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Why isn't my baby cockatiel's crop emptying? What should it feel like?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Bird | Unknown - Bird | Female | 24 days old

What does an empty crop of baby cockatiel look and feel like? My 4 week cockatiel'crop seems not to be able to empty fast enough. In the morning, before breakfast, her crop feels like a small soft ball, about one fourth of the fully expanded size. Looked from the front, the crop ball looks quite obvious. Though looked from the side, her crop area is rather flat. And she is often hungry and begging for food before her crop completely flatten, like in the attached picture.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Jessica Desrosiers

Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

Veterinary Technician

Published on January 18th, 2018

A full crop will feel like a giant, fat balloon just under the chin/neck, and in birds that don't have their feathers in yet may be visible. An empty crop will just be a flat, normal looking neck.

Keeping a full crop in a baby bird is best as it means they always have something for nutrients and to keep them full and happy. If they constantly have empty crops they need to have their feeding throughout the day increased to keep them full. Following the guidelines on your baby bird formula can help you make sure you're feeding enough and often enough.
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Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Food & Nutrition
How much to feed my baby parrot? Is a full crop normal after eating?
The amount will depend on species, age and weight. The crop, when full, will become distended. When you see this, stop feeding. In young chicks, you can see the full crop through the skin. Do not overfeed and do not palpate the crop roughly as this may cause regurgitation.
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My cockatiel's crop feels full of seeds. Is this normal or a concern?
It is normal for birds to store some food, seeds or whatever they are eating, in their crop. As long as the food does not become impacted and your bird is still eating regularly should have nothing to worry about. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
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My hand-fed baby bird's crop is bulging. Am I feeding too much?
A bulging crop may indicate a full crop and that you may be giving too much food at a time. If it doesn't return to normal after a few hours, reducing the amount of food, or making sure that Sailor doesn't have an impacted/obstructed crop is best. Feeding smaller meals more often may also help reduce the crop being overfull.
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Is a soft bump normal if my baby cockatiel's crop won't empty?
Odo is gorgeous!! I am not overly concerned about this as there is a bit of spare tissue to allow the crop to distend so I think all this is is the extra tissue lying when the crop is empty. As long as it is not getting impacted with fluid or food and Odo s in good form I wouldn't worry about it.
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My baby bird has an oversized crop. Is it serious? What should I do?
Thanks for reaching out about Rick and including a photo. An over-sized crop can be due to over-eating or a disease. Crop infections (bacteria, fungal), ingested foreign bodies and obstructions, systemic illness are all possibilities. Check and correct husbandry, as baby birds need to be kept warm. If the crop appears firm, offering small amounts of water and massaging the crop might help. If Rick appears ill, a veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
Is it normal for my bird's crop to get big and then get small again?
A bird's crop will naturally disyend when the bird eats or drinks, it goes down as the contents move into the proventricularis. The time to worry is if the crop stays large, this would indicate infection or impaction of the crop.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
Worried: Is my cockatiel's crop overstretched from too much formula?
Hi and thank you for your question, The crop does look distended, especially if this is not right after a feeding. I don't recommend stopping the formula at once regardless of his age. You should reduce it gradually and only stop it once he is getting very little (5-10ml once daily) and is eating well on his own. Hopefully the crop will come down to a more normal size. Regards
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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