Crop question

[klcondry]

I'm new to the chicken game and have a question about what is considered "normal." We moved our 4-5 week old chickens out into their new ark over the weekend. They have lots of weeds and grass to peck at now. I did not provide any grit as we have very sandy soil and I thought they would be just fine with that. I noticed last night that a few of our Reds had big lumps on the right breast, just below the neck... is this normal after a day of grazing? The crop was not grossly swollen, just noticeably. They are all running around and playing today, eating and drinking as usual.
Thanks in advance!

 

[fiberart57]

Welcome to BYC.

A good time to check their crops is in the morning after they've slept all night. If it's down, then they're digesting food just fine. If not, there's a problem and you might look at the length of the grass they're eating. Long grass is a cause of crop problems.

Even though my chickens free range and have access to dirt, I still provide grit. It's cheap and the chickens are fussy about the size and shape they need. I'd go ahead and put some out if they were mine.

At this point you can add apple cider vinegar (ACV) to their water that helps keep their crops and systems acidic enough to digest. Use the organic kind; Dr. Braggs is one kind but there are others. You want the stuff with the "mother" in the bottom. Add one capfull, or tablespoon, per gallon of drinking water.

You can also feed yogurt a couple of times per week to help with flora. Use the plain, low fat or fat free, sugarless stuff. I mix mine with Cheerios so they can eat it.

Also, watch outdoor temperatures for chill. At 4 or 5 weeks, the chicks should still be at 75 degrees or warmer because they're not ready to thermoregulate.

Good luck, Mary

 

[klcondry]

Thanks!

I bought grit at TSC but most of the pieces seem HUGE! Will they pick out what they need and leave the rest? And do you put it in a dish or just sprinkle it in the run?