Impacted or sour crop?

[ShadyHillLadies]

one of our BPR, has what looks like impacted or sour crop. We’ve isolated her for 24 hours without food, water only with ACV, given her cooked eggs to eat when reintroducing food. The crop doesn’t seem to be reducing at all. It is weirdly movable and at times feels like a water balloon. I’m concerned because the bloat appears often close to her shoulder. Any ideas or help?!

 

[azygous]

How old is this chick? It looks to be barely a couple days old. That's not even long enough for it to have developed a full appetite yet, let along a crop issue.

I think what is alarming you is the thin down in the crop area making the crop more pronounced than it really is. But then I am prepared to be seeing it wrong since I sometimes don't interpret photos accurately.

What are you feeding the chick? Do you have a toddler or other children who could have slipped some food to this chick it shouldn't have? What does the crop feel like? Does it feel like there's hard gravel in there? Or water?

How is this chick behaving? Sickly or normal? What does its poop look like?

 

[ShadyHillLadies]

How old is this chick? It looks to be barely a couple days old. That's not even long enough for it to have developed a full appetite yet, let along a crop issue.

I think what is alarming you is the thin down in the crop area making the crop more pronounced than it really is. But then I am prepared to be seeing it wrong since I sometimes don't interpret photos accurately.

What are you feeding the chick? Do you have a toddler or other children who could have slipped some food to this chick it shouldn't have? What does the crop feel like? Does it feel like there's hard gravel in there? Or water?

How is this chick behaving? Sickly or normal? What does its poop look like?

She is 3 weeks old tomorrow, she and the other 11 are on the baby chick starter feed from tractor supply. No issues with the others. Nothing has been given to her other than her food and the water. It feels more liquid and squishy than gravely. She is acting the same as her sisters; maybe a bit slower. Poop is more watery but she does have some solid ones that look like the other chicks.
For sure it is alarming to see the bubble bulge out on the upper side of her crop

 

[azygous]

Does she have no feathers? I see only down. Is she the same size as the others?

To determine if a crop is functioning properly, withhold food and water from the time they go to sleep until you can feel her crop again in the morning. If it's working properly, it will be flat against her chest wall, perfectly empty. Feel the other chicks for comparison.

Check back in the morning with what her crop feels like then. We'll go from there.

 

[ShadyHillLadies]

Does she have no feathers? I see only down. Is she the same size as the others?

To determine if a crop is functioning properly, withhold food and water from the time they go to sleep until you can feel her crop again in the morning. If it's working properly, it will be flat against her chest wall, perfectly empty. Feel the other chicks for comparison.

Check back in the morning with what her crop feels like then. We'll go from there.

As of this morning without the food and water, the chest went down a little. She was given some scrambled eggs again and ACV water and her chest filled back up almost immediately after eating.

She did poop a normal amount and texture today.
She is growing her feathers, is a little smaller than the rest of the ladies, but doesn't seem too runtish.

 

[azygous]

Her crop may just be an anomaly. There are two criteria we take into consideration when a chicken is presenting with something unusual - the unusual thing and behavior. If behavior is normal, we then just take a watch and wait approach. If the unusual thing repeats itself along with a change in behavior, then we figure out if we have something we need to treat.

 

[ShadyHillLadies]

Thank you so much for your advice! We will keep an eye on here as she grows with her sisters!