Consistently Loose Pooper

[AnnPann]

I have a 2-3 yr old EE I got from a neighbor last fall. She's active, talkative, sassy and one of my best layers. She also LOVES her water. First thing when she comes out of the coop in the morning is gulp water. The same routine every day for a year.

She also has had looser, more watery droppings from the day I got her a year ago. No worms, no blood, and it's not clear. To clarify - it's not new. It's been like this the whole year. Through feed changes, molting, free ranging routines, weather changes, moving coops, etc.

None of my other 13 chickens are ill or have any concerning symptoms. They eat grower feed with free choice oyster and grit. Treats are a handful of black sunflower seeds or mealworms (for the entire flock), once a day at most. Free ranging is minimal right now due to hawk activity and weather.

Can some chickens just be like this and still be healthy? I always thought it was because she just really likes her water, but I don't want to dismiss some underlying issue I should be treating for. Even with her obnoxious attitude, she earns her keep, so I'd like her to stick around a while.

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

Do you know the last time she was dewormed? I had a very similar situation this year with one of my girls: she seemed healthy, was the most active and the best layer, but was drinking a ridiculous amount. First I thought it was just the summer heat and all the egg laying (eggs are a large part water) but fall came and she kept gulping down water. Finally I noticed she was getting quite pale, more so than the usual winter color change, and decided deworming wouldn't be a bad idea (even though the fecal float test came back negative) since I hadn't done in over a year. What a difference! Post valbazen treatment she got her color back and returned to sipping at her water like a proper lady. Just one possibility...

 

[AnnPann]

I have not dewormed them, so it’s been at least a year (not sure if she had been previously, or when). It’s possible I guess, I just assumed she’d have some other symptoms and didn’t want to treat if I didn’t have to. She’s going through a late and pretty rough molt right now, so hard to tell if she’s looking raggedy from anything other than that.

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you checked her crop in the early mornings before she eats or drinks, to make sure that it is emptying? Crop disorders may cause increased drinking. Worming might be helpful with Valbazen. Just don’t use SafeGuard (fenbendazole until after she completes molting, but Valbazen is fine. Dosage is 0.5 ml given orally once, and repeated in 10 days. Probiotics are another good thing to try with loose poops. Probios powder or the generic from your feed store are very good.

 

[AnnPann]

I haven’t noticed her crop, but will try and catch her tonight and again in AM to see if it’s normal. I’ll try probiotics first - she’s got an attitude that doesn’t bode well for administering anything orally .

 

[Eggcessive]

You can hide wormer in a piece of bread, but make sure that another doesn’t grab it.