Chicken only drinks water and eats grass

neothix

In the Brooder
Mar 28, 2021
6
17
26
Has anyone come across a chicken that is completely obsessed with drinking water and eating grass?? Our cuckoo Orpington cockerel (about 18 months old max) has always drunk so much water and always eating grass and hardly ever touching pellets and grain. Past few days, comb has been very pale but still acting normal. Today he is star gazing and flipping over when looking up. Have got him drinking berocca in his water as he won’t stop drinking if it is near by and have added in some poly aid plus. Just mashed up some eggs to try and get him to eat, but he is not interest :( any other ideas??
 
Hello! How is his poop? Can you post pictures of him as well?

First I would add nutri drench to his water, offer him raw egg yolk, and any grubs or mealworms he finds appetizing. If he's still not eating I would force feed him suet balls. I had to do that with one of my hens.

You may need to do a molasses flush if his poops don't look good. That much grass and drinking that much water makes me think his gizzard may be packed.

I would also give him Vitamin E, b complex as well.

@Wyorp Rock @azygous @Eggcessive
 
Poop is very liquid, green water today 😢 we managed to get him to eat some banana, a favourite treat of his which was promising. After the big drink of berocca and Polly aid this morning the star gazing is subsiding and he is not flipping over this afternoon, but he is absolutely exhausted 🙁 Love this rooster and don’t want to lose him. Will try and work out embedding photos/videos
 
Poop is very liquid, green water today 😢 we managed to get him to eat some banana, a favourite treat of his which was promising. After the big drink of berocca and Polly aid this morning the star gazing is subsiding and he is not flipping over this afternoon, but he is absolutely exhausted 🙁 Love this rooster and don’t want to lose him. Will try and work out embedding photos/videos
I looked up berroca and it says it has caffeine and guarana. I'm not sure if they can have that. Where are you located?

Can you try giving him raw yolk? As much as he wants,. Do you have molasses that you can mix into his water?

Also can you get b complex and vitamin e capsules?

How much does he weigh?
 
I looked up berroca and it says it has caffeine and guarana. I'm not sure if they can have that. Where are you located?

Can you try giving him raw yolk? As much as he wants,. Do you have molasses that you can mix into his water?

Also can you get b complex and vitamin e capsules?

How much does he weigh?
https://m.facebook.com/video.php/?video_id=559961902850769

He is a big boy, easily heading towards 4kgs - will pick up some molasses and will try raw yolk!
 
https://m.facebook.com/video.php/?video_id=559961902850769

He is a big boy, easily heading towards 4kgs - will pick up some molasses and will try raw yolk!
https://m.facebook.com/video.php/?video_id=559961902850769

He is a big boy, easily heading towards 4kgs - will pick up some molasses and will try raw yolk!
The berocca I have does not have caffeine or guarana in it - note on packet says does not contain sugar caffeine gluten or stimulants
 
What is your location on the planet Earth? We need to know where you live so we can know the conditions that your rooster lives under.

Has he always shunned feed and preferred grass? If so, that may indicate he has a condition called "pica". It's an eating disorder where strange things are selected to eat, a obsession. To help the rooster, he must be kept away from the grass for now.

He probably has a serious vitamin deficiency. He needs vitamin E and the B-complex @SmiYa0126 mentioned, and a good poultry multivitamin solution.
 
How does his crop feel early in the morning before he eats or drinks—empty and flat, full, hard, doughy, or puffy? Has he always just eaten grass, or is this recent behavior? Do you have other roosters who may be keeping him from feed? He needs vitamin E 400 IU daily, along with 1/2 tablet of vitamin B complex for a couple of weeks. It might be necessary to crate him with chicken feed and water, but keep the crate with his flock.
 

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