My 7 week old chick swallowed an entire leaf of lettuce and now is gagging!

[yenkia]

Hello.

He is a 7.29 week old porcelain d’uccle. I gave them some little pieces of tomato and lettuce and I didn’t see one leaf of lettuce dropped on the floor. He swallowed it whole since he didn’t want his sister to get it and I’m worried. He has a habit of swallowing things whole. I had to pull a leaf out of him and he eats whole thin slices of tomato without biting off pieces.

Now he is doing a gagging motion and sitting very still. He moves slightly. As of right this second he is eating chick food and drinking water normally. He hasn’t pooped since but I’m sure it looks normal since this just happened.

Is he okay? Is this normal? He’s very small to eat a piece of lettuce that size. It is a small head of romaine but still I am worried. I’m giving him lots of clean water and very small pieces of spinach to help get it into his crop.

His crop feels normal to me, full as it would be if he ate. I’m worried it’s stuck in his throat.

 

[NatJ]

He has a habit of swallowing things whole.

That is common with chickens. It is not usually a big problem.

Now he is doing a gagging motion and sitting very still. He moves slightly. As of right this second he is eating chick food and drinking water normally. He hasn’t pooped since but I’m sure it looks normal since this just happened.

If he is eating and drinking and acting normally, then he is fine.

If he still seems to be gagging, that would be a problem (since it has been some hours since you made the post.) Unfortunately, I don't know what to do if that is the case.

Is he okay? Is this normal?

It is normal for a chicken (of any age) to swallow things whole. A few gagging-type motions are also normal and not a problem. Gagging for a long time afterward could be a problem.

Chickens often swallow things that look "too big," but are really fine (example: plenty of stories of chickens swallowing whole mice.)

I’m worried it’s stuck in his throat.

I suppose that is possible, but it would be very unlikely. If a chicken gets the food far enough down the throat that it no longer sticks out, they usually get it all the way down into the crop.

 

[coach723]

Without being able to see what he is doing, I suspect that the 'gagging' you are describing is him adjusting his crop. They do that to move the food around in the crop to make it easier for it to pass out of the crop to the gizzard. They often do it if they have a full crop, and a lettuce leaf could make the crop feel full. It's probably not a problem. If he had swallowed something hard, sharp, or indigestible, that would be a concern.

 

[yenkia]

He has stopped with his gagging! Thank you all for your replies. He stopped about 10 minutes after he ate the leaf but from then I’ve been cutting up food for them.

I have had chickens before, I adore them, but I was a kid, lol. I don’t remember everything they did specifically but it is nice to have access to people who do

 

[NatJ]

He has stopped with his gagging! Thank you all for your replies. He stopped about 10 minutes after he ate the leaf but from then I’ve been cutting up food for them.

I have had chickens before, I adore them, but I was a kid, lol. I don’t remember everything they did specifically but it is nice to have access to people who do

Glad to hear that he's fine now!

Cutting up food is one option.
Another option is to give them big chunks and let them learn what size to swallow and what size to break up. Most chickens figure it out fairly well.

You could try holding out a lettuce leaf and letting them rip pieces off it, because it is easier for them to rip if there is something to pull against.

It is pretty rare for chickens to choke themselves to a point of causing trouble (death or actually needing medical care), but of course there is no way to be sure if yours will be the ones that are fine or the rare ones that have trouble.

 

[tripletfeb]

A few years ago, I was giving my chickens grapes and one grape was mushy and went down my chickens throat and she choked. She couldn't work it down properly. I think it was too slimy, you know how grapes are if they are smushed. Anyways, she was legit choking and I had to open her beak and pull out the grape. She was fine but I cut grapes up for them after that. It was only the grapes I cut up, they ate tomatoes and strawberries just fine

 

[yenkia]

Here’s him and his sister gobbling some chopped up spinach ! He is doing well.

 

[coach723]

For future reference, too much of the wrong kinds of greens can affect egg shell quality. "Can" doesn't mean "will", but it's something to be aware of. Some greens, spinach is one, are high in oxalates, and that can inhibit calcium absorption, resulting in thin shells.
I'm glad your cockerel is OK.

 

[yenkia]

For future reference, too much of the wrong kinds of greens can affect egg shell quality. "Can" doesn't mean "will", but it's something to be aware of. Some greens, spinach is one, are high in oxalates, and that can inhibit calcium absorption, resulting in thin shells.
I'm glad your cockerel is OK.

It’s just a treat! I give them all sorts of greens and carrots and things. Mostly I give them the comfrey I grow and they love it and it’s healthy for them

 

[NatJ]

It’s just a treat! I give them all sorts of greens and carrots and things. Mostly I give them the comfrey I grow and they love it and it’s healthy for them

Just to check-- they do get a complete chicken food too, right?