Emergency or diseases with your chickens? Click here!

[alexa009]

I have decided to start an emergency and disease thread to in case your chicken has any problems or emergencies. I can answer all your questions! So please click HERE!!!!

 

[EricaCAL]

Hi! I posted about my 2 week old chicks having a weird blister like bubble on their necks, near their right wing. Its either filled with air or fluid, I cannot tell when I palpate it. When I touch it they are not chirping at all. I am very, very worried! Can you help? It is only on 3 of my 6 chicks. Please let me know if you have any ideas of what this is and what I can do. THANKS!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi! I posted about my 2 week old chicks having a weird blister like bubble on their necks, near their right wing. Its either filled with air or fluid, I cannot tell when I palpate it. When I touch it they are not chirping at all. I am very, very worried! Can you help? It is only on 3 of my 6 chicks. Please let me know if you have any ideas of what this is and what I can do. THANKS!!

Hi @EricaCAL
I believe what you are looking at is the crop. This is the food pouch for chickens. It will naturally go up and down over the course of the day when chicks eat/drink and then poop.

If you feed anything besides chick starter, you need to provide them with some chick grit (crushed granite) so they can grind/process their food properly.

 

[Gail Laubenthal]

Thanks for starting this thread. Right now my chicks and chickens are doing well. However, I want to share a sad story. Before reading about chicken toxins, I gave my older ladies some avocado skins (in the kitchen veggie/fruit scrap tub) and didn't know that these were considered poisonous. 4 hens died within a day and 2 were haunched down and acting sick. I gave them food and water and for 3 days they never stood. Now they are running around like normal, so I'm thankful they made it. It was a hard lesson, but for others reading this...NEVER give your chickens any part of an avocado!

 

[alexa009]

You are so lucky the 2 others lived!

 

[EricaCAL]

WOW. I had NO idea that avocados were deadly! You'd think that would be bigger news and in books, etc. I have 10 chicken health and care books and i don't think that information is in there!!! I hate that people always say "Oh, chickens eat everything!" That is nuts. They should be fed their feed for proper nutrition with occasional snacks. Its like dogs and chocolate...everyone knows its deadly now!!! Thank you for this very valuable information.

 

[EricaCAL]

Hi @EricaCAL
I believe what you are looking at is the crop. This is the food pouch for chickens. It will naturally go up and down over the course of the day when chicks eat/drink and then poop.

If you feed anything besides chick starter, you need to provide them with some chick grit (crushed granite) so they can grind/process their food properly.

Hi! OK, yes, I have added in the chick grit (looks like crushed granite, its silver color) and they are avoiding it! Is there anyway to force it other than mix it into their chick feed?

BTW - crops went down this morning! I think they just drank so much water it was bloat, like you mentioned. I am a very, very nervous new mother so thank you sooooo much for the information!!!!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi! OK, yes, I have added in the chick grit (looks like crushed granite, its silver color) and they are avoiding it! Is there anyway to force it other than mix it into their chick feed?

BTW - crops went down this morning! I think they just drank so much water it was bloat, like you mentioned. I am a very, very nervous new mother so thank you sooooo much for the information!!!!!

Offer the chick grit free choice. No need to mix it in or force it on them, they will take it when they need it

I'm glad they are doing well!!!

 

[Jerdean]

I have decided to start an emergency and disease thread to in case your chicken has any problems or emergencies. I can answer all your questions! So please click HERE!!!!

We have an avocado tree and one of our chickens may have eaten it. We had one chicken die and we don't know what caused her death but we saw an avocado being partly eaten. Does anyone know an antidote for chickens who ate avocado?

 

[alexa009]

No, but I do know avocado is very bad for them, please don't ever feed it to them! I know people who did and their chickens died from it.