Chicken can't drink normally. Not urgent.

[The Happster]

This isn't too important, but I'm watching one of my girls, Rooster (don't judge my very imaginative name) and she really doesn't know how to drink properly. She's a year old. We had her as a chick, with her sister Jeeves (we thought they were both boys ) and she was raised by a broody. When she drinks she dips her face in, and kind of pecks the water. This isn't serious, but it can't be at all pleasant for her to get water up her nose every time she drinks. There might not be anything I can do about it. Has anyone else had this?
She literally dunks her head underwater and gets it in her eyes. It's kind of sad.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If you have a video that may be helpful - upload to youtube and provide a link.

Has she always drank water that way?
What type of water station do you use?

Some chickens do seem to dunk their heads or maybe peck the water...if this is how she's always drank water, then I wouldn't worry.
If this is "new" behavior, then it may be something to watch.

 

[The Happster]

As a chick I think she did do it. I thought it was because she was unsteady and would grow out of it. We use a bucket because our previous water container broke. She seems ok though. I won't be able to get a video I'm afraid as I can't use YouTube. I'm sure it's not too much of a problem, just felt a bit sorry for her. Thanks for the reply.

 

[aart]

How old is this bird?
Is she getting water in her mouth then tipping her head back to swallow?
Could be some kind of vision or neurological issue.

 

[The Happster]

She will be a year in May. She puts her head back. She doesn't seem to think she can sip the water. She seems to think she needs to dunk her head in. I noticed today she was being careful of it and actually drinking alright. First time I saw it. She kind of still pecked, but only the edge of her beak went in. Her vision seems ok. She's just gone broody so I've been taking her out for water and food and a quick run around. We can't have her hatching any chicks at the moment since I have enough on my hands looking after a sick rooster.
Thanks for the reply.

 

[aart]

Dunking the whole head all the into a new waterer sure seems like a vision issue to me..
...or something is off. Glad she didn't drown herself.

We can't have her hatching any chicks at the moment

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[The Happster]

Great, thanks. Yeah well she does seem like a healthy chicken. The other reason I don't want her hatching at the moment is her sister will be all on her own. And they get on so well at the moment. There's no pecking order or anything. They're just good friends. I don't want them to lose that. What I've been doing is lifting her out and getting her food and water, and also shutting the pen door so she can't go back in. But I felt kinda bad doing it.

Thanks for the help. Lol that chicken's expression says it all. The reproach

 

[aart]

and also shutting the pen door so she can't go back in.

Don't the other birds need to go in and lay?

But I felt kinda bad doing it.
Thanks for the help. Lol that chicken's expression says it all. The reproach

Yeah, they don't like it much, but settle in pretty quick, better to just get it over with. Tho that girl went broody 7 times over the summer after hatching in March. Finally gave her away, and she never went broody again.

 

[The Happster]

At the moment she's only with one other hen. I do have another pen that is open and she can lay in that one. But they don't seem to realize it. Or maybe they just want to lay in the same place. You can tell when they want to lay though so I just keep an eye out and then let her in when she wants to lay an egg. Most of my hens have been broody at one point or another. Only one has actually hatched any, five hatches. She is extremely difficult to stop but she's lovely.
7 times wow. That's one determined chicken.