Help!!! Advice on chick with impacted crop!!!

[M@M@2four]

So, I feel so bad...I had three broody silkie hens who I let hatch out their own babies. They have these great egg/nesting boxes built into their coops that DH built and I use pine for bedding in them, so when they lay eggs, they have a cushion(I'm sure all of us have experienced a hen laying an egg on a hard surface--usually breaks/cracks when it drops out). Anyhow, a few babies hatched last week and they've just been content in there, so I set up a little waterer and medicated chick feed for them.) I have done this many of times with no problems. I noticed a chick with an enlarged crop the other night, but thought nothing of it because it had just eaten, but upon further inspection yesterday, saw that it has an impacted crop. I'm seriously worried that it ate some of the pine bedding as they like to scratch around in their food and some spills over and then they eat it. It's still eating and drinking, but I know I have to clear the crop. So, I looked up some info on here at other people's dilemmas and read to use a couple drops of olive oil and massage the area last night. I separated the chicks from the hens(they're still sitting on eggs and could care less right now about their chicks-- more interested in hatching eggs). Anyhow, I put them in a brooder under a heat lamp(no shavings now). I have also given the chick with the impacted crop it's own brooder, olive oil and massaged it every couple hours. It's still pooping(nothing looks weird). I took away it's food for now and just put water in there and a heat lamp. Is there anything else I could do? I have heard somewhere to use Mineral oil, which I have on hand, but have never used it. Should I use Mineral oil or just stick to olive oil or does it matter? Any other advice??? Thanks!!!

 

[M@M@2four]

Okay...so just separating her for a bit from food, giving her a few drops of olive oil and a massage has done wonders! Her crop is almost empty, but I want to make sure it's completely empty so nothing's in there to cause another blockage(pine bedding). How long should I keep her off food without harmong her?? Thanks!

 

[Jenski]

The crop should be empty every morning, no matter how much they stuffed themselves the night before. I would be afraid to keep a chick off food during the day, but perhaps some folks with more chick experience could chime in. I would just check first thing tomorrow morning.