Incontinent chicken?

[CoopWitch]

Hello! I have a frizzle bantam cochin who is a little over a year old. The past few months she has been dripping urine when picked up. It is clear, no odor. I took her to an avian and exotics vet who performed a complete exam and confirmed normal internal anatomy, no masses or egg binding. At this point, the vet is unsure why she is leaking urine. She acts fine, eats and drinks, lays eggs, bosses everyone around, yells for treats. My girls eat Scratch and Peck feed that I ferment and Naturewise Hearty Hen pellets free fed. Treats consist of an assortment of fresh leafy greens the occasional fruit, grubs and a mix of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and split peas. Anyone experience anything like this?
This is Rowena.

 

[azygous]

It seems unusual that this dripping fluid would last several months. Usually, this condition is seen in a reproductive blockage such as egg binding.

The fluids are not urine as chickens do not excrete liquid urates. They are solid. In egg binding, the seca are blocked and this causes bodily fluids that usually are distributed internally to the body tissues, to be diverted to being expelled through the cloaca instead. This usually results in dehydration, so such a hen would be acting sick.

Did the vet take X-rays?

 

[aart]

The fluids are not urine as chickens do not excrete liquid urates.

Yeah, the vet should have known that.

 

[CoopWitch]

It seems unusual that this dripping fluid would last several months. Usually, this condition is seen in a reproductive blockage such as egg binding.

The fluids are not urine as chickens do not excrete liquid urates. They are solid. In egg binding, the seca are blocked and this causes bodily fluids that usually are distributed internally to the body tissues, to be diverted to being expelled through the cloaca instead. This usually results in dehydration, so such a hen would be acting sick.

Did the vet take X-rays?

No xrays. She did feel the reproductive tract internally. She is not eggbound, she still lays regularly.

 

[CoopWitch]

Yeah, the vet should have known that.

I do know the urine component is the solid white urates. The vet explained a clear, water portion of the excrement as well.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

she has been dripping urine when picked up

Only when picked up or continually?

 

[CoopWitch]

Only when picked up or continually?

I *believe* when picked up but it could be more often. She's a bantam cochin and looks like a walking feather boa so it's hard to see what is going in down there when she's walking around. I check her bum regularly so no moisture builds up leading to fly strike.