible bedding that was clean we had issues with them getting dirty on that feed, which immediately resolved for this chick when I changed feed. I did give them their own separate brooder box when we switched in case it was some communicable disease…
I’m by no means an expert but I did everything the same way other than the feed so unless I had completely accidental success I would think it was feed, developmental issues, or a transmissible illness…
Hopefully this little chick will do well now that I have bought the crumbles that worked well for my hatchlings last year….

Are you able to get it some buddies? Chickens are social creatures that enjoy company.