Chicken bald back

[Pottage]

I’ve only had my girls since Sunday, and have just started doing some health checks. I managed to get a quick feel of Steve’s crop as she shot past me to the feeders this morning and her crop felt quite flat.

 

Nugget is pretty much oven ready on her chest and belly (!) so her crop is easy to inspect. She is the sweetest of my girls so let me have a good look and poke about at her. She still had a protruding crop tis morning, though I think is seemed somewhat smaller than when I put her to bed last night. Should the crop be completely flat, or is a bit of a lump still to be expected, especially on a near naked lady?

 

She’s still trotting around quite happily, feeding and drinking and shows no other symptoms that I can see. The crop was not hot to the touch, but the grass in our lawn where they have been allowed to free range for a few hours each evening since we had them is quite long (I'm planning to mow it this evening). I don’t *think* she has stinky breath, but then again how on earth to you get a chicken to open her mouth and say “ahhhhh” for you lol!

 

I guess I need to get hold of the other three tomorrow morning and compare her against them.

 

Can I massage her crop this evening when I get home, just in case? Or is this a bad idea if it’s full from the mash she’s eaten throughout the day?

[Beantree]

Think you are worrying a bit too much Pottage, which is only to be expected with new girls. Crops don't empty completely at this time of year. They have taken on board enough to keep them going throughout a standard night. Some will take more or less and will adjust to suit. But it isn't hard and fast. In Winter their crops will be huge at bedtime and completely empty in the morning. That's when a slow release feed is good at night and we top ours up with wheat before bedtime.

 

You need to look at their poos. To confuse matters when it is warm they will be taking on a lot of water. Ours are on about a litre a day each. So their poos will look runny and not normal as such. But poo with a very high water content and very low solids content and any which are slimy water are suspect. You may get the occasional very watery one, but not continuously.

 

At the moment I would do nothing. Picking them up regularly is a great idea to get them used to being handled. But be aware new feathers are delicate and touching them will irritate the birds as they are a bit sore as well. You will see a red area in the skin around each feather, the result of the skin stretching and being dragged by the growing process. I wouldn't massage the crop for no good reason.

 

Laying hens eat far more than non-layers, who in hot weather eat almost nothing. So I shouldn't worry about apparent 'not eating' too soon.