Go to Bed Empty

[sean_wonder]

My chickens always go to bed with empty or barely full crops. They’re healthy as can be and poops are normal. When they were younger they used to stuff their crops up but now that their older they free range pretty much all the time but I rarely see their crops full. If I grab one of their crops I can feel a decent amount but I can rarely see it, and especially at night they seem to have empty crops but I’ve heard that chickens normally stuff themselves before bed time. The crop is on the left side when the chicken is facing you, right...?

Well, anyway should I be worried about their lack of stuffing? They’re free range pretty much all day, free choice food when they’re locked in.

 

[Mark_Khrushchev]

Don't force the chickens, if they do not look weak do not force them to eat. They eat depending on how hungry they are. Maybe your feed as alot of calories which makes them only need a little. But anyway, if they behave well don't worry about the size of their crops. Comment if you have any problem. I would like to help.

 

[ZooAtHome]

I've noticed the same thing with my chickens. When they were in the brooder, their crops were always so full. After I moved them out to the coop and run, they don't seem to fill them up nearly as much, even though they still have unlimited access to food. I think maybe it's because they have more things to do now than just eat and they will spend time hunting down tasty bugs and other tidbits instead of just stuffing themselves at the feeder. They are definitely eating. I add 2-3 large scoops of feed to their feeder every morning and it will be almost empty again by the time they go to bed.

They all look beautiful and healthy with smooth, shiny feathers. Since they seem well, I've decided not to worry about it.

 

[Chef JimmyJ]

This time of year, insects are everywhere, green food is abundant and as warm as it is, they don't need to be digesting carbs overnight to generate heat to stay warm. This will all change come late fall and winter. I'll bet you'll see full overnight crops then...JJ

 

[centrarchid]

If they are eating a lot of plant and insect forages, then their crop content has less dry matter. Nutrient content is closely tied to dry matter content of food. The digestive tract is highly regulated in terms of how fast food is processed to extract the nutrients. With a crop fill dominated by low nutrient density items, the rate at which the crop is depleted will tend to be faster than if the crop is filled with high nutrient density feeds. Comparatively it is like going to bed after eating a chef salad versus eating steak and potatoes with a side of cake.

When diet is dominated by free-range forages, then checking crop fill earlier is needed. That said the birds can be having a hard time really filling those crops. Then look for how far they are going out during day.

Breed may be important with crop fill during the night. Faster growing breeds need more nutrients to sustain their higher potential for growth.

My birds almost always have crop on right side.

 

[sean_wonder]

Yeah, when the hens are facing away from me, their crop is on the right side.

@centrarchid So if I’m understanding correctly... the ladies are digesting faster because the food isn’t all dry matter? They don’t go very far during the day, but we’ve got so many moths and worms and flies they really don’t need to go far to get them. They all eat a lot of grass. Typically, they have a decent meal in the morning, sleep/sunbathe/dustbathe under a tree for the afternoon, and then do some lazy foraging before they head to bed. They’re Silkie x Easter Egger crosses so definitely not a meat bird. They’re very active so to encourage their foraging behavior I usually scatter a handful of scratch in their coop, so they have to shuffle through shavings to find it. We also give them cucumbers and other seed-filled veggies, as well as apples, maybe once a week. The veggie/fruit usually lasts them 1-3 days. They’re so healthy though... clean feet, bright eyes, clear nostrils, shiny feathers, very active, (excluding their midafternoon siesta) and full red/purple combs. They’ve been having the siesta since they were chicks. They even still pile up like they used to, unless it’s too hot. They’re 4 months and 11 days old at the moment. The food is going down, I just never really see them with a visibly full crop. I definitely feel grass and rocks and whatever else if I catch them during the day.

 

[centrarchid]

Yeah, when the hens are facing away from me, their crop is on the right side.

@centrarchid So if I’m understanding correctly... the ladies are digesting faster because the food isn’t all dry matter? They don’t go very far during the day, but we’ve got so many moths and worms and flies they really don’t need to go far to get them. They all eat a lot of grass. Typically, they have a decent meal in the morning, sleep/sunbathe/dustbathe under a tree for the afternoon, and then do some lazy foraging before they head to bed. They’re Silkie x Easter Egger crosses so definitely not a meat bird. They’re very active so to encourage their foraging behavior I usually scatter a handful of scratch in their coop, so they have to shuffle through shavings to find it. We also give them cucumbers and other seed-filled veggies, as well as apples, maybe once a week. The veggie/fruit usually lasts them 1-3 days. They’re so healthy though... clean feet, bright eyes, clear nostrils, shiny feathers, very active, (excluding their midafternoon siesta) and full red/purple combs. They’ve been having the siesta since they were chicks. They even still pile up like they used to, unless it’s too hot. They’re 4 months and 11 days old at the moment. The food is going down, I just never really see them with a visibly full crop. I definitely feel grass and rocks and whatever else if I catch them during the day.

Good producer does not always equal healthy looking. My ideal hens for egg production and roosters for meat are what I call obese when compared to my game chickens that have a lot more invested in functional muscle and feathers.

Your birds may have a symmetry of crop that is reversed relative to mine. Here is a typical juvenile showing distended crop off to his right.

 

[sean_wonder]

Yeah, his crop is on the left when facing you, but it’s actually on the right.

I don’t care if they’re great producers, they’re more pets, I’m just asking if I should be concerned that I don’t typically see them with distended crops, especially at night when I’ve heard big crops are most common.

 

[sean_wonder]

bump

 

[MomJones]

Yeah, when the hens are facing away from me, their crop is on the right side.

@centrarchid So if I’m understanding correctly... the ladies are digesting faster because the food isn’t all dry matter? They don’t go very far during the day, but we’ve got so many moths and worms and flies they really don’t need to go far to get them. They all eat a lot of grass. Typically, they have a decent meal in the morning, sleep/sunbathe/dustbathe under a tree for the afternoon, and then do some lazy foraging before they head to bed. They’re Silkie x Easter Egger crosses so definitely not a meat bird. They’re very active so to encourage their foraging behavior I usually scatter a handful of scratch in their coop, so they have to shuffle through shavings to find it. We also give them cucumbers and other seed-filled veggies, as well as apples, maybe once a week. The veggie/fruit usually lasts them 1-3 days. They’re so healthy though... clean feet, bright eyes, clear nostrils, shiny feathers, very active, (excluding their midafternoon siesta) and full red/purple combs. They’ve been having the siesta since they were chicks. They even still pile up like they used to, unless it’s too hot. They’re 4 months and 11 days old at the moment. The food is going down, I just never really see them with a visibly full crop. I definitely feel grass and rocks and whatever else if I catch them during the day.

These girls are livin' the life, dang! I'm kinda jealous here. Hawks are such a problem in South Carolina, no one free ranges. We'd have to be willing to lose a certain percentage of birds per month if we free ranged. But how lovely to think there are still flocks that can do that.