tinkkletoes Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Evening All i have just been puting my ladies to bed and noticed that one had quite a big crop just on the right side ( not noticed before today, yesterday she looked normal). got her out of the coop and felt the crop, it's quite firm, no sloshing or bad breath. i was watching them all from the kitchen most of the day and all were acting as normal, scratching, eating, drinking and generaly doing all the things hens do. should i be worried or was she just stocking up food for the night. rest of the ladies haven't done it. her comb is bright, also her eyes are bright and she has a lot of fight in her, not liking being taken out of a warm coop !!.( about 8 months old - a mainly ginger blackrock) there are grit pots around the run. will she work it through her system or should i be giving her/them something in their feed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Check it first thing in the morning. She might just have stuffed herself. If it's still hard, she's probably got an impacted crop. I think there are threads how to deal with it under the poorly hens section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Exactly what chickabee said, some of my girls crops are noticeably bigger than the other girls, my two newbies crops are massive before bed! One of my new girls had a massive crop one morning a few weeks ago (sour crop) but panic not, it isn't as common as it may seem reading this forum as we tend to post about these things when we have a problem. I'm sure by the morning it will have gone down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 it's surprising how big a crop can get, Boris my naked neck Cockerel looks like he's swallowed a tennis ball some nights. don't be to alarmed if the crop hasn't completed emptied in the morning if they've made a real pig of themselves the day before sometimes not all the feed gets digested overnight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 As said, it's only a problem if it is the same size in the morning and she therefore hasn't poo'd overnight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinkkletoes Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 the crop is still quite hard and hasn't really gone down from what i can feel.. as to if she has poo'd, i can't tell as let them out in them morning and by the time i have come home they are all snug in the coop. think she is still laying but not totally sure. what do you all surgest i do to ease her crop as scarred of what could happen to her. mind you, she's still bright in the morning and only wants to get out of coop and to the food. could the crop i'm feeling at night be her food she's intending to digest over night. thoughts and sugestions greatly received please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Did you check her crop first thing in the morning? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinkkletoes Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 didn't mange to catch her this morning as she shot out of the coop, she's like road runner in the morning. but am getting large towel and warm Olive oil ready for the morning so i can check on her. but there is no long grass in run, many grit, food & water stations around run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 You really need to check it as soon as she gets up, before she eats a thing. You dont want to be emptying a healthy crop. I'm guessing (hoping) she's just a gannet. Good luck in the morning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Chickabee is right, a crop should be enlarged in the evening before they go off to bed, it is how it is in the morning that is important. Try opening the access part of the coop before you open the pop hole and check her crop then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinkkletoes Posted November 19, 2014 Author Share Posted November 19, 2014 well managed to catch her after a chase round the run this moring, as she was too fast for me to catch her as she came out of coop. did try to feel while she was in coop but she had got the other girls to suround her.... the crop did still feel firm, but wasn't as big as the night before. this could be her normal, but i think i am now over sensitive and seeing things that i didn't notice before. as i never fully felt her crop before i noticed the enlarged crop. to be on the safe side i did give her some warm olive oil... and planning to do for a few days every moring.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
