Crop issues? Or something worse? Please help

[Justadmin]

Hi guys,

Firstly a great thanks to the forum which has already helped me a lot with many answered questions in existing posts. You guys know your stuff!

I have a real worry about one of my two girls. First a bit of background - they are both Gingernut Ranger hybrids, both about 21 weeks old. They're our first ever chickens and they're very much loved. We've only had them a week and a half. I'm quite a paranoid chicken parent and I observe them as much as I can, and I'm worried about one of them.

She's the most friendly and most sweet out of the two which makes it all the more worrying. Firstly I've noticed that of an evening after stuffing herself on treats and greens, she struts about bolt upright and does this weird neck motion, moving her neck from side to side? It sort of looks like she's hiccupping but her beak stays shut and she doesn't make a sound. She only does it for a few minutes on and off, then resumes normal behaviour. This morning I thought I'd check her crop. She had already eaten something when I checked - some cabbage and mealworms (and possibly layers pellets too) so I know really I should have checked before she'd touched any food. However the crop (if I was feeling it correctly) felt fine, it was mostly flat but didn't seem abnormal to me. However, above her crop, more in the centre of her throat, was what felt like a harder, almost bony kind of lump? It felt like my adams apple in a way, it was really quite firm. She didn't seem to protest at me touching it. What could it be?

I don't know much about chicken anatomy. Does the crop extend up that far? Could it be I just felt some food moving its way down her throat? Could it be just her neck bones? I'm trying to think if I've felt it when holding her before now, I can't really remember. I think I might have done but thought it was just her crop?

I've spent the morning googling and read about all kinds of nightmarish situations like canker and tumours. She doesn't really have any other symptoms except for the weird neck movements after evening treats. She's eating fine, healthy appetite so far anyway, she drinks fine, she poops normal poops, a nice pile overnight and then throughout the day as well, so things must be moving. She scratches about, her tail is perky, she looks like a normal chicken.

Any advice at all would be so greatly appreciated. I'm happy to answer any questions I might not have already given answers to.

Thank you

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi guys,

Firstly a great thanks to the forum which has already helped me a lot with many answered questions in existing posts. You guys know your stuff!

I have a real worry about one of my two girls. First a bit of background - they are both Gingernut Ranger hybrids, both about 21 weeks old. They're our first ever chickens and they're very much loved. We've only had them a week and a half. I'm quite a paranoid chicken parent and I observe them as much as I can, and I'm worried about one of them.

She's the most friendly and most sweet out of the two which makes it all the more worrying. Firstly I've noticed that of an evening after stuffing herself on treats and greens, she struts about bolt upright and does this weird neck motion, moving her neck from side to side? It sort of looks like she's hiccupping but her beak stays shut and she doesn't make a sound. She only does it for a few minutes on and off, then resumes normal behaviour. This morning I thought I'd check her crop. She had already eaten something when I checked - some cabbage and mealworms (and possibly layers pellets too) so I know really I should have checked before she'd touched any food. However the crop (if I was feeling it correctly) felt fine, it was mostly flat but didn't seem abnormal to me. However, above her crop, more in the centre of her throat, was what felt like a harder, almost bony kind of lump? It felt like my adams apple in a way, it was really quite firm. She didn't seem to protest at me touching it. What could it be?

I don't know much about chicken anatomy. Does the crop extend up that far? Could it be I just felt some food moving its way down her throat? Could it be just her neck bones? I'm trying to think if I've felt it when holding her before now, I can't really remember. I think I might have done but thought it was just her crop?

I've spent the morning googling and read about all kinds of nightmarish situations like canker and tumours. She doesn't really have any other symptoms except for the weird neck movements after evening treats. She's eating fine, healthy appetite so far anyway, she drinks fine, she poops normal poops, a nice pile overnight and then throughout the day as well, so things must be moving. She scratches about, her tail is perky, she looks like a normal chicken.

Any advice at all would be so greatly appreciated. I'm happy to answer any questions I might not have already given answers to.

Thank you

The "weird neck motion" is most likely adjusting her crop. Some chickens will move their neck around when they eat quite a bit.

You may have been feeling her trachea, esophagus,some of the little bones in her neck or like you said she could have had food traveling down when you felt it.
If she is eating, drinking, and pooping normally and doesn't show any signs of distress she is probably fine.
Provide layer pellets (or poultry ration), oyster shells free choice, grit and fresh clean water (a little bit of treats too

)

I am not dismissing your concerns. I think most of us at some point or another have wondered/questioned "what is that?"
Gently feel some of the other girls and see if their neck feels similar to what you feel on her. It is most likely nothing to worry about, but you may want to keep an eye on her to make sure she is acting/eating normally.