Please help! Excessive thirst & lethargy in hen

[ourlittlecoop2022]

Hi all,
Our 3.5 year old laying hen was acting normally yesterday, but upon coming out of her coop this morning proceeded to drink water for about 10 minutes straight. She would not stop, even when we tried to lure her away with treats. We examined her and found some messy feathers around her bottom. During her bath, she put up much less of a fight than usual, and when we returned her to the yard to free range with her flock, she was far less interested in it than usual, and acted sort of listless. Our further examination found that her crop was (predictably) full of water, but otherwise normal, and her stomach felt fine. She laid a normal egg yesterday and is currently in trying to lay. Her comb and wattle are a good color, but her droppings are sort of clearish to white and foamy, mostly urates. She has stood next to the waterer and incessantly drank water all the morning, even though it's pretty cool here. Has this happened to anyone else's birds? Should I separate her from the water and the rest of the flock? I would greatly appreciate any thoughts on what this could be and what I can do about it.

 

[nuthatched]

Sounds like she might have an infection or inflammation.

 

[Eggcessive]

Never withhold water from a chicken. I would check her crop early tomorrow to see if it has emptied overnight. Crop problems can cause increased thirst. Increased drinking during hot weather can cause watery poops. Perhaps she was not able to drink enough last evening, and was very thirsty this am. Is she alert and active or having any problems?