Roksteddie Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 We've had our trio for just over a week now and all has been going well. However, one of the chickens has a crop that is noticeably larger than the other 2 today. It's not something I've noticed before. She is behaving as normal - eating, foraging etc but I am a little concerned. How can I tell if there is a problem? Unfortunately she is the most skittish of the 3 so picking her up might be a challenge. I know they're meant to have full crops before bedtime... it just looks 'too full'... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 they should have a full crop during the day as their feeding and filling it some have more size to it than others their the greedy little mares. it's only a problem if it's still looks like they've eaten a golf or tennis ball first thing in the morning before they've eaten anything. at the moment 3pm in the afternoon it's normal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Check her in the morning Sjp. If she still has a hard lump in her crop it's water only for a day and a massage to try and break it up. What can happen is an undigested lump sets hard and won't shift. The lump gets bigger until she can't eat enough to stay warm because there is no more room in her crop and then the lump goes sour, so the sooner you nip the problem in the bud the better. We've had a few like that this year; all rectified. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 She's probably just eaten loads - they can look ridiculous sometimes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roksteddie Posted November 14, 2016 Author Share Posted November 14, 2016 Thanks for the input. I'm hoping it's just that she's easten loads. Weird how anxious I've got about their health! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Welcome to the worrying world of chicken keeping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binxyboo Posted December 16, 2016 Share Posted December 16, 2016 Cider vinager in the water can aid digestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
