Hens Have Fatty Chest bulges

[Hollyjane]

Ok, so I'm totally new to the backyard chicken thing. I got my first flock this spring, and my hens are laying eggs. I have been giving them the proper feed at the proper times, and when the first egg showed up in the coop, I built nesting boxes, started giving them pellets, grit, and oyster shell. The problem I'm having is that even before the first egg showed up, I'd occasionally pick up and pet the ladies just so they could get to know and trust me. It was about a month ago that I noticed that there was a kind of squishy bulge on their chests...I didn't know what it was, and I didn't think it was anything to be concerned about since they all had it. Now that I've started feeding them the pellets, grit, oyster shells, these bulges are much bigger, and even lop-sided. I am concerned that this could be a bad sign. A day or two after switching to pellets, I did notice a change in their "elimination". Some of it was looser than normal, it was distinctively larger, and there was more of it. I passed that off as normal because the same thing happened to my bulldog when I switched his food. It's the lop-sided chest bulges that I'm really worried about. Should I call a vet?

Holly

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

The crop is what you're feeling. It's on the right side of the chest. They store food for processing there. NO WORRIES!!

Forgot....

 

[walkerkm]

That's their stomach or chicken term crop... I tought the same thing when i first got my 1st hens... I thought it was a tumor.

 

[Minniechickmama]

OH, this is a fun one. Your chickens have the crop on the right side of their chest. When they eat, this fills with food and therefore looks like a bulge. In fact, it is just a full "tummy", then the food slowly moves into the gizzard to be ground up and digested. It is perfectly normal unless it fills and does not ever empty, then you may have sour crop or an impacted crop.
I asked this question shortly before getting our first hens and felt stupid after I was told because I should have already known that from having chickens growing up. I guess I just never noticed like I do now.
Good luck.

 

[chickflick]

Probably their crops. Eat all day...food goes into crop, digests during the night and crop small...then we start all over again. It's normal and we all freaked out the first time we saw the huge boobs on our chickens!

 

[pattycake3]

Hi everyone.I had a hen that her buldge was hanging pretty much dangling and swinging back and forth when she walked.She did die but it was probably from over eating.Your hen sounds completly normal.Dont worry. I will inspect chickens given to me next time.Free isnt always a good thing.

 

[Muggsmagee]

I had a chick that gorged itself and the crop was off to the side. I thought for SURE it was a tumor...till I felt some of the crops of the other chicks. They loved the scrambled eggs I served!

 

[Hollyjane]

Yay! Thanks everyone! I'm SO RELIEVED to know that it's normal. The bulge was more off to the right; which is, it sounds like, right where it's supposed to be. Thanks again! I can sleep peacefully tonight knowing that my girls are just fine.

Holly

 

[julie55555]

So glad this question was asked I noticed the same thing with one of my girls today. So glad it's not any thing to worry about!