Lump above crop while eating

[NatalieP]

Good morning! I have a 5 month old cream legbar that has been getting some extra TLC while overcoming what was most likely a respiratory infection. She's at the bottom of the pecking order so I placed her in the coop this morning to eat and kept the other chickens at bay. She didnt eat much last night (crop not very full) so this morning she was scarfing down her feed pretty well. I noticed that as she was eating, food seemed to pile up right below her beak. Then she started moving that lump as if trying to swallow it farther down. This was definitely not her crop. Is that a normally how food goes down as they eat? She had some finely cut spinach prior to that and it was a little wet from washing. Could the spinach maybe get clogged on the way down?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a 5 month old cream legbar that has been getting some extra TLC while overcoming what was most likely a respiratory infection.

I placed her in the coop this morning to eat and kept the other chickens at bay. She didnt eat much last night (crop not very full) so this morning she was scarfing down her feed pretty well. I noticed that as she was eating, food seemed to pile up right below her beak. Then she started moving that lump as if trying to swallow it farther down. This was definitely not her crop.

What symptoms of respiratory illness did she have and what was your treatment?

Sounds like she was eating too fast. You were having to keep the other chickens at bay? She likely felt she had to scarf feed/hurry so she could eat.

Not sure how much space you have, but if she's not getting to eat/is being kept from food by the others, then add another feeder or more. Same with water stations.

It would be a good idea to look inside her beak to make sure it's clear of lesions, mucous and canker since you were dealing with a respiratory illness.
Check her crop first thing in the morning to make sure it's emptying overnight as well.
Sometimes when a bird is not well or they have something else going on, they begin to have crop issues too.

Provide grit (crushed granite) free choice so your birds are able to process whatever you feed them.

 

[NatalieP]

Thank you @Wyorp Rock !

She (Heni) had some very weird rattling noise as she breathed and a cough / bark (

). We took her to the vet the next day (started to have a droopy tail and wings) and the vet concluded she was egg bound with a shell less egg but provided antibiotics and a dewormer. The next day (even late that day) she was better and didnt have any egg bound symptoms so I'm guessing the antibiotics or wormer helped. Still no egg but she seems too young to be laying already (she was a failure to thrive as a chick and seems a little behind in growth, plus her comb is still pretty small)...

We have 5 chickens and 4 pvc feeders and 6 water cups for the ladies. It has worked pretty well until recently our BCM is really harassing Heni. We have kept their chick feeder in the coop for Heni but now the BCM is attacking and cornering her in the coop. Not sure what to do with this new bully but we've placed the food in the other side of the run to help.

I will take a look inside her beak after work today. Would I need to look far down? It's so challenging to open their beak to look!

She does have access to grit free choice and I've been checking her crop (night and morning) and it seems to be working fine.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

We took her to the vet the next day (started to have a droopy tail and wings) and the vet concluded she was egg bound with a shell less egg but provided antibiotics and a dewormer. The next day (even late that day) she was better and didnt have any egg bound symptoms so I'm guessing the antibiotics or wormer helped. Still no egg but she seems too young to be laying already

Sounds like stridor in the video, but it's good that the vet was able to see her and she's better now.

You want to look inside the beak the best you can. If you feel she would benefit, offer her wet feed to see if that helps.