Impacted crop? [edited] False Alarm... >.<

[HappyPlace]

I've noticed that as my little chicks get older (they are a month old now and I noticed this not long after I got them at a day old), there's a part of their chest that seems to be getting bigger and now is kind of hard. From reading here on the forum, I think it might be impacted crop but I'm not finding the information I need to really figure it out.

They have been eating grass (probably 6 inches long?) in their pen since they moved in a week ago. And they do occasionally eat their bedding which is wood shavings. Other than that, there's bugs, their food (medicated chick feed) and water with and without apple cider vinegar. On rare occasions, oatmeal. The bump is on the left side of their chest if I am looking at them head on and is, like I said, kind of firm. They are acting normal, though. Eating, drinking, sleeping only at night in the coop, running around and playing all day. A couple seem to occasionally have runny poo, but mostly it's fairly normal. There's no odd smell coming from them or their poo.

Can anyone explain in true laymens terms what impacted crop is? What can I do to help them if that's what this is? What is it if it's not impacted crop?? It's the whole flock of 19 chicks that are like this...

 

[HappyPlace]

Okay, I just found this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=10821&p=1

I realized that the only time I ever rub my chicks chest is at night when I am putting them to bed. They like to climb in my lap to be petted before going in the coop at night.

They really act fine and normal, but the lump was starting to scare me. It was especially big today on my chicks but it hit me after reading that post that it rained all day and that probably brought out all the bugs. Between catching them when it stopped raining and being bored stuck under the coop with their food when it was raining, they were probably just little piggies all day...

I'll have to check them in the morning before they eat and see if it's just full "bellies".

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Make sure they have grit accessable from the soil in free ranging or some that you get at the feed store. They need grit to grind grass and food other than commercial feed.

They should be small sharp pebbles- here is a helpful link see my post #5
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=7337231

The crop is a pouch and if it gets clogged then it is impacted crop. The gizzard is where the grit resides and grinds the food. When the pebbles wear down they are passed and they need more.

Sour crop is from my understanding a sluggish crop but not totally clogged up.

 

[HappyPlace]

Thank you for answering, ChickensAreSweet. They get grit daily. It's just sand and small gravel from the yard, with a bit of actual dirt.

I checked on them this morning and their crop was a lot softer. I think I was just needlessly worrying...

Just worried me how big their crops were last night.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
If you are thinking they might have a touch of sour crop, I've read that you can give them olive oil soaked bits of bread and if necessary do gentle crop massage. But you might want to search BYC for this as I've not done it. Don't try to induce vomiting because they can aspirate.

And I just read on another thread that crop massage can damage the muscles so you might examine that issue as well.