Excessive thirst

[Kay Crowe]

One of my 7 month olds, Yum Yum, has been at the waterer all day. She drank over 2 cups of water between dawn and 11. It's 3:30 and she's still chugging away at the water. Her eyes are clear, no discharge from anywhere, she's eating (but more interested in water), and has not laid an egg today. She squirted out an all water poop. I put some vitamin/electrolyte and tetracycline in their water just in case.

Now what? Any suggestions on what might be going on? Should I bring her in tonight? Thanks for any help!

ETA: Another clue... I just saw her do a clear water poo and vomit. I gave her a chicken muffin (bran, wheat flour, egg, mealworms, scratch, applesauce, crushed shells, and whatever else I threw in) and all she seemed interested in was the bits of eggshell. I'm going to pick up some kale or Brussel sprouts at the store to see if she'll eat those to boost her calcium levels(?). We'll see...

ETA2: Thanks for the responses! One hour to sunset and she's already tucked herself in the coop for the night, up in the roost and off the ground. On the plus side, she's not glued to the water. She had two nibbles of kale and lost interest. Maybe after a good night's sleep...? Fingers crossed! And yes, there's water in the coop at night.

We have a rodent problem in the shed/compost area next to the coop. I wouldn't be surprised if those little buggers had something to do with it. The girls are free to roam the whole backyard so who knows what they get into.

 

[Eggcessive]

If she doesn't have anything else wrong, I would just watch her. She may have just been thirsty or dehydrated. It is normal to have some watery diarrhea after drinking large amounts of water. Unless she exhibits other symptoms such as lethargy or problems walking, I wouldn't worry.

 

[casportpony]

Excessive thirst can be a sign of many diseases. I would watch her very closely if she were mine.

-Kathy

 

[Eggcessive]

Excessive thirst can be a sign of salmonella, aspergillosis, and other diseases, but there should be other symptoms. Watch her as I said before.

 

[casportpony]

It sounds like there are other symptoms, like not wanting to eat treats.

-Kathy

 

[AshP]

I wouldn't worry too much about over consumption of water. Best to monitor the daily consumption exactly as possible over a 4 or 5 days. I would be a lot more worried if they where drinking a lot less then usual.

 

[Kay Crowe]

Morning update: Yums seems bright and bushy this chilly morning. If I wasn't paying close attention I'd say she was fine. She hasn't been drinking like she was yesterday. However, she still doesn't have an appetite. I stood outside to make sure I saw her eat something. A few pecks of chicken chow and she ignored a pancake. I'll keep monitoring her throughout the day and plan on scrubbing out the coop once the wind calms down. I also plan to continue treating the water for at least a week after she's normal again. If anything changes you can bet I'll be back to pick your brains!

Thanks again.

 

[Eggcessive]

Glad to hear she is doing okay. There are so many diseases that chickens can get, and you are right rodents can spread many. Just keep an eye on her crop to make sure it is emptying by morning, and watch her poops. You sound like a very caring chicken owner.

 

[casportpony]

If you have a kitchen scale, get a baseline weight on her then weight her every few days. If she doesn't lose any weight there is nothing to worry about and you'll know how much she should weigh if she ever does look sick.

-Kathy

 

[Kay Crowe]

What can I say? My girls are spoiled pets.

She's just about back to normal. Her crop isn't bloated anymore and she's been nibbling a bit more than this morning. She also laid her egg around noon after being snuggled on the nest for an hour. The floor of the coop was dry; no soup poop! The rest still seem ok, just cranky about the frigid wind. Looks like I have a trip to the fabric store to make windbreakers in my future.