I did the UNTHINKABLE! Gave scratch to the chicks! HELP!

[chickenguysmom]

I have grit that I ran through a strainer to remove really big pieces but was hesitant to give it to them because I 'googled' impacted crop and read somewhere that the grit (oyster shell) is used in their gizzard which is well below the crop and it said that if the crop is impacted that it will never get to the gizzard...... Can anyone confirm that...? I

I am holding off on anything else until I know for sure what to do.... I just don't know..... AAAGGGHHHHHH! The kids will be so upset if the little ones die..

 

[Slywoody]

If they survive, you should make sure they have fine grit available at all times. Good Luck,,,,,,,

 

[Nicola]

Quote:
have u acctually checked if their crop is hard or squishy???

 

[redhen]

i had a baby die like 2 weeks ago from eating pine shavings...it was very sad. when we found him his mouth was crammed with them and his crop was bulging with them. i've never seen anything like it before..but..yes, pine shavings can kill them! i learned the hard way.

 

[chickenguysmom]

Not having massaged a chick until today .... and not knowing what a crop even was before yesterday .... I would say it feels squishy and hard but more squishy than hard??? But extra big.... like starting to stretch the skin .... kinda gross if you ask me. Like when I massage and push on it (if I am even doing it right) it moves out of the way ... but then I go back later to see if that did the trick it still is big... maybe bigger... YIKES! If they still have those big lumps in the morning ... would it be time to worry then? I will get some photos in the morning of it.

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

Hmm...I have baby chicks (over 30) from 3 weeks to almost 2 months and they eat scratch....all of them. I have always thrown in scratch in (they are in a biddie coop with a moma hen with her own chick) and they eat the starter mainly but will eat on the scratch. I have never ever ever had one problem and I have been doing this for months.
ETA: I am no expert either...just haven't had a problem yet.

 

[chickenguysmom]

Chicks_N_Horses I sure hope you are right. It just distresses me to no end.

 

[MoodyChicken]

If they're still eating they are not cropbound. Take the scratch out and offer only chick starter and lots of water. The off colored poop is probably caused by the fact that they're not eating the proper diet for their age.

 

[mtnhomechick]

I'll bet their little crops are just full from eating scratch. Take all food away for 8-12 hours and see if it goes down. Chicks prefer scratch to starter crumbles so they've probably been having a feast on the naughty stuff.

 

[NotTheMomma]

Not sure if all scratch feed is the same, but the bag I bought has cracked corn, and wheat in it. Very few pieces would be small enough that the chicks would eat. Or at least the second batch of chicks I have don't eat it. They pick it up, throw it down, and repeat, but no eating. Perhaps yours havent actually eaten it either. Oh, and all my chicks (3 different batches) gorge through-out the day. Some times with jack-rock ball size crops, and other times very little crops. I worry more when I notice an empty crop at that age.

Good Luck, and HUGGLES!