Hen not Getting Enough Water?

[The Chickens' Maid]

I have a buff orpington hen (I think) who I think may have a problem getting enough water. The white part of her poop sticks to her feathers, and she throws up a lot after she drinks. She is getting adequate water, though; this has been going on for a while and she seems to be pretty healthy. Her feathers are clean and healthy, her eyes are normal and bright along with any moisture around her nose/beak. She does have some scaly leg mites that I've been trying to get rid of with Vaseline (I need to change out the perches, I think that's where they're coming from). Her breathing seems fine, and she is active. I don't know what this could be; I've read that some hens will just drink too much and it will come back up. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

 

[threehorses]

That does happen, but shouldn't happen that often.

The droppings you are describing are common with any case of mites, particularly body mites. Body mites will often only be on the bird after they've roosted -they feed and return to the cracks in the coop.

If I were you, i'd treat her with something more substantial than vaseline as the mites of the leg are difficult to kill, and through the stress they cause will make your hen more susceptible to disease. I'd treat it as if there were also body mites.

Poultry dust (permethrin) is usually the most common choice, but won't treat the leg mites. Ivermectin will treat both body and leg mites in addition to the dusting of the birds and premises. But in all cases of mite infestation, it's really best to treat with something to knock them down - and repeat in 7 days when they rehatch. And you must treat the roosts, bedding, and coop/run as well. That you can do once and then repeat when you do your regular cleaning.

Were she my bird, I'd treat with pour-on ivermectin (if she's been wormed before) and treat the premises and be done with it.