Impacted crop?

SmallCityChicken

Chirping
Sep 28, 2019
73
193
93
Southern Oregon
I think on of our chicks may have an impacted crop, I have almost no experience though.
The other chick's crops seem to get firmer or softer depending on when they've eaten & from what I read this is normal. But one chick's seems to be staying firm/hard & expanded I didn't realize there was anything to be worried about until yesterday but I want to say its had a more noticable crop since I bought them.

Is this normal or does it look impacted? If so is there anything I can do to help this baby? I don't want to lose it.
I took away their food for the night & I am hoping it is better in the morning.
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I think on of our chicks may have an impacted crop, I have almost no experience though.
The other chick's crops seem to get firmer or softer depending on when they've eaten & from what I read this is normal. But one chick's seems to be staying firm/hard & expanded I didn't realize there was anything to be worried about until yesterday but I want to say its had a more noticable crop since I bought them.

Is this normal or does it look impacted? If so is there anything I can do to help this baby? I don't want to lose it.
I took away their food for the night & I am hoping it is better in the morning.
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Let us know if the crop is empty in the morning before she eats/drinks.

How are you brooding your chicks (heat lamp, heat plate, etc.). If they have a heat lamp, they will be up at all hours looking for food/water and might even eat bedding if nothing is available. If they are getting a full night's sleep under a heat plate/pad, then I would take away all the food/water for the night.
Do you provide grit for your chicks?

Some chicks can really have a large filled crop, they seem to eat more than others. I would just monitor her over the next day, see if the crop empties, if she's pooping and see that she's acting normal/ active.

Cute Chick too! Keep us posted.
 
Let us know if the crop is empty in the morning before she eats/drinks.

How are you brooding your chicks (heat lamp, heat plate, etc.). If they have a heat lamp, they will be up at all hours looking for food/water and might even eat bedding if nothing is available. If they are getting a full night's sleep under a heat plate/pad, then I would take away all the food/water for the night.
Do you provide grit for your chicks?

Some chicks can really have a large filled crop, they seem to eat more than others. I would just monitor her over the next day, see if the crop empties, if she's pooping and see that she's acting normal/ active.

Cute Chick too! Keep us posted.
I have them under a lamp, I use aspen bedding but have covered it with a few old pillowcases to keep them from eating it while I'm fasting them. I thought about taking the bedding out but I think that might make for a slippery surface & I'd be worried about their legs. I left their water in & noticed that chick was drinking fine (she may have eaten fine earlier, I didn't see).
She pooped on me yesterday but I haven't noticed if she in particular pooped today. Shes acting normal.
I gave them some sand grit yesterday & today but limited it because they were chowing down. I also let them peck around some grass we pulled from the yard, other than the grass they only have starter feed.
My husband did give them something called a Sun Peck treat dish, they had it for a while before I checked on them again & took it away (& lectured him), that was yesterday morning. It didn't look like they took hardly any from it.

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I would get a bag of chick grit and put a small amount free choice in the brooder. Sand might be o.k. depending on if there are hard enough/big enough pieces. A bag will last several years of brooding chicks (this means you've got to get more chicks later on to use up that bag!;)) Chicks will pick up quite a few pieces of grit at first - I really prefer to have crushed granite, even at just a few hours old out of the incubator my chicks will go for grit.

Good idea about covering up the shavings for the night. Check her crop first thing, hopefully it will be empty. She will probably drink through the night, but you should be able to tell the crop is not as hard.
Chick-Grit-5-LB-LG.jpg
 
I would get a bag of chick grit and put a small amount free choice in the brooder. Sand might be o.k. depending on if there are hard enough/big enough pieces. A bag will last several years of brooding chicks (this means you've got to get more chicks later on to use up that bag!;)) Chicks will pick up quite a few pieces of grit at first - I really prefer to have crushed granite, even at just a few hours old out of the incubator my chicks will go for grit.

Good idea about covering up the shavings for the night. Check her crop first thing, hopefully it will be empty. She will probably drink through the night, but you should be able to tell the crop is not as hard.
Chick-Grit-5-LB-LG.jpg

I will pick some up tomorrow, thanks for the suggestion.
I just looked again & there is a bunch of poop already ranging from normal to a little dry, but there is one runny poop over by where that chick was (warning, chicken poop pictures lol)
Normal (right?)
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Runny (cropped)
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Both look like chick poop!
Sometimes it can be a bit runny depending on how much they are drinking.
Chickens also have 2 types of poop - the formed one with a white cap and then there's a stinky, sticky, pudding-like cecal poop that comes about 1 out of every 8-10 "normal" ones.
Poop can be different consistencies too - diet, water, heat, etc. all impact consistency.
 
Both look like chick poop!
Sometimes it can be a bit runny depending on how much they are drinking.
Chickens also have 2 types of poop - the formed one with a white cap and then there's a stinky, sticky, pudding-like cecal poop that comes about 1 out of every 8-10 "normal" ones.
Poop can be different consistencies too - diet, water, heat, etc. all impact consistency.
Well that makes me feel much better, I didn't know that!
 

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