Empty Crop

[tajjaf]

So, I have a silkie chick who is about 3 weeks old, and I am a bit worried as her crop never seems to fill at all.
She is very energetic and has a good appetite, should I be concerned?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

So, I have a silkie chick who is about 3 weeks old, and I am a bit worried as her crop never seems to fill at all.
She is very energetic and has a good appetite, should I be concerned?

Welcome to BYC.
Is the bird growing and progressing in develompent (ie feathering)? Is this a lone chick or one being raised with chicks the same, or similiar, age? If it's the latter, how does this chick compare to the development of the other chicks? Are you raising them under lights or using a warmth source that allows for a natural "night" - if the latter, have you checked the crop right at the usual bedding down time? That is the time that a bird is most likely to have a full crop as they "stock up" for the overnight digestion....but use of lights for warmth can throw that natural cycle out of whack and make this check unreliable.
I tend to take the view that if a chick (or other animal) is showing normal appetite, activity and waste production/expulsion I don't worry much.

 

[tajjaf]

Thank you Ol Grey Mare, I am excited to be a chicken owner at last.
I have only had the chick since Tuesday, but in that time she has grown new feathers and certainly hasn't lost any condition. She is being raised with other chicks who are 12 days old, they all have crops that fill.
The chicks are being raised under lights, which I think is throwing their natural routine, as they eat all through the night... Do you think that is okay?
I have felt her crop at various times and it is always empty.
She is very energetic and is eating and drinking, I just want to be sure that everything is fine.