let's talk crops

[srfjeld]

My girls 6, 7, and 10 weeks were outside in the run and free ranging allllll day long for the first time. Getting them acclimated for their henhouse... this weekend.

Now that they are back in and everyone is getting ready to go to bed (I hope) I noticed that all the girls crops are very full, like more full than usual. I tend to worry about every little thing and I'm just checking in to make sure this is normal. Yes, yes???

 

[earnhardtlvr]

Yup...they were gorging themselves outside with all the new delights! I'd say ur fine and they r fine. Just double-check them in the morning to b sure! Pics of ur cuties would b great! We love pics!

Ok, so maybe I love pics!

 

[srfjeld]

thank you, I will post some soon! My plan to put them out in the next couple nights is will have to be put off b/c I started thinking of the fireworks... how traumatizing to have to sleep in a new surrounding and have to listen to WWIII.

 

[Chick15]

I don't know what a "full crop" looks like... could anyone post pics??? plz???

 

[Dutchgirl]

Chick15, full crops are difficult to see underneath all the feathers.

It's much easier to feel around with your fingers in their chest area. At the end of the day, their crops might be soft and slightly squishy, or they could be almost taut. It depends on how much they eat and even the individual chicken.

 

[centrarchid]

Something else to note about a full crop as birds going to roost. If forage has low nutrient density and / or is most when consumed, then the birds tend to eat a larger volume.

 

[Chick15]

Okay, another question, is a full crop bad?

 

[centrarchid]

Depends.

If crop stays full even if bird has not eaten for several hours, then possibly crop bound / sour crop which is very bad. Is this your suspicion?

If bird has must fly a long distance or engage in sustained high levels of activity, then crop mass makes such efforts more work. My birds sometimes pushed to make long flights and loaded crop reduces motivation and increases burden.

If birds pushed to grow, then frequent filling of crop ensures constant flow of nutrients into digestive tract.