Clear Liquid Diarrhea and Sneezing

[thecarmiearmy]

Hi all, I'll try getting pictures of the poop tomorrow. For a few weeks 2 of my Orpington hens have had liquid diarrhea. They have watery sneezes too. Their vents look fine and there's no yellow build-up on the vent feathers. I change their water regularly and clean the dispensers once a week, but I don't add apple cider vinegar. My rooster has runny poo too, but not as bad as the girls. These 3 live in the same coop, eat the same food and drink the same water. Then, in a different coop I have 3 other chickens, all different breeds and not Orpingtons. Those 3 have solid poop and nothing wrong with them. Since this seems to be attributed to living spaces, what do you think could be the cause?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Coop ventilation the same?
How long have you had the Orps?

Of course, photos would be nice

Any signs of lethargy, not eating/drinking, etc.?

 

[thecarmiearmy]

Coop ventilation the same?
How long have you had the Orps?

Of course, photos would be nice

Any signs of lethargy, not eating/drinking, etc.?

I'd say the smaller chickens have better ventilation... Daily I prop open the egg box to the Orps coop when no one's using it to get a better air flow. But maybe it's time I shovel out their poo again? But I feel like this has been happening since the last time I cleaned too... Hmmm.

Also here's a photo! The "grey" liquid is the more translucent bits of the poo.

Nope! Everyone's been energetic, no strange behavior or mood swings... They're all eating the same feed and drinking okay too.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would try a clean out and more ventilation to see if that helps with the sneezing. If they are all energetic, etc., then I wouldn't be extremely concerned.

A fecal float may be helpful to see if they need de-worming.

 

[thecarmiearmy]

Hi all, sorry it's been a while... I've been busy. The girls (or just Digger) are still having diarrhea. I cleaned out the coop, chicken run, water dishes... etc. I'll try mixing apple cider vinegar (with the mother) in the water again. Aside from that, none of the chickens have been acting strange. No lethargy or trying to separate from the flock. Is it safe to give them de-worming medication, even if I don't know if there are worms present?

 

[Eggcessive]

What do you feed them including any treats? Does your vet do fecal floats on chickens? Mine will because they also take care of my dogs.

 

[thecarmiearmy]

What do you feed them including any treats? Does your vet do fecal floats on chickens? Mine will because they also take care of my dogs.

Purina Layena pellets is their main diet. For treats: apples, cabbage, oranges (very sweet), strawberries, bananas, shrimp salad (dried shrimp mix)... I think that's it. I'm not sure about.the fecal float. There's a vet that takes chickens nearby, I'll give them a call and ask!

 

[bhawk-23]

Some of my chickens will have poops like this on and off. No issues with normal activity or habits so I usually just leave it alone. Maybe I shouldn't??

 

[thecarmiearmy]

Some of my chickens will have poops like this on and off. No issues with normal activity or habits so I usually just leave it alone. Maybe I shouldn't??

Better safe than sorry! I've read to not worry about it if they're acting okay, but... :/ You never know! I've also heard that they can have watery poops from drinking a lot of water / eating food with lots of liquid in it? Not sure if this is true though.

 

[bhawk-23]

Yes, increase in water (heat does that for my girls) and watery foods do make a difference.
I am following your thread because I wonder about it too and am interested in reading what others say. Generally, it's better safe than sorry. But I spent $150 for a stressful car ride and what turned out to be a fun/social visit for Lizzy to the vet I try to assess and ask the forum, which is exactly what you are doing! And I learn a lot by reading about others experiences too.