Enlarged crop

[darrylv50]

Hi, I am new to BYC but have been reading some of the threads. My husband and I live in southern Michigan and are new to chick raising. We got 10 chicks in mid March. They are living in a large box in our living room and all are doing well except one. Ethel is about 7 wks old and has a very large protruding crop. I thought it was sour crop but she does not act sick or have bad breath. I have read many cures. I have tried giving her olive oil in her starter/grower chick feed and a little grit mixed in. I tried massaging her crop. I tried Greek yogurt and warm water mixed with the chick feed. I tried to make her vomit but that didn't work either and I'm afraid of hurting her. She drinks water, eats well and poops. Could she just have a large crop and will it go away if I just put her back in with the others and quit messing with her. I don't want to ignore this if it's something that she could die from. Please help Thanks

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Isolate her overnight with no food. Check her first thing in the morning. If her crop is empty in the morning after going hours without any food then she is fine -- some birds just eat a lot and the crop looks big. If her crop is not empty in the morning there is a problem.

If not empty in the morning -- What does it feel like? squishy? Hard? gritty like feed? Keep her isolated and away from solid foods. There may be an impaction.

 

[darrylv50]

Thanks for your help. I have had her isolated from the rest but I haven't left her without food. Like I said, she doesn't act sick and the crop is soft but large. I will try it.

 

[darrylv50]

What should I feed her tomorrow? I have been giving her a mixture of Greek yogurt, warm water and Chick starter feed for the last couple days.

 

[Michael Apple]

What should I feed her tomorrow? I have been giving her a mixture of Greek yogurt, warm water and Chick starter feed for the last couple days.

I've found that a good 48 hours without any solid feed is the best way to go. Like ChickensRdinos said, check the bird's crop first thing in the morning before eating. If it is still full, isolate the bird to an area where there is no grass, shavings, or any other things the bird will eat. I used 1/2 oz molasses to 1 quart of water mixed and let the bird drink for 4 hours only. It works as a laxative if there's something intestinal causing the crop to back up. I've also used Colace capsules aka crop bound capsules at 50-100mg morning and evening to soften food in an impacted crop. The longer food stays in the crop, the more likely it goes sour, thus sour crop, which you want to avoid if you can. Check in the morning and also look to see if there are droppings under where the bird roosts and let us know what you see.

 

[darrylv50]

Thanks. Her crop is smaller this morning but still enlarged and soft, actually much softer. I will try the molases but she does poop. I have her in a tub by herself with newspapers on the bottom so I can tell what the poop is like, also I was afraid she was eathing the wood shavings that I had in the bottom at first.

 

[Michael Apple]

Thanks. Her crop is smaller this morning but still enlarged and soft, actually much softer. I will try the molases but she does poop. I have her in a tub by herself with newspapers on the bottom so I can tell what the poop is like, also I was afraid she was eathing the wood shavings that I had in the bottom at first.

You're welcome. Remember to not allow the molasses-water solution any more than 4 hours. After that, you can use some Probios, vitamins-electrolytes in the water. Give no more than a tablespoon of soft moistened feed once or twice a day for the next day or two. If, over the next day or two, you massage the crop and smell a sour or rancid scent coming out of the bird's mouth, that means the crop is not emptying as fast as it should and it could be related to some enteritis or problem in the gizzard. Nystatin is often recommended for combating sour crop. Antibiotics like Neomycin mixed with Bacitricin, or even Chlortetracycline are recommended for enteritis.

 

[darrylv50]

I appreciate your advice. We are doing the molasses water now, about an hour to go.

 

[darrylv50]

Michael, Just wanted to thank you again for your advice. I have had Ethel by herself for 3 days now and fed her yogurt, water and her chick food softened with warm water (about a tablespoon or 2, 3 time s a day). I found some earthworms outside today so I gave her a vew for a treat, and the rest to the other 8. Wow, were they excited! Her crop seems to be emptying overnight. I think I will put her back with the rest of the chicks tomorrow but I am a little nervous about it. Hope it all goes well for her. I really appreciate your help. Darryl

 

[Michael Apple]

You're welcome, but dammit! Do not give any earthworms to the chicks. They risk a blackhead transmission from those worms. You just helped your bird overcome a problem. Don't bring on another. If you want to give the chicks something, make it easily digestible, like a little chick grit and chick scratch in addition to the starter formula is good enough. if you have them on grassy range, keep the one you just treated for crop impaction off it for a good week with some chick grit sprinkled in the feed. Get the bird's gizzard working properly before allowing the other things they get on range.