food digestion

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dakammy

dakammy

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Hello all, I'm new to BYC but I've been a chicken mom for about a year and a half. I've just noticed that my leghorn is not digesting her food. She has a huge pouch just above her breast. Help!
 
Welcome to BYC.
The crop is what you are seeing, and it cycles from quite full and prominent to empty and invisible throughout the day -- the best way to assess whether a crop is emptying normally is to check it first thing in the morning so that you are catching the bird prior to it taking in any food/water after the long overnight hours of digestion. How long has the bird in question been showing a full crop? If you gently palpate the crop, is it soft feeling or is it hard?
 
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Hello there and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif


Crops can feel funky and big all day long. However a crop should be completely empty first thing in the morning before any food or water has been consumed. If you find your bird has a full crop first thing in the morning, check out this article on crop issues and how to cure them. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments

I sure hope all is well!
 
Ol Grey Mare said:
Welcome to BYC.
The crop is what you are seeing, and it cycles from quite full and prominent to empty and invisible throughout the day -- the best way to assess whether a crop is emptying normally is to check it first thing in the morning so that you are catching the bird prior to it taking in any food/water after the long overnight hours of digestion.   How long has the bird in question been showing a full crop?   If you gently palpate the crop, is it soft feeling or is it hard? 
Click to expand...
 
I've been reading up on this for the majority of the day. It's about the size of a baseball and is soft/spongy to the touch. I'll see what it looks like in the morning. Thanks for all of your help and suggestions.
 

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