My chicken’s chest is swollen and I don’t know what to do…

[Nugget_123]

I don’t know how long this has been going on because I haven’t been able to come see my girls the last few days, but I just let them out to free range and say hi and noticed one of them has a really swollen chest. She’s eating and acting fine, but it’s too swollen to be just her crop expanding from eating or something like that… what do I do? Lemme know if y’all need more photos she wasn’t cooperating.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Have you felt her crop? Is it hard, squishy, full of liquid? Does it empty in the morning?

Here are a couple articles to help determine which crop problem she has and how to treat them:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

 

[Nugget_123]

It’s squishy… I isolated her, but she was eating and acting fine, so that makes me think it’s not the crop, and maybe water belly… however the swelling is definitely near the crop. I’ll read the articles. Thanks!

 

[StinkyAcres]

It’s squishy… I isolated her, but she was eating and acting fine, so that makes me think it’s not the crop, and maybe water belly… however the swelling is definitely near the crop. I’ll read the articles. Thanks!

They can continue to eat and act fine with an impacted crop. Does she have a swollen abdomen near the vent? If not, it is not water belly.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Do check her crop in the early morning to see whether or not it is emptying. If it's still full then you should treat.

 

[Eggcessive]

If her crop is not emptying by early morning then she definitely has a crop problem. Her crop is hanging pretty low which may be a pendulous crop where the crop muscle has been stretched out due to over-eating. A crop bra plus treatment may be needed.

 

[Nugget_123]

The crop was still full this morning. We tried draining it multiple times but nothing more than a few drops came out… even though the crop was soft and fluid filled. We decided to cull her…

 

[kattabelly]

What do you mean when you say you tried draining it?

Did you follow the advice in the articles linked above?

 

[Nugget_123]

They can continue to eat and act fine with an impacted crop. Does she have a swollen abdomen near the vent? If not, it is not water belly.

She does not and it was the crop that was full when we butchered her

 

[Nugget_123]

What do you mean when you say you tried draining it?

Did you follow the advice in the articles linked above?

Yes- I tried to tilt her and force her to puke it up and it wouldn’t come out