I have a week old amber white chick with what looks like an off-center crop.

[acdev]

This is my first time raising chicks. We have two red sex links, a black australorp, and an amber white, which I guess is a cross between a Rhode Island White and a Rhode Island Red. The amber white has a few quirks, and I'd like to get some advice whether or not its something to worry about.

First, she's eating and drinking and pooping and sleeping -- normal chick stuff. She's pretty active, I think. She's a pretty independent chick who likes to be off by herself and doesn't really run around with her brooder-mate.

The thing that weirds me out about her is that, at night when she's about to be but to bed, I notice that her swollen crop is noticeably off-center to her right side. (I checked it this morning and the crop was gone -- emptied from what I understand)

The other thing is that she closes her right eye while keeping the left eye open-- kind of like Popeye. That's something I just haven't seen in my other chicks.

It's weird because of the crop thing is on the right side and she closes the right eye.

Anyway, I'm more worried about the crop than the eye, but I thought the two things might be related. Maybe both things are normal, but if they aren't I wanted to know that, too.

Thanks in advance.

 

[gimmie birdies]

chicks and chickens are sometimes lopsided. I think we worry more than most farmers because we are thinking of them as pets and we are helicopter parents.

 

[lazy gardener]

This is my first time raising chicks. We have two red sex links, a black australorp, and an amber white, which I guess is a cross between a Rhode Island White and a Rhode Island Red. The amber white has a few quirks, and I'd like to get some advice whether or not its something to worry about.

First, she's eating and drinking and pooping and sleeping -- normal chick stuff. She's pretty active, I think. She's a pretty independent chick who likes to be off by herself and doesn't really run around with her brooder-mate.

The thing that weirds me out about her is that, at night when she's about to be but to bed, I notice that her swollen crop is noticeably off-center to her right side. (I checked it this morning and the crop was gone -- emptied from what I understand)

The other thing is that she closes her right eye while keeping the left eye open-- kind of like Popeye. That's something I just haven't seen in my other chicks.

It's weird because of the crop thing is on the right side and she closes the right eye.

Anyway, I'm more worried about the crop than the eye, but I thought the two things might be related. Maybe both things are normal, but if they aren't I wanted to know that, too.

Thanks in advance.

The crop normally sits to the right of midline. don't ask me why!!!

 

[acdev]

Thanks for the advice. When I googled it or searched the site, all I seemed to find was information about sour crops or impacted crops. This is just one of the many things I've had to learn in this whole experience.

 

[cheairschick]

Hi! Thanks for your post.
I have 10 one-week old chicks that were hatched under our broody hen last week. Most everyone seems very healthy and energetic.
The one black-sex link female chick we have is the smallest one and she took a while to get up and going after she hatched. She seems to also have a similar problem with the off-center crop (so much so, that I thought there was a growth on her shoulder). I didn't make any connection to it until I read your post, but she also had some problems with one of her eyes right after she hatched! I can't remember if it was her right eye, it might have been her left, but it was closed for the first day. Since then it opened and she hasn't had any other problems with her eyes. But her crop is very far to the right and is a little bit bald. She is eating, drinking, pooping, and running around with the others. She has lots of energy in fact- I often see her hopping up on the mama hen's back.
I don't know if I need to do anything for her. The position of the crop looks problematic, but maybe she's just lopsided and that's okay.
Anyone else seen this??

 

[makingshift]

The crop *should* be on the right side of the bird, so no worries. Usually the birds start the day with an empty crop (because it emptied to the stomach during the night) and then it grows bigger and bigger as they eat throughout the day. When they go in to roost at night it can be pretty big. Hope that helps.