i have just started colony breeding and i have noticed one of my 5 day old chicks has an air bubble in its crop.

 

is this normal i have breed othertimes but single pairs to a cage and i have never noticed it before :sad:

 

any help would be greatly appriciated

 

thanks,

 

Georgia

This usually occurs with new parents feeding babies...where the taking in of food by the baby doesnt happen at the same time as the food going in. It usually is due to a new Mum who hasnt quite got her aim right in delivering the food into the waiting beak and crop. If this is the case with yours, watch and wait and see. The Mum budgie generally gets it right after a day or so. You must also have plenty of moist soft food available for the parents so that they can deliver crop milk to their newly hatched chicks. Not enough of that type of food and some new parents are trying to serve new babies a "formula" that isnt right for them and not easily digested. You can if comfortable with it, gently massage the crop to release the air bubble, but if not experienced you can also cause food to come up and be taken into the lungs causing worse problems. If the air bubble issue is ongoing there are ways around it. perhaps wait and see, and watch, and as baby gets a little older, then we can run you through some ways to alleviate the problem. How old is the baby ? Is it a new mum ?

 

Cheers kaz

Edited December 3, 200717 yr by KAZ

thanks for that

the chich is only 4-5days old and this is the hens first time breeding

all the other chicks seem to be fine

 

thanks heaps :sad:

 

Georgia

i agree with kaz, my first babys had bubbles to, mom was new, i massaged them out but you probably dont need to, its normal for the first and they will expell them, good luck, new babys are to much fun,

juliet

Thanks heaps!!! :glare:

 

Georgia

Can air bubbles in crops affect chicks?

Yes they can die. The air bubble can stop the food from entering the crop. As Kaz pointed out, you massage the crop to get the air out. Lay the chick on it's back in the palm of your hand and gently massage. If this doesn't work you need to PM either Kaz or I to assist.