Clear liquid in nesting box

[cabanna1968]

I am a first time owner of 6 hens with one rooster. Today is one week since I got them. They've been laying right along, but the past couple of days I've noticed quite a bit of clear liquid in one nesting box. I'm assuming this is not normal. Any suggestions?

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

Does the liquid look thicker like an egg white? It could be that you have a hen laying shell less or soft shelled eggs and they’re eating it.

 

[cabanna1968]

It's hard to tell. It soaks into the pine shavings, so my impression is that it's pretty watery.

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

Sounds like she is drinking too much water for some reason. It might just be stress from the relocation, but I'd try to narrow down which bird it is and check her for other symptoms (swollen vent/abdomen, crop issues, etc). Are you sure your property and setup are chicken-safe and there are no toxic plants, chemicals or metal bits they could be getting into? What is their diet and is it a change from what they were fed before?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

What are you feeding?
How old are they?

Sounds like it may be Albumin (egg whites) in the nesting box.
Provide the girls with oyster shell free choice and a nutritionally balanced poultry feed.

If they are new to you, then stress from being in a new place can upset their system, so hopefully this is just a glitch and they will get into a routine soon.

 

[cabanna1968]

Sounds like she is drinking too much water for some reason. It might just be stress from the relocation, but I'd try to narrow down which bird it is and check her for other symptoms (swollen vent/abdomen, crop issues, etc). Are you sure your property and setup are chicken-safe and there are no toxic plants, chemicals or metal bits they could be getting into? What is their diet and is it a change from what they were fed before?

It might be stress. We've had them just over a week. They came from a very crowded, muddy yard (lots of ducks and geese in with the chickens) to a fenced in grassy yard that has never been treated. They get chicken feed, mealworms, veggy scraps. I've been watching all the girls and they all seem perfectly healthy. I also haven't found any more wetness in the nesting boxes the last few days, so fingers crossed. Thank you!