water intake

[seahuntmike]

My 3 hens(possibly 2 with 1 roo)have what seems to me almost doubled there water intake. Weather here is very mild.is this a sign the they are possibly going to start laying.they are approximately 17 weeks old

 

[aart]

Could be....have you changed their feed or confinement in any way?
Might be they were getting a more moisture laden food before and now they are not?
Did they have access to another water source before and now it is gone or now inaccessible?

 

[seahuntmike]

food hasn't changed everything is the same

 

[azygous]

Water intake in my flock is something I've been curious about. It seems that different chickens have different water needs for whatever benign reason.

I have two flock groups. In one pen I have four hens. In the other pen I have thirteen hens. The four hens in the one pen drink the same amount of water as all thirteen hens in the other pen put together. I do know that I see one hen in particular, in the pen of four, who seems to be at the water fount the most often. She has always had very watery squirts her entire four years.

You might observe your flock and see if you notice one chicken in particular drinking a lot, and what their poops are like. My hen with the "splorts", has always been perfectly healthy in every other respect. So this development with the water intake isn't necessarily something you need to be concerned about.

 

[seahuntmike]

thanks. ive been keeping an eye on them. Everything else seems to be normal.