Constant Water Intake (see thread for details)

[HomesteaderWife]

I have an older hen who was doing well yesterday and into the evening, with no signs of anything wrong. She exited the coop very slowly today which contradicts her normal excited bolt out. Comb, expression, stool all look fine. She went first thing to the water, stayed drinking for a long time before being pushed away by the others. I sat her up on an elevated area with a waterer and she continued to drink.

She is still alert, not lethargic just slow. She won’t eat her favorite grass or grain, and even turned away a worm. She has a swallowing reflex when she lowers her head to look at the ground. Feels very fluidy in crop area.

Remains drinking water with no eating as of about two hours after.

She is older, so eggs are not frequent as is.

What should I be looking out for, and what can I do to potentially help her feel better? Any other details I should provide?

edit 12:00 noon: upon picking her up, she "vomited" a clear, foul smelling lot of liquid as I sat her down. Front of chest/crop area feeling like it contains a decent amount of liquid/fluid?

 

[azygous]

She is obstructed. Excessive water consumption is a reflex to try to flush the obstruction out. The obstruction is likely in the crop, but it could be in the reproductive tract. You need to determine where the obstruction is.

Feel the crop carefully without putting undo pressure on it. Does it feel like something solid, lumpy or fibrous is in there? Or does it feel like a big water balloon?

Next, look at the other end of the chicken. Is her vent wet and pulsating and perhaps dripping a white, watery fluid? Does she stand in one spot with her tail held low and flat? She might have a stuck egg. This can also cause the crop to fill up due to the obstruction being at the lower end where the digestive tract shares the road with the reproductive system.

Since you report a foul odor coming from the crop, yeast may be an issue and will need to be treated with an anti-yeast med. If the crop is solid and lumpy, she will need to be treated with oil in addition.

If the vent is swollen and dripping, she may need to be treated for egg binding.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@azygous - The crop felt mostly liquid with some small material inside the size of what felt like grain. She exhibits no signs of being egg bound- nothing around the back end or her posture would make me suspect egg. I was concerned about possible crop obstruction but I can't feel anything in there the way I did with a prior hen a few years ago who had this issue. Again, pirmarily feels like fluid.

She's still alert and well at this time. As mentioned, yesterday she was behaving normally and eating/drinking well. When I put her up for the night in the coop and picked her up, I didn't notice anything then.

P.S. Thank you so much for your help. I see you wrote the article on impacted/sour crop treatments. I appreciate your input.

 

[azygous]

Then you probably should get her started on the miconazole seven day treatment. Sour crop is very unpleasant and uncomfortable, so she should feel much better soon.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@azygous - Will do. Should I separate and hold food for 12hrs (water provided) or simply isolate her and just give her a bit of yogurt?

 

[HomesteaderWife]

8:30 PM update - she is isolated and has been given the first dose, with a bit of yogurt provided and clean water. Still alert and doing well, but has expelled the foul smelling liquid four times - the original time, twice going to move her, and once after having yogurt. Seemed to be okay afterwards, but yes, the odor from that is bad. Poor girl. She was ready for bed and settling in for dark.

Poor dear was arguing the medicine as we gave it to her. Any thoughts on early morning/late evening medicating her when it's still dark and she's calm?

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@azygous - just wanted to say thank you again. We are on day 4 of meds and she’s doing a lot better- crop is no longer swollen, has a good appetite (refuses yogurt but loves the boiled egg- which she takes the meds with luckily). Showed interest in grain when I fed everyone else but still on the eggs. A very big thank you for helping me help my sweet hen feel better.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Just wanted to update and say all went well, and my sweet girl pulled through! Thank you thank you yet again