Large bulge in necks of 4 week old chicks. A problem?

[kootenayboy1]

Hi all,

Very new to raising chickens and just noticed that some of my chicks have very large bulges in their necks. I'm assuming that this is undigested food in their crops but the bulge is so big it is pushing out through the side and back of their bodies.

Their conditions:
- Straw bedding
- 18% crumble feed.
- large water supply
- heat lamp on timer alternating with heater during the night
- Poop is plentiful and brown/black with white.

After doing a bit of reading, one source said they don't need gravel until they are adults but it looked to me like they just aren't digesting food.

What can I do to help them or is this a normal condition?

Many thanks.
Rob

 

[Bedste]

Is it possible that it is just their crops? I remember the first time I saw a full crop it freaked me out. My chickens get a lump on one side of their necks when their crops are full.....

 

[Bedste]

check the "lumps" at night and see if they are gone first thing in the morning.... My chickens wake up with no lumps aka empty crops..... Hope that helps

 

[PandoraTaylor]

if the only food they are getting is the chick crumbles, then they don't need the grit yet;
however when are you seeing this large bulge, morning, afternoon, evening?
chickens will eat alot before they sleep (for the night), the crop should be flat when they wake up in the morning.
if they may have eaten some straw, which would require grit, and maybe some type of oil to help pass it through the system.

 

[bonnylass79]

I think it seems bigger when they are young because they are still so small. They may be eating some of their straw and it may be getting clogged up in their crops. Check them again in the morning to see if it is smaller. If not, there is a sticky thread in the Emergencies/medical advice section about impacted and infected crops. Lots of good advice there and remedies to try.

 

[silkiechicken]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=3604289#p3604289

Good answers here too but let's link these together so the OP can find them all.