HELP!!!! Enlarged Crop 3 week chick!

[Tradeshows]

We adopted a 3 week old chick today. I noticed to night that its crop is so enlarged and extended. The chick is so so small compared to 2 other 3 week old chicks I have. It is pooping so does that mean its getting the food it needs? I seperated the chick and left it without food to see if it looks better in the morning. Could there be something wrong with it? The lady that had it before said it was a pig constantly eating and chirpping. She also said she was feeding it crumbles and corn.

 

[feathersnuggles]

Chicks, without chick-size grit (or access to dirt with very small gravel) , can't grind up any hard food. My guess is the poor thing can't grind up the corn she gave it, so it is stuck in its crop. Make sure that separated chick gets plenty of fresh clean water, first of all. I'd put raw apple cider vinegar into its water - 1 tablespoon to 1 gallon water. The ACV will help with bad bacteria that could fester in a huge crop like that. Be aware chicks can only go without food for a very small amount of time. They are growing very fast. Give it some chick-grit (from the feedstore).

You can feed it applesauce and soft cooked egg, without giving grit. And you can give wet crumbles, too. Any other treats for chicks require grit to digest.

If the poop looks normal, that's a good sign.

 

[suzettex5]

If she was feeding it anything otherthan chick starter, I hope she was giving it grit,or sand since it would need that to break down the food (kinda like our teeth chew food) Are you still giving it water? It needs water.

Hopefully someone else will chime in.

Good luck, I hope your chick is ok.

 

[Tradeshows]

Yes it has water. I was going to let it go with out food tonight (about 8 hours). Do you think that is too long?
Should I buy it grit or if I let it peck around outside will that be good enough?

 

[Tradeshows]

Okay so the chicks crop seamed to go down a little through the night, but still too large. I will buy the grit today. Poor thing won't stand for very long, takes 1 or 2 steps and them lays on the right side( same side as the enlarged crop). It seams very small and sleepy all the time. Cross your fingers!

 

[feathersnuggles]

If this were my chick, I'd get some PolyViSol liquid baby vitamins from the drugstore, and daily dribble a couple drops onto the chick's beak, so it drinks the vitamins. I'd also give it some Pedialyte on the beak, for electrolytes. Then feed very soft food, especially things like mashed up hardboiled egg yolks. The chick needs vital nutrition, all the time. Otherwise, it's going downhill in a big hurry.

Good luck!