Firm large crop plus gaping?

[Nonny]

I noticed one of my girls (Tuppence) has a re-infestation of lice so I just went out there tonight and gave all three of them a good going over with the lice powder, but while I was handling them I noticed that Tuppence also had quite a firm crop compared to the others, and it was a bit larger than the others as well. It fit in the palm of my hand, and was maybe a tiny bit smaller than a tennis ball? I have no idea what size a normal one should be so this might be perfectly fine - can anyone tell me?

It was around 9pm at night when I checked her crop so she hadn't eaten for at least 3 hours... should it have emptied by now?

I chuck some shell/grit mixture into their run every couple of months, plus they freerange and we have a lot of small stones and sand around the yard they can access.

One of the girls also has been leaving runny poop under the roost for a couple of weeks, but I can't tell which one as they are out in the run before I get up in the morning.

She's also been gaping off and on since September, and I treated her with two consecutive doses of the worming stuff (levamisole), 10 days apart. She was otherwise showing no symptoms so I assumed that it can't have been gapeworm and since the weather has been hot I figured maybe it's just her particular oddity. I've seen her eating, drinking, scratching around and otherwise behaving normal, but she is looking a bit tattier than the others. She also seems to do an odd chirp from time to time, not like the usual chook noises (I'd almost call it a squeak, but it's deifnitely more like a vocalisation than a respiratory noise. I've looked down her beak as best I could and thought I might have seen *something* in there, but she's strong and flighty and it's hard to hold her beak open long enough to get a really good look. (It was also during the day when I did this so might it have been something she'd just eaten?). My other two have never gaped at all, whereas I seem to always notice Tuppence doing it.

Can anyone offer some advice on where to go from here? Specifically should I be worried about the crop, and is the gaping something to worry about or is it just the heat? (On the really hot days she also walks around with her wings held away from her body to cool off).

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

 

[Nonny]

Anyone?

 

[teach1rusl]

Any time you're worried about crop issues, you need to check them first thing in the morning, before they've had an opportunity to hit the feeder. It should go down over night. So if it's still large in the early a.m., then I'd worry.
As for the gaping, could be just about anything. Some do like a neck stretching due to a full crop. Some might have a feather or a bit of something stuck in the throat (not blocking - just irritating). If you've wormed then fairly recently, I wouldnt' worry about it too much unless she begins acting distressed.

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
I agree. At night it is always so full. In the morning you will notice if there is still an issue or not. Mine stretch their necks when they eat too much.

 

[Nonny]

Thanks

I'll put a rock on the feeder lid tonight after they've gone to bed so I can check her first thing tomorrow a.m.

She seems otherwise fine... my only experience with chooks is these three girls so it's hard to know what might be a "symptom" and what might be just one of those weird things some chickens do to keep us guessing.

 

[Nonny]

Just thought I'd pop in with an update.

I went out the following mornign and checked Tuppence, and her crop was pretty empty, hardly palpable at all. It appears she's just a pig and had stuffed herself full during the course of the day.

Today is cooler and the gaping is not so noticeable so I'm going to just assume she just doesn't handle the heat as well as the others unless some other symptom appears.

 

[teach1rusl]