Muscovy duck with abnormal gizzard. Advice Needed.

[Devw]

About a week ago, my muscovy drake (just shy of six months) developed a very strange mass on his breast. It is very disproportionate to his body, and is enlarged toward the right side.
I have felt it, and it feels hollow and flexible, which is why I left it for a week hoping that it would clear up. It hasn't gotten better, but it hasn't gotten worse. He walks around normally, and appears to be eating and drinking normally (I feed scratch every morning and night, and he has definitely eaten that as well as pellets.)
I have never seen this in my flock before, so I don't it's genetic (but his mother was also the mother of the drake that sired him).
He has access to fresh food and water on a daily basis, and I don't think he has sour or compacted gizzard (do ducks get this?)
I don't believe that there is anything harmful in my yard, but stuff from the previous owners of the house tends to get kicked up from the dirt (such as wires and nails, which are normally taken care of by me as soon as they pop up).

Should I just monitor it or do I need to take a more hands on approach? I would rather not loose him since I'm planning on selling him in a trio later this year.

 

[GoldenFlight]

I picture would probably help.

 

[Ren2014]

I picture would probably help.

X2

I think you might be referring to the 'crop' that chickens have?? Waterfowl do not have crops. The gizzard is much further down the digestive tract and wouldn't be noticeable in the breast area. Their esophagus is capable of expanding to accommodate substantial amounts of food. http://www.ducks.org/conservation/waterfowl-research-science/understanding-waterfowl-duck-digestion And this might be what you are noticing. Does your flock free range? Are you offering grit?

 

[GoldenFlight]

Does it look something like this?

 

[Devw]

Yes, it looks very similar to that picture. Do you know what it is?

 

[Devw]

My ducks are free range. They live in a largely dirt based area (approximately a fourth of an acre), but usually don't have access to the grassy areas on the rest of the property during the fall and winter. I do provide grit in the chicken coop and dusting area, but I haven't seen him actually consume any of it.

 

[Farmerlucy]

I had a drake last year with a similar problem. Based on my research it was sour crop, where grass and debris gets stuck in the throat. I spoke to the breeder I got the drake from. He said sometimes you can catch them, turn them upside down and try to massage the debris out of its mouth, unfortunately I learned about that too late and the poor drake died. I have no vet education, and don't know if that could work. Best of luck. They are sweet creatures and I grieve every time I lose one, or any animal.

 

[Ren2014]

Well, so much for what I said yesterday, lol.... here is a good site about tending to crop issues
http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/mmissue46.htm

 

[GoldenFlight]

Yes, it looks very similar to that picture. Do you know what it is?

Is called eating a lot of food!

It's not bad at all, ours almost always look like that after a big meal!

 

[Ren2014]

Does it look something like this?

Yes, it looks very similar to that picture. Do you know what it is?

Is called eating a lot of food!

It's not bad at all, ours almost always look like that after a big meal!

But if it's food it should go down. @GoldenFlight said it's been that way for over a week.