Is this a crop adjustment or something more serious? (Video)

[OldManDan]

Peggy, a 1 year 10 month old Easter Egger, has been doing this thing where she opens her mouth wide and her chest heaves. This behavior started about a week ago, and she does it several times per day.

She just came out of a brood, and otherwise she seems ok. She is drinking, eating, scratching and pecking around the yard and is active. Her poop looks normal, but she hasn't laid in two days, which I was figuring was because of her recent broodiness. I've not noticed any smell from her mouth either.

Everything I've looked up leaves me even more confused, so I thought I'd turn to the experts here. I have two YouTube video links below:

Thanks for any advice or help!

 

[Eggcessive]

How does her crop feel this am? Is it empty, full, firm, doughy, or mushy? What does she eat including treats? Does she have grit available? Is she drinking a lot of water?

 

[OldManDan]

I haven't checked her crop this morning yet. She eats a layer feed, her treats are 2 or 3 blueberries and about a tablespoon of mealworms daily, and whatever she forages in the yard while she's free ranging (about 4 hours daily). There is oyster shell available, plus dirt and sand. She doesn't seem to be drinking a lot more than normal, the weather here has been in the 60s and 70s.

Do you think this is more than a simple crop adjustment? Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

It seems excessive, and there could be something stuck or she may have an impacted crop. Make sure that it is adjusting her crop and not gaping. I would get a small bag of grit for them. You can offer her a little chilled coconut oil cut into small pieces, 1-2 tsp twice a day to eat. Or use some oil—olive, mineral, canola, etc, and put a little in some egg to eat. If her crop is firm and not emptying first thing in the morning before she eats, I would massage her crop several times a day. Make sure that you have some multiple water stations around the coop and run. If her crop feels impacted and hard first thing in the morning, you may want to confine her and give her water or electrolyte water for the day, to see if it goes down. Here is a good article about crop problems:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
Consider worming her with Valbazen or SafeGuard.

 

[OldManDan]

Many thanks! That's a great article too and I bookmarked it.