Help! When is a full crop too full?

[OHWoosterChick]

I got my first batch of day old chicks on Tuesday. They are active and seem to be pooping, drinking and eating but I noticed some had kind of bulging crops tonight. I did remove the paper towels last night, they are on ground corn cobs, and I have seen some eat pieces of the bedding but mostly they just scratch around like crazy. At what point do I need to consider flushing, olive oil, etc.?

 

[cochinbantam-lover]

You could do a search for full crop and I'll bet you get lots of helpful info

good luck

 

[JennsPeeps]

You want chickens of any age to have noticeably full crops at night. I'm willing to bet that the crops will be gone by morning. You don't need to flush or give olive oil unless the crops aren't empty by the time they start going tomorrow morning.

I told someone else this exact same thing yesterday (and related to the same topic, too): you may want to stay out of the emergencies section for a while unless you have a problem. I didn't even open the section (I was afraid of it) for probably the first 5-6 months I had chickens. There's no need to worry yourself unduly.

 

[OHWoosterChick]

Anybody? Please help! It sounds like air is releasing when I massage them.

 

[JennsPeeps]

OHWoosterChick - leave them alone for tonight. If the crops are full in the morning, THAT'S when you can start worrying. For now, if it's just full crops at night, that's normal and desirable.

 

[SpringChickens]

I will second what JennsPeeps said. Excellent advice both on leaving the crops alone tonight AND staying out of the emergency/illness section for 6 months or so.

If a chicken is not doing well, they will show you by their behavior. They will act listless and/or lethargic, with a definite change in their attitude. If you don't see these signs, DON'T WORRY!!!!

 

[OHWoosterChick]

Thank you, I actually wasn't looking for a problem but concerned with the degree of fullness I noticed tonight after a full day on the cobs. Being my first flock I just want to make sure I don't neglect anything which could be important.

 

[SpringChickens]

I will commend you for worrying about your flock. Again, behavior is the most important thing. Watch for them being active, peeping and moving around in all areas of the box. If they are doing this, they are in good shape.

 

[kycklingar!]

Chickens can't overfill their own crops - they will seriously feel like overstuffed hacky sacks before bed, but by morning they are squishy again

 

[mechagrue]

Quote:
Repeated for emphasis. Hands down the best advice I've read here so far! Reading that section is like browsing WebMD when you have a cold.