What is this thing?

[Jamie Molihan]

R so my five week old Isa Brown has what feels like a balloon on her chest. It’s very large and the other chicks don’t have it, not even her sister Isa. It this something I should be worried about?

 

[TheJerzyHen]

Give her chick grit... is her crop full?

 

[Jamie Molihan]

I have been letting them free range in my yard for about a week now during the day and she loves to pick at the dirt, is the rocks in the yard not the same as grit?

 

[Jamie Molihan]

I don’t know how to tell if her crop is full.

 

[Eggcessive]

Your chicks do need chick grit available if they are eating grass or foods other than chick crumbles. When they are 2 months old they can graduate to regular chicken grit. Both are at feed stores.

All chickens have a crop located on their right upper chest, where they store food and water after eating, before it moves on to the gizzard to be digested. Feel all of your chicks’ crop. They should have some food in them throughout the day, then empty somewhat overnight by morning. Here is a link that shows the crop in a chick:
http://www.growwithtyson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/crop-check-field-guide-USA.pdf

On a rare occasion they can be hurt, and a leaking air sac may appear under the skin. But that looks like a normal crop.

 

[Jamie Molihan]

Thankyou so much. I will pick up some grit tomorrow, the are all still on chick starter but they find stuff when they are in the yard. It’s hilarious because they all get very proud of their catch. Now that I know that this could actually kill them I am going to make sure that they have access to the grit.
Hildegard is a good hyppogryph, always cleans her feathers.

 

[Jamie Molihan]

My poor Hildy is sick this morning. She ate some cooked egg yolk with some coconut oil in it. Going to get her some yogurt and possible some red wine. She doesn’t seem sick, she is active and pecking and is cleaning her feathers and talking to me, and super curious about everything, but her crop squashy again this morning and she has gross stuff leaking out of her beak. I am so scared for my girl.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

View attachment 1340991 View attachment 1340992 View attachment 1340993 View attachment 1340994 RView attachment 1340991 View attachment 1340992 View attachment 1340993 so my five week old Isa Brown has what feels like a balloon on her chest. It’s very large and the other chicks don’t have it, not even her sister Isa. It this something I should be worried about?

On which side of her chest does she carry this balloon? Is it on her left side or her right side or on both sides?

 

[Jamie Molihan]

On which side of her chest does she carry this balloon? Is it on her left side or her right side or on both sides?

It’s on her right side, but it was so big that it took up both sides. I have given her some plain yogurt and cooked egg yolk and water wit ACV. Hildegard fell asleep on my while she was perched on my fingers, laying on her back. When she woke up she pooped twice and climbed onto Scott’s shoulder and then chased our cat around.

 

[TheJerzyHen]

Look up sour crop... sounds like it’s something with that .. sorry she’s under the weather.. amazing how we love them!