Impacted or swollen crop?

[GldnValleyHens]

Hi I have a young Appelenzer Spitzhauben cockerel who is acting kind of slow but still eating and drinking. His crop is swollen to it's limit, about the size of a mature walnut. I can see and feel the food inside, a mixture of oats, millet, flaxseed and sunflower hearts that we started them on. There is a lot of liquid inside too. I just gave them a dish of grit to see if that will help, but should I rub his crop with olive oil or something? Is he going to die? I will try and get some pics up.

 

[GldnValleyHens]

 

[Kiki]

Don't do anything just yet.
WAIT til first thing in the morning to see if it empties over night.
Do you not feed him a complete chicken feed?
Too many treats is not good.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Did he just eat a little while ago?

Crops go up and down in size throughout the day. You can't properly gauge crop function when they are actively eating during the day. Check it when he goes to bed - it should be full. Check the crop first thing in the morning be he eat/drinks, the crop should be empty/flat.
If after a full night of sleeping with no access to food/water and the crop is still full or partially full, then you have a problem.

 

[GldnValleyHens]

we ran out of our grower food that they were on, which was a organic powdered mix with wheat and corn, and decided to give them this until our next bag of feed arrived at the co-op. I will check him again in the morning, but as of now he is still flapping around when I bring him out of his cage, not too deterred by his pendulous crop. Maybe I should grind up the feed before giving it to them, right?

 

[Kiki]

Grit would be great.
Just check his crop first thing in the morning.

 

[GldnValleyHens]

I checked this morning and Ronni's crop had gone down, and was hard and small again, and he is fine. I will be careful to grind up any pieces that are too big from now on. On a sadder note, I now have a bigger emergency. I went out this morning and all the chickens followed me as usual, and I put away the three little chicks into the outdoor cage. When I got up, I saw our young Mille Fluer De Uccles lying face down on the ground, flapping her wings a little and squeaking. I was horrified, sure I accidentally stepped on her without knowing ( they are always crowding around my feet and I have to be really careful not to step on one). I picked her up and she has a swollen red bump now above one eye, which extends over her head a little. I was wearing sneakers. I am not sure if I did step on her, I didn't see or feel anything but she is not doing well, and though she showed some interest in food and pecked a smaller chick she is closing her eyes and huddling down. I think she might be ok still, but again she could go brain dead or die of internal damage. I am really upset because she is my favorite chicken. Anything I can do?

 

[Kiki]

I checked this morning and Ronni's crop had gone down, and was hard and small again, and he is fine. I will be careful to grind up any pieces that are too big from now on. On a sadder note, I now have a bigger emergency. I went out this morning and all the chickens followed me as usual, and I put away the three little chicks into the outdoor cage. When I got up, I saw our young Mille Fluer De Uccles lying face down on the ground, flapping her wings a little and squeaking. I was horrified, sure I accidentally stepped on her without knowing ( they are always crowding around my feet and I have to be really careful not to step on one). I picked her up and she has a swollen red bump now above one eye, which extends over her head a little. I was wearing sneakers. I am not sure if I did step on her, I didn't see or feel anything but she is not doing well, and though she showed some interest in food and pecked a smaller chick she is closing her eyes and huddling down. I think she might be ok still, but again she could go brain dead or die of internal damage. I am really upset because she is my favorite chicken. Anything I can do?

You can isolate her and keep an eye on her.
You won't know how bad the internal damage is until its just too late.
Just keep her indoors and see if she will eat and drink.

 

[Kiki]

Read the link PROPER FEEDING in my signature too please.
I'm worried your "home made feed mix" is just not good enough.

 

[GldnValleyHens]

Ok will do. Yeah it isn't a proper feed for young birds maybe, more adult orientated but still has good amounts of protein and such. We will try and get a bag of chick feed for the littler guys.