Impacted crop or just odd eating habits?

[ChickenZiy1207]

Hello, I have a 3 1/2 year old ISA brown chicken. Her name is Sprint, and she has been a generally healthy and spirited chicken, with no prior health problems.

However, I have recently noticed her crop is more full than the others. We have 2 additional brown, ISA chickens and I've noticed their crop is emptier before I feed them each day.
They may not be completely empty, sometimes for what I assume to be grit. However, lately hers seems to be a bit fuller. It is very malleable and gritty, feeling just like normal food. It is not very much, maybe a few marbles worth? Her crop is not protruding, only slightly noticeable.

Currently, they're mainly eating chicken scratch - the TSC we usually go to has run out of pellet feed. However, I will give them eggs with leftover fruits/veggies to try an ensure a healthier diet.

From what I've seen in the box where she usually nests, her droppings are normal and full, she shows a good appetite for food, has no odd neck or breast movements/jerks, and is not drinking water in excess. She is still quite lively, if anything a bit distraught by me picking her up to examine her.

This is the second time this week I've noticed this happening - the first time I didn't feed her, gave her some water with a bit of magnesium citrate, massaged her crop and a lot of grit. The next day, her crop was empty and it seems she's digested everything that was in her crop.

(I am currently in highschool, so I don't usually have the time to feed them in the morning, but I do as soon as I get home from school, usually around 3-4pm, and there have never been any issues with the routine.)

I'm thinking this might just be her eating earlier/later than the other chickens, because of her eventually emptying her crop and being otherwise normal. But I am concerned this might be an impacted crop. I am aware that ISA chickens do not live very long, and these erratic habits may just be her time, and though I am sad at this thought, I understand it is normal and intend to further monitor her behavior.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you all.

 

[sourland]

It doesn't sound as if she is experiencing any serious problems.

 

[ChickenZiy1207]

It doesn't sound as if she is experiencing any serious problems.

Thank you!! that's a huge relief!

 

[Eggcessive]

You can feed crumbles feed instead of pellets if you TSC has that. That would be healthier than feeding scratch grains. They have a tendency to overeat with scratch, and it is just like feeding candy to chickens.

 

[ChickenZiy1207]

You can feed crumbles feed instead of pellets if you TSC has that. That would be healthier than feeding scratch grains. They have a tendency to overeat with scratch, and it is just like feeding candy to chickens.

Thank you, I'll definitely look into it!

Do you have any brand recommendations/ingredients or factors to look for when buying?

 

[Mrs. K]

Bright eyes, drinking and active - no worries.

 

[ChickenZiy1207]

Thank you!! Very relieved to hear that

 

[NatJ]

(I am currently in highschool, so I don't usually have the time to feed them in the morning, but I do as soon as I get home from school, usually around 3-4pm, and there have never been any issues with the routine.)

Are you saying they are hungry all day, and only get to eat in the afternoon?

Or do they have food at all times, and evening is when you check on them and restock the feeder?

Chickens usually do well if they have constant access to food, from the time they wake up until the time they go to bed at night.

It is normal for a chicken to wake up in the morning with an empty crop, then immediately go eat and drink. Their crop will have some amount of food in it all day, and be extra-full at roosting time. Then by morning it's empty again, and ready for breakfast. That is the normal, healthy pattern.

I have recently noticed her crop is more full than the others. We have 2 additional brown, ISA chickens and I've noticed their crop is emptier before I feed them each day.
They may not be completely empty, sometimes for what I assume to be grit. However, lately hers seems to be a bit fuller. It is very malleable and gritty, feeling just like normal food. It is not very much, maybe a few marbles worth? Her crop is not protruding, only slightly noticeable.

If you are checking in the afternoon, they should ALL have some food in their crops. If you find any empty crops in the afternoon, they might not be getting enough to eat, so make sure they do have feed available!

 

[ChickenZiy1207]

Are you saying they are hungry all day, and only get to eat in the afternoon?

Or do they have food at all times, and evening is when you check on them and restock the feeder?

Chickens usually do well if they have constant access to food, from the time they wake up until the time they go to bed at night.

By the time I get home from school, the feeder is usually empty and I restock it then. I am a bit worried about overfeeding/them overeating, since we only currently have chicken scratch atm. We will also hopefully be getting some better feed soon, at which point I think I'll feel more comfortable about feeding them more/enough to last through the night and morning.

Their crop will have some amount of food in it all day, and be extra-full at roosting time. Then by morning it's empty again, and ready for breakfast. That is the normal, healthy pattern.

Thank you for your long reply and concern! I hope I explained myself properly. I will check their crops tomorrow morning to ensure they're all emptying properly.

 

[NatJ]

By the time I get home from school, the feeder is usually empty and I restock it then. I am a bit worried about overfeeding/them overeating, since we only currently have chicken scratch atm.

Yes, certainly get the right kind of food as soon as possible, but I would let them have as much scratch as they want until then.

Despite what people say about scratch being "like candy," it does have SOME of the nutrients chickens need.

The real problem is when it doesn't have enough (protein, specific amino acids that make up proteins, various vitamins and minerals). But if it has too little of these things, then limiting how much scratch they can eat does not help.

The biggest problem with scratch is that it has too little protein. You can help that by giving them other sources of protein: cooked eggs, meat, fish, cooked soybeans or cooked other beans, cat food, etc. (Cat food has a pretty high amount of protein, at least when compared with most other animal foods that are easy to get.)

Currently, they're mainly eating chicken scratch - the TSC we usually go to has run out of pellet feed.

Layer pellets, and layer crumble, are meant to have everything laying hens need.

But if you provide oyster shell separately as a calcium source, adult hens can be just as healthy with any of these:
--chick starter
--grower
--flock raiser
--all flock
--almost any food meant for chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, or gamebirds, if it has a protein level between 15% and 25%

I would get unmedicated feed if you can, but medicated with amprolium is also fine, and is better than just scratch. The amprolium does not hurt the hens, or their eggs, or you. It only hurts coccidiosis, by blocking access to thiamine.