Shooting water out vent?

[buffmama4424]

Hello there! One of my buff orpingtons is shooting water out her rear. This is a projectile situation where the fluid is being ejected quickly and with force. It shoots 2 feet or so. She is eating, drinking, and otherwise acting like herself. Aside from being a bit easier than usual for me to catch, she is not showing any signs of being ill.

I first noticed the rear-end runny water situation yesterday. I hesitate to call it poo because it's clear and devoid of chunks or typical poo consistency. It's not milky or white at all: it is clear. Yesterday her vent was foul smelling. She had some feces stuck to her feathers around her vent area. I cleaned her up with warm water and a mild soap and dried her with a towel. She's keeping her vent clean. Her abdomen/area near her vent seemed full and swollen to me yesterday; I have not yet checked it today.

Our flock consists of 4 buff orpingtons, all 3 years old.

I noticed another bird shoot water out her rear this morning. I separated the 2 birds. Bird #2 also had some feces stuck to her vent area, but no foul smell. She is making relatively normal feces - a tad loose, but otherwise healthy. She's currently in a nesting box acting like she's going to lay an egg - TBD on if she actually lays.

The offensive derriere is pictured here:

Our weather has been changing lately -- waffling between warm and sunny to freezing cold/snowy weather, sometimes even on the same day. They sleep indoors during the winter and had their first couple of nights outside last week. Could the change in weather cause this?

The other 2 birds seem fine, but I'm going to keep a close eye on them.

Any ideas what might cause the water shooting out the back end or what we should do?

 

[Madhouse Pullet]

I've seen my chickens have huge watery poops but nothing abnormal. Do you have a picture or video?

 

[buffmama4424]

I've seen my chickens have huge watery poops but nothing abnormal. Do you have a picture or video?

No video or picture yet. Picture will be hard to get because it just looks like a stream of water on the ground. The second bird did lay an egg.

 

[nuthatched]

What's her diet?

 

[buffmama4424]

What's her diet?

Purina Layena crumbles mixed with a little bit of Feather Fixer and Oyster Shell, Manna Pro Egg Maker supplement (1 scoop per hen), and grit. She free ranges for an hour or so a day in my backyard and occasionally gets a Farmer's Helper Golden Egg Nugget Treat.

 

[nuthatched]

Purina Layena crumbles mixed with a little bit of Feather Fixer and Oyster Shell, Manna Pro Egg Maker supplement (1 scoop per hen), and grit. She free ranges for an hour or so a day in my backyard and occasionally gets a Farmer's Helper Golden Egg Nugget Treat.

Hmm, no watery treats like melon?

 

[buffmama4424]

Hmm, no watery treats like melon?

Nope, no melon (we've been keeping that for the humans!)

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

Hello there! One of my buff orpingtons is shooting water out her rear. This is a projectile situation where the fluid is being ejected quickly and with force. It shoots 2 feet or so. She is eating, drinking, and otherwise acting like herself. Aside from being a bit easier than usual for me to catch, she is not showing any signs of being ill.

I first noticed the rear-end runny water situation yesterday. I hesitate to call it poo because it's clear and devoid of chunks or typical poo consistency. It's not milky or white at all: it is clear. Yesterday her vent was foul smelling. She had some feces stuck to her feathers around her vent area. I cleaned her up with warm water and a mild soap and dried her with a towel. She's keeping her vent clean. Her abdomen/area near her vent seemed full and swollen to me yesterday; I have not yet checked it today.

Our flock consists of 4 buff orpingtons, all 3 years old.

I noticed another bird shoot water out her rear this morning. I separated the 2 birds. Bird #2 also had some feces stuck to her vent area, but no foul smell. She is making relatively normal feces - a tad loose, but otherwise healthy. She's currently in a nesting box acting like she's going to lay an egg - TBD on if she actually lays.

The offensive derriere is pictured here:
View attachment 3479980

Our weather has been changing lately -- waffling between warm and sunny to freezing cold/snowy weather, sometimes even on the same day. They sleep indoors during the winter and had their first couple of nights outside last week. Could the change in weather cause this?

The other 2 birds seem fine, but I'm going to keep a close eye on them.

Any ideas what might cause the water shooting out the back end or what we should do?

Here is a site that lists possible causes of excessive urine in birds that you might find helpful: https://www.birdexoticsvet.com.au/factsheets/2020/6/6/polyuria-increased-urine

My girls start drinking more water when they start laying again in the spring which gives them watery poops for awhile, but shooting out urine seems pretty extreme.... If she has a swollen abdomen I'd be concerned she has an infection, liver problem, or perhaps ate something in the yard she shouldn't have. (There was just a post the other a day about a chicken leaving a watery mess in the nesting box who has zinc poisoning from ingesting some metal ) Hope your girl's issue is minor and please let us know if it resolves and if you find a cause.

 

[buffmama4424]

Here is a site that lists possible causes of excessive urine in birds that you might find helpful: https://www.birdexoticsvet.com.au/factsheets/2020/6/6/polyuria-increased-urine

My girls start drinking more water when they start laying again in the spring which gives them watery poops for awhile, but shooting out urine seems pretty extreme.... If she has a swollen abdomen I'd be concerned she has an infection, liver problem, or perhaps ate something in the yard she shouldn't have. (There was just a post the other a day about a chicken leaving a watery mess in the nesting box who has zinc poisoning from ingesting some metal ) Hope your girl's issue is minor and please let us know if it resolves and if you find a cause.

Thank you, Razzlefrazzle! She definitely has polyuria. No doubt about it.
She was a happy bird yesterday, not acting sick at all. That has changed, however and now she is lethargic and not showing much interest in food.
Her poop looked a little milky earlier and even a coccidiosis-looking “snake,” which seems to be some improvement over the pure water-looking urine.
She has been quite thirsty, so now I’m wondering about the zinc toxicity. No telling what she may have found in the yard. If there’s anything to discover, this is our girl that will find it. Thanks again, Razzlefrazzle!

 

[buffmama4424]

Update: She’s not eating (wouldn’t take scrambled eggs even). Drinking a little bit. Not much output in terms of feces or urine. Sleeping a lot. Staring off into the corner. Lethargic. It is very expensive to take her to the vet, but we need a fecal float and some help, so I’m going to likely go that route later today. The other bird that had the watery poo is eating normally still.