I think impacted crop in all 7 Christmas babies! Cant navigate new forum *sorry*

[Baylor]

I just got back from out of town today and I believe all of my 7 babies born at xmas have impacted crops. I have tried my hardest to search with the new format and find it impossible or not useful like it used to be. Here is what I found: All 7 babies had red very swollen necks (crop areas). Their food bowl want empty and my son said he just fed them 30 mins ago when he got home (they had water available as well) the food bowl was completely empty. So I assume the babies ate too fast and created this rock solid hard crop. I massaged all 7 of their little necks and also put some olive oil (small amount) in their water to make sure they all got some. They drank well and are all acting normal. I let an hour pass and put them up for the night in their kennel - gave them new water for the night (big bowls) and massaged their necks again before they were up for the night. Most of them vomited good amounts of their starter and water. Their necks are still really red and swollen - no longer hard. Is there anything else I need to do before I put them to bed for the night?
Help! Husband and kids all swear they didnt see anything while I was gone - I assume they just gorged on their food tonight.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Amiga]

I would give them a little swim in warmish water (85F maybe 90F), it might soothe their necks to get a nice rinse, and help them relax a little, get them to drink some of their warm bath water.

Aside from that, I think you did well, and now just need to watch them. I'd also give them moistened food for a few days to avoid scratching their throats any worse.

I would not put anything like ACV in their water as that would really sting!


ETA:

Here is a link that might help . . . I think you've done what needed to be done.

I find that with the new Search, I click on the "relevancy" sort button and it is much better.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/40302/drake-with-possible-impacted-crop

 

[Baylor]

Thanks for the response I will get the bath water running now!

 

[Baylor]

Here is a pic of them swimming. You can see how red their neck/crops are. I havent massaged them for at least a good hour - they seem to be picking at each other a little now since they are so red? I dont have 7 cages to separate them

they are acting normal just look horrible! There was some oil on my hands from their water so it was rubbed into their necks during the massage earlier today.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

Here is a pic of them swimming. You can see how red their neck/crops are. I havent massaged them for at least a good hour - they seem to be picking at each other a little now since they are so red? I dont have 7 cages to separate them

they are acting normal just look horrible! There was some oil on my hands from their water so it was rubbed into their necks during the massage earlier today.

AWWW, poor babies! looks painful! my ancona hen had this as a small duckling, i didnt know about BYC at this time and let it go and she did fine.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

what breed of duck is that?!

 

[Baylor]

They are swedish *possibly buff* mama is swedish and the two possible daddies are swedish and buff

 

[Lund Poultry]

The bare necks are NOT normal. This is what I thik happened. First off I am sure they will be FINE feathers grow back. I read that you were gone and husband kids were taking care of them. Is it possible they are kept in a very small area and didn't have enough food and cut up greens to keep them busy? Ducks and geese are just like chickens and will start to pick and suck feathers off of each other when they run out of food or are over crowded and have nothing to keep them busy. We raise many chickens, ducks and geese and put a pile of alfalfa leaves into there pens everyday for something to do. Things like this happen, but like I said I think they will be fine.

 

[Baylor]

The bare necks are NOT normal. This is what I thik happened. First off I am sure they will be FINE feathers grow back. I read that you were gone and husband kids were taking care of them. Is it possible they are kept in a very small area and didn't have enough food and cut up greens to keep them busy? Ducks and geese are just like chickens and will start to pick and suck feathers off of each other when they run out of food or are over crowded and have nothing to keep them busy. We raise many chickens, ducks and geese and put a pile of alfalfa leaves into there pens everyday for something to do. Things like this happen, but like I said I think they will be fine.

They have a large area where they play during the day but are penned up at night. The necks were red because those are yellow fellow areas and I had massaged them earlier with a bit of oil - so they were just oiled and wet not bare.
Woke up this am and all babies looked remarkably better. Neck much less swollen and redness is almost gone in all of them. I will give them a mash diet today to give them another day to get through the impacted crop.
Thanks again for all the help!

 

[mominoz]

Seems odd, maybe someone gave them something like bread? I watched sadly, one day when I was feeding my mini ducks , one choke to death on dry crumbles, they were 4 months old and she was eating with the others and started flopping around and I had seen her do it slightly once before and i'd put her beak immediately in the water and she was ok. That day I couldn't do anything and she just died in front of me. I then switched to pellets , I'd hated crumbles as it seemed to get wasted and make their heads and feathers stickly....