Something stuck in throat?

[Animalsanctuary10]

Have you checked inside the mouth and throat as far as you can see? Try to look at the base of the tongue also, to make sure nothing got wrapped around it. Do you know what this chicks droppings look like? I would try to see if they are normal or not. Check the crop now, and then again in the morning before feed or water and see what it feels like.

He has stopped doing it and I’ve seen him drink water and his crop was really hard

 

[coach723]

I would keep an eye on him, see how it goes. He may have eaten a large amount or gotten a bit of something that didn't want to go down easy and maybe finally worked it down. If the crop is still hard in the morning before he's eaten, then there may be a problem, but hopefully it will go down and all will be well.

 

[Animalsanctuary10]

I would keep an eye on him, see how it goes. He may have eaten a large amount or gotten a bit of something that didn't want to go down easy and maybe finally worked it down. If the crop is still hard in the morning before he's eaten, then there may be a problem, but hopefully it will go down and all will be well.

Thank you for the advice! Just a general question: should I free feed them? I’m afraid he’s gonna end up over eating

 

[coach723]

I have always free fed, never had a problem. When you have a group of birds, some are high ranking and will keep others from the feeders until they are done, so having it out all the time in several feeders ensures that everyone has a chance to take in adequate feed throughout the day. And growing chicks will often go in spurts where they will eat more since they are rapidly growing. For laying hens, if they are on a balanced feed diet, they generally won't eat more than they need. Fat birds are usually from genetics or too many extra treats (treats being anything other than feed and especially high carb things like corn and scratch). If you have not been free feeding, they may be gorging when you do put the food out because they are very hungry.