My hen is swollen on one side of her chest.

[emmak]

Hello all! My New Hampshire Red has a swollen area on her chest. I would think it was just a full crop but it's only on one side. I noticed it yesterday evening. If it had just been a full crop wouldn't it have decreased in size by this morning? Any ideas what this could be? Should I be worried? All 4 of my hens have been much less talkative the last few days and they are spending more time in the coop than usual. Thanks for any help.

 

[GardenState38]

It probably is the crop--The crop is only on one side, really--the right front side.
If the swelling is farther over, under the wing, it could be something else--possibly an air sac.

I'd guess she might have an impacted crop if it hasn't gone down/emptied over night. Is she eating at all? Making droppings?
If the crop is impacted, you may need to gently massage it and administer some oil with a dropper to help lubricate and dislodge the blockage.

I have a banty who got an impacted crop (probably from scarfing down alfafa and/or pear chunks) and she went off food and water, acted lethargic and didn't make any droppings. I took her to an avian vet who helped resolve the issue and she was back to normal in about a day.

 

[emmak]

Thanks, Garden State, for calming me down and making me look at it differently. I massaged her crop (not so easy, since I don't pick em up all the time), and she was better the next day. That was a week or so ago, and now all my hens are laying.