5 week old with HUGE CROP

[sevenlucky7s]

My 5 week old Amber link has a huge crop. It’s squishy and feels like it’s full of air or liquid. She’s not growing or gaining weight like all of her friends but eats constantly. I can Massage her crop and she will
Regurgitate some food but it is still like a huge bubble after.

 

[analyticalblonde]

She's eating constantly because she is starving...if she has ingested long blades of grass, it gets twisted up in her crop and blocks any food from going to the gizzard to be mashed up before going to her intestines. You will need to manually make her throw-up what is caught in her crop. This is done by giving her water, (you will need a syringe with about 5 mL of water), massaging her crop to break up the contents then turning her upside down for about 10 seconds. Chickens don't have the ability to breathe when held upside-down so you can only hold her that way for very brief moments. This needs to be repeated until her reflux happens and the contents are expelled. You may need to do this again if the first time is not successful. Here is a YouTube video on the technique...

Keep in mind...this video is for a grown bird so you will need to be very gentle and careful with a baby.

 

[sevenlucky7s]

I have Been massaging her crop a lot and she will regurgitate sometimes a lot. Think I need to be more aggressive with it? I realize she is starving and it breaks my heart to see her like this.

 

[analyticalblonde]

I have Been massaging her crop a lot and she will regurgitate sometimes a lot. Think I need to be more aggressive with it? I realize she is starving and it breaks my heart to see her like this.

I'm going to try and bring in the Big Guns here...

@aart, @rosemarythyme, @Wyorp Rock, @Eggcessive

Please chime in on this plea for help from @sevenluck7s... this is a serious situation that I know you can help with...

 

[rosemarythyme]

Please chime in on this plea for help from @sevenluck7s... this is a serious situation that I know you can help with...

Sorry, I've only dealt with impacted crops in an adult hen (it was hard, not squishy) - and while I did massage the crop I did not attempt to make the bird regurgitate.

Do these chicks have access to grit?

 

[analyticalblonde]

Another Big Gun I'm calling on...
@Kiki can you help here?

 

[Kiki]

I have Been massaging her crop a lot and she will regurgitate sometimes a lot. Think I need to be more aggressive with it? I realize she is starving and it breaks my heart to see her like this.

I would not do this.

 

[analyticalblonde]

Another Big Gun I'm calling on...
@azygous can you help here?

 

[Kiki]

My 5 week old Amber link has a huge crop. It’s squishy and feels like it’s full of air or liquid. She’s not growing or gaining weight like all of her friends but eats constantly. I can Massage her crop and she will
Regurgitate some food but it is still like a huge bubble after.

What does her poop look like?

 

[azygous]

Yes, as @Kiki says, not a good idea to make a chick regurgitate. It can kill her instantly if it backs up into the airway. Not worth the risk.

Has this chick had access to grit? Has it been eating a lot of grass? Other foods high in cellulose? I needs coconut oil to soften the crop contents and then gentle massage to make the contents break up.

Coconut oil is solid when slightly chilled and easy to slip half a teaspoon into the chick's beak. Get it all in. If the contents of the crop refuse to break up and go down, try another half teaspoon of the oil and repeat the massage.