Panicked tonight at large "growth" on my chick's chest- but I think's it's just her crop?

[MsBagawkbagawk]

Haha, oh yes, I remember this. I almost had a panic attack when I first saw my favorite hen's crop after she had a nice big meal. My mom was just cracking up.

It does look especially...umm, weird, on chicks that are just feathering out though. My brother brought my adopted orphan chick inside the other day and told me he had a tumor. I said, "Nah, he just got into the cat food again."

Would an impacted crop be hard to the touch? I noticed that all 6 of my girls have really big crops but they feel soft...not squishy but not hard like rocks. I have a lipoma (fatty tumor) on my shoulder and the texture is about the same...malleable and firm, but not hard. They've never had this before but I guess I've been giving them too many goodies We topped off the grit and I noticed at least 2 of them gobbling it, which I think is a good thing. We'll cut back on the food for a few days and hope they finally get it all processed.

If it's impacted it will still be hard in the morning, if not it will be empty. If it is impacted (and you catch it early enough) a little bit of soft bread thoroughly soaked in olive oil and a crop massage works wonders.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Since two of my birds looked like, I dunno, they were so happy (I was playing with them, LOL) and pooping and such, that when my husband noticed it, and I saw it, something deep down said this wasn't too bad, maybe a common deformity, but they didn't look sick. It is strange that the crop is on one side though! But very interesting Chickens do tend to be unbalanced in general with one ovary never developing, getting weird gynandromorphous, etc... LOL. I kinda wish I could get one of those half male, half female chickens, too strangely unique and cool! LOL

Thanks again

Oh, BTW, they are fine

 

[EmSteele]

I'm a couple months late to this thread but SHEW! Woke up to all 12 chicks having large bumps on the right side of the chest! Freaked out buy immediately typed in the symptom here! Just full crops, I believe! They were fed layer than usual yesterday so I'll be watching until tomorrow morning.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Sounds normal. If you press gently it should feed like feed under the skin. Full crops is good -- happy healthy chickens who are eating well. It is crops that do not ever empty or very hard or very squishy crops that are bad.

Good luck!

 

[EmSteele]

All my chicks are back to normal! I did the crop massage and gave limited feed today....limited as in slowly gave full amount instead of all at once! I understand the "flying pig" term everyone uses when talking about their chicks now!