Crop worry!

[spaceranger]

Polly Pocket my lil Orphan chick is almost a week old and still no feathering of any kind despite the hatchlings outside being really well feathered

she also has a huge crop 24 hours a day am wondering if she has been eating the poultry bedding from the brooder? I have cleared a blocked crop from my adult hen but am so frightened of hurting polly! should her crop be big ? she chirrps all day and most of the night, I keep her warm and fed and watered and hold her as much as i can but she always seems unsettled? any words of wisdom about any of it would be great she is a pekin (Cochin) xxxxx

 

[kidcody]

I have no idea why on some chicks there little crops stay enlarged. I've seen this a couple of times. Just like you said they seem to be a little unrest and loud. I don't know if its because the food just doesn't break down fast enough or the opening from the crop is narrowed. It seems these chicks do not grow as well and so far there survival rate is very low. I'm curious if others have seen this also

 

[louclare]

my chic was crop bound she was streching out her neck

 

[spaceranger]

Could i try the olive oil remedy?

 

[Gypsy07]

Before you do anything to her, take away all food overnight (at least 8 hours) and see what her crop looks like in the morning. An awful lot of chicks with seemingly impacted crops are actually nothing of the sort, but just being a total piglet, eating non-stop, and constantly looking so swelled up you'd expect them to just burst! I have three little Leghorn crosses right now whose crops are nearly the same size as the rest of their scrawny little bodies most of the time...

ETA: Sorry, I didn't explain that fully. When you take away the food it gives the crop a chance to empty as the chick digests all the food in it overnight. By the morning you should see a flat crop, which lets you know there's nothing to worry about. If it's the same size, then you know there is a problem.