growth on baby White Rock chick

[Rudibell]

Just got my dozen chicks for this year big_smile
One of the White Rocks has a weird growth on the throat/neck area sad
They have NOT been vaccinated (vaccination could be the reason for swelling there...so that's not it).
Has anyone experience with this? The chick seems to be fairly healthy and is eating and drinking.

UPDATE:
Chick is still happy and seems to unaware of the 'lump'. It's not hard, just feels like the rest of the chick. Any other opinions, besides a tumor? It's fine to leave it in with the others, right?

 

[WallTenters]

Looks like the crop to me! Try adding a little grit to their diet, looks like he's just eating more than he needs

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
x 2. Parakeet grit sprinkled in front of the feeders will work. Walmart carries it.

 

[Rudibell]

I thought it might be the crop (still hope it is, since tumor wouldn't be nice). The grit at the feed store (rural area, no Walmart) is for chicks 8 weeks and older, so I didn't get any (the ladies are only a few days old, arrived yesterday). Should I get it anyway? Or look for something else, like the Parakeet grit? There's another feed store about 20 miles away, maybe I'll check with them. Any substitutes for grit, that work for baby chicks? I've heard yogurt is good for the crop, at what age can they have that?

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Gypsy07]

Oh man, what a total PIGLET! I've seen some full crops in my time but never anything as wild looking as that! I'm sure he'll be fine once he gets a chance to deflate a bit. These extra huge crops always seem to happen when chicks are kept under heat lamps. Cause the light is on all night too, they don't figure out the night/day thing and they keep on eating all through the night. If you keep them with a ceramic dull emitter heat bulb or an Ecoglow (no light at all) they usually sleep all night and wake up in the morning with an empty crop.

As long as they're being fed on just plain chick crumbs and no extra treats, they don't really need grit, though it won't do any harm to give them some anyway. But if you're feeding anything extra, they really need to have constant access to grit.

 

[WallTenters]

The grit won't hurt them. I sprinkle a little in their food mixed in (just a little bit) even when they're on chick feed, then give it to them free-choice in a separate dish once they're a bit older and start to get outside foraging time.

Also, if there's one with a really large crop like that, I'll kind of just massage it a bit to help the digestion process along. Just make sure she's got plenty of water and she'll be okay! I've only ever seen one chick eat itself into trouble! I was visiting a friend and right in front of us her little pullet was gasping - she had not drank enough water (even though it was there) and couldn't swallow down all that she had stuffed in her mouth! We had to puke her up in the sink! Kind of gross, but after a few throat fulls of food removed, and some water given to her she was all better. Hope she learned her lesson, little piggly wiggly!