[Big Jen]

What would cause a 7/8 week old chick to get sour crop?
Have emptied the crop and chick seems fine and went for a drink of water afterwards.
They are in an indoor pen so not on grass and have been separated from the broody for about 2 weeks cause she got fed up with them. They are just on chick crumbs with a few treats at the moment. They have ACV in their water.
What is the best way to treat this?

thanks Jenny

[Roughlee Handled]

How do you know it was sour crop?

[Big Jen]

Her crop was the size of a golf ball, all squidgy and there was porridge like stuff dribbling out of her mouth. I turned her upside down and massaged her crop and it all dribbled out.
Jenny

[poultrygeist]

I would suggest plenty of water and some live yoghurt to settle its flora down. PLus of course lots of grit.

Not sure what could have caused it in such a young bird. No experience with chicks.

Rob

[woodside farm]

At 7/8 weeks they should be on growers pellets, introduce them mixed in with the chick crumbs, they do not need ACV in the water all of the time 1 week out of 4 max.

Michelle xx

[Big Jen]

They are tiny Belgian d'anvers and could not eat growers yet, far too big a pellet. The ACV is not in the water all the time. I alternate between plain, ACV, orego- stim and Battles poultry drink.
Never had this problem before and have reared about 150 healthy chicks this year.
Any ideas what could cause it?
Jenny

[woodside farm]

I keep my little ones (D'anvers, D'Watermeals, Dutch) on chicks crumbs too till about 8 weeks  like you said they seem too small.
I don't know what too suggest as I have never had chicks or chickens with sour crop, but also I only ever give my chicks fresh water with no ACV or anything else until they are about POL.

Michelle xx

[Big Jen]

Yes Michelle, they dont seem to be able to manage growers till they are quite a lot older. I start to add Ornamental pellets at about 8 weeks, they are a very small pellet, then quail or breeder pellets at POL.
These chicks are the only ones I have hatched via a broody, so dont know if that is something to do with it?
Jenny

[Roughlee Handled]

How do you know it was sour crop?

I was just checking as there are allot of sour crop by members when its a full crop.

Is she eating the bedding ie shavings? As with crumb you should not have to feed grit, not until they move on to growers.

[Big Jen]

Stuart
Dont think she is eating the bedding as I use woodchip and that would be too big to swallow.
When the stuff came up from her crop it just looked like liquidised chick crumb.
Her crop looks normal this morning but going to get some live yoghurt for her from shops.

Jenny

[Roughlee Handled]

Strange chick. Hope she pulls through.

[Foxy]

Jen it sounds like your chick may have a digestive tract problem, I cant really see how it could have developed an infection so it is likely that there is a stasis problem which may be genetic and the tract may not have developed properly. I would be tempted to reduce solid intake, even starve for 24 hours but give allow water(with vitamins) then start on very small amounts of chick crumb and see if that helps.

[Big Jen]

Thanks Foxy
Cant do much now as I am at work and chick crumbs are in with them. If it has come back up today I will try what you say and starve her for 24 hrs
thanks
Jenny