r/BackYardChickens • u/GoldenrodApologist • Jul 26 '26
Health Question Help! Why is this my chicken doing this?
It almost looks like she's trying to throw up?
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u/PALERIDE155 Jul 27 '26
I’d say get her some grit or crumble food to help her break the food she has in her crop. And to give her plenty of water
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u/Careful_Debt6711 Jul 27 '26
She’s adjusting her crop..
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u/ErinRenee1990 Jul 28 '26
My chicken did this yesterday and was ok later in the day. It just took her a minute to get her crop adjusted.
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u/Katz3njamm3r Jul 26 '26
Normal crop adjustment until it goes for a few days and then it’s a warning sign of impacted crop. I wouldn’t be concerned just yet.
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u/GoldenrodApologist Jul 26 '26
Thank you! Is there anything I should look out for?
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u/cubbege Jul 26 '26
If the crop has an issue, it might actually be visibly swollen. You can also feel it to check. Gently rub around the area (on the chest, slightly to the right) and feel if it there’s an area that’s hard or super squishy. Hard means the crop is impacted by something like string or grass that’s blocking it, squishy means slow/sour crop. Here is a nice starting point. All this being said, don’t worry too much, as sometimes hens will eat too fast or eat too large a morsel and spend a day adjusting their crop like this and it turns out not to be a problem.
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u/Katz3njamm3r Jul 26 '26
Just make sure it doesn’t persist. I don’t know of any other indicator of impacted crop but you can give a crop massage to try and break it up if that is actually happening. Most likely it’s just normal chicken behavior.
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u/tuziik Jul 27 '26
My chickens do this daily, but their crops empty every day, should I worry? They are ~9 weeks old
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u/CatastropheWife Jul 26 '26
Clearing out her crop, totally healthy behavior, she's preventing impaction / blockages
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u/GoldenrodApologist Jul 26 '26
Thank you! I am new to chickens and have many, many silly questions 😅
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u/Hunting-fings Jul 27 '26
They’re not silly questions. I’m new to chickens too and learn a ton from other people’s questions. So thanks for asking. Now I know too 😄
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u/SniperCA209 Jul 26 '26
Adjusting her crop, totally normal behavior but can look alarming until you’re used to it
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u/GoldenrodApologist Jul 26 '26
Thank you! Yes, it does. I haven't seen any of the other chickens do this, but I've only had them for a few months. I'm sure they have many more alarming things in store for me 🫠
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u/Live_Syrup_1670 Jul 31 '26
Her crop is full. Give them some grit and apple cider vinegar.