Huge Crop On Turken Chick!

[CannedMonster]

My 2 1/2 week old NN chick has a huge crop.
It’s been like this for at least a week now.
I thought it was strange but the chick doesn’t act distressed in any way.
It eats at drinks normally.
I put the chicks outside for about an hour today so they could scratch around and sunbathe.
I picked this chick up to examine the crop more closely.
It’s squishy.
I also noticed that I could see it’s breast bone (keel?).
Does that mean this chick is too thin or is that normal at this age?
Should I be concerned about this chick?

 

[CannedMonster]

Anyone have any advice or thoughts?
@Blooie @azygous
I’m not overly concerned but I don’t know if this might become a problem.

 

[junebuggena]

A normal, very full crop. Must have eaten quite a bit. It's just more noticeable on the Turken, since there isn't the usual amount of down to cover it. And you are supposed to be able to feel the keel bone on most chickens. It's only the meat breeds that develop enough chest muscle to make it difficult to feel.

 

[CannedMonster]

A normal, very full crop. Must have eaten quite a bit. It's just more noticeable on the Turken, since there isn't the usual amount of down to cover it. And you are supposed to be able to feel the keel bone on most chickens. It's only the meat breeds that develop enough chest muscle to make it difficult to feel.

I thought it’s supposed to empty though?
Although, since it’s a chick, it eats all the time so I guess maybe it doesn’t.
It’s crop is way bigger than the other 5 Turken chicks I have.

 

[aart]

I thought it’s supposed to empty though?
Although, since it’s a chick, it eats all the time so I guess maybe it doesn’t.
It’s crop is way bigger than the other 5 Turken chicks I have.

Anyway you can check it early in the morning before it starts eating to see if crop has emptied..maybe even with hold feed from brooder at night then check early before giving feed back?

 

[CannedMonster]

Good idea. I will do that tonight.

 

[aggiemae]

All our 5 "rescue chickens" came with huge croups, I thought it was because they didn't have access to grit and there diet consisted of only scratch grains. I provided grit and chick feed and they get somewhat smaller but one is still huge. It's soft and she doesn't seen to be bothered. She lays every day. I mean to ask the vet next time we have to see her for a chicken/duck problem.

 

[CannedMonster]

Thankfully this little chicks crop has finally reduced to a size similar to her brooder mates.
I gave them a treat of cottage cheese with live cultures in it and that seemed to do the trick.