Pullet “puking” up water??

[ThePotterChooks]

Hey guys! I had a big search through everything I could find already posted and couldn’t come up with anything quite the same as this so figured I’d make a separate post.

About a month or two ago I picked up two point of lay Araucana pullets. Both were quarantined, have been doing wel and have since joined my quad of Araucanas.

I’ve noticed semi-recently that one pullet has had really watery stools. They kind of just squirt out of her. Not really any colour to them, no abnormalities except it’s essentially just water.

Yesterday I walked out to give them all some scraps and as she walked to the front of the pen she bent over and puked up what seemed to be a whole bunch of water. Then she and the other pullet gobbled it right back up.
From everything I’ve read here, people are saying they’ve surprised their pullets, or picked them up when they’ve had too much water etc but I really don’t think that’s the case with her. She always is kind of wet under her chin and down her front but I figured she was just a messy drinker. Now I’m guessing she does this regularly.

She seems completely fine other than that. She’s up to date on worming, she isn’t dull or lethargic, she’s eating and drinking fine. No crop abnormalities either. No odd smells.
Something that came up after I was researching a little was ascites - but it seems to me the main “tell” for that is a big water belly which I can’t visually notice. I haven’t picked her up and physically checked for that since though as it was later in the evening and I didn’t come across that stuff until I’d come back inside.

Any ideas here? It doesn’t seem to be bothering her but it’s not what I’d call normal.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

No crop abnormalities either. No odd smells.
Something that came up after I was researching a little was ascites - but it seems to me the main “tell” for that is a big water belly which I can’t visually notice.

Some birds overdrink water and when they bend it can come up, but you need to check her crop to make sure nothing is going on there.

Check her crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drink. Get up early if you have to, feel the crop. It should be empty. If she has anything in it, then she may have a slow crop. Not all crops problems are accompanied by a sour smell.

You are right, Ascites is fluid in the abdomen. Usually you would see other symptoms if she were having trouble with that. Lethargy, going off feed, resting more than usual and upon examination, she would have a full/tight abdomen like a balloon.

It won't hurt to give her a going over. In fact it's a good idea to regularly examine your girls so you get to know each one and they are somewhat used to being handled. Check for lice/mites, look at vents, look at the legs and feet-scales should be smooth and feet should have no swelling/inflammation or scabs on the bottoms. I also do crop checks on a regular basis just to catch anything early if possible.

 

[ThePotterChooks]

Thanks for that. I gave her a good going over this morning and everything seems fine. No tight belly or abdomen so I’m ruling out ascites. Her crop was empty - I even tried to make her throw up more water but she didn’t. No lice or mites, nothing else abnormal that I can see.
Just wet feathers under her chin and slightly watery stools.
Perhaps she’s just one of those odd ones that overdrinks. She’s going about business as usual, nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[Chickassan]

Probably just a greedy drinker, excess water also accounts for firehose poops. One here like that she's not the best one to watch if you're going for peaceful chicken watching.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks for that. I gave her a good going over this morning and everything seems fine. No tight belly or abdomen so I’m ruling out ascites. Her crop was empty - I even tried to make her throw up more water but she didn’t. No lice or mites, nothing else abnormal that I can see.
Just wet feathers under her chin and slightly watery stools.
Perhaps she’s just one of those odd ones that overdrinks. She’s going about business as usual, nothing out of the ordinary.

It's good the crop was empty!
I would just watch her for a few days.
If the poop still concerns you, think about getting a fecal float - that will rule in/out worms as the cause.