Sour crop?

[Sherri1990]

My 21 week old buff layer her first egg today. It was perfect! I noticed after she later it that her crop felt like I water balloon. I could feel seeds in it but mostly water. I checked her again tonight and it’s almost like pizza dough but I can still feel the contents. She has drank a lot of water today and she has been active and very vocal. Wil this resolves over night? She has a great appetite and crop normally feels like a golf ball. Thoughts? Sorry for typos my phone won’t let me correct my errors.

 

[sloanbychoice]

Check it first thing in the morning as she gets off the roost. If it’s not mostly empty, then you should be concerned.

 

[Sherri1990]

Ok, is is odd that it was not like a golf ball at bed? Does laying an egg change appetite?

 

[sloanbychoice]

I honestly cannot tell you how it should feel, as I have not been diligent about checking mine other than visually. But I do know it should be empty in the morning and “food boob” at night.

As far as appetite, I’m not aware of laying and appetite being linked, other than loss of appetite when something is wrong.

 

[Sherri1990]

Hmmm. Ok, I will check in the morning. I bought her some grit. Maybe it will help?

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Have you compared her crop to your other birds' crops? Whenever I have an issue that I'm questioning, I like to compare to other birds', or if it's like a wing or leg, to the other wing or leg. That alone can give you a lot of information. You could check for injuries, too. As far as feeling like pizza dough, that sounds normal. I sometimes massage my birds crops. Their crops typically feel like pizza dough unless their crop was already full. I'm not quite sure about water balloon. I think that your hen is perfectly fine, especially if you compare her crops to the other hens crops and their's feel the same. Just because her crop wasn't full tonight, doesn't mean something is wrong unless you notice that she's barely ever eating. Some hens do go to bed hungry sometimes.

Congrats to your hen laying her first egg!