I have never seen this. WE have a two and a half year old mixed breed hen who was fluffed up and acting sick about ten days ago. I caught her and observed she had lost weight and was slightly lethargic. Symptoms were pretty mild so I just figured it was probably worms. Quarantined her and dewormed her with Safeguard for three days. She did seem to perk up, ate a lot better, and looked better. Then, I noticed her gurgling one day. We looked in her mouth and observed what looked like classic Canker lesions in the floor of her mouth, and she had bad breath. So, I started her on Canker tablets, and was giving her ACV in her water and minced up Thyme and Garlic in her food, also poultry vitamins. She did improve again, ate everything I gave her, and seemed cheerful. Two days ago, I noted that the floor of her pen was soaking wet every morning. At first I thought maybe it was diarrhea or her waterer was leaking, as I was putting her outside in a pen every day on sunny days and she acted pretty cheerful. This afternoon, I picked her up to put her outside, and she acted sick. Her crop was normal but her throat right below her beak (like the floor of her mouth or just below it) was full of fluid like a water balloon. I was afraid to look in her mouth because I didn't want her to choke on all that fluid. I thought maybe I should let her go overnight with no food, and we will examine her tomorrow. She also was drinking a lot of water the day before yesterday. So I have never experienced a bird with water/ fluid retention where it is. Is this the result of canker? I can't seem to find much about it...I do know there are other conditions, such as crop ailments, that can cause excessive drinking, but this one's crop seems normal and empties normally at night, or at least it has been. I also know that lesions in the mouth can be signs of other internal problems, such as cancer, but .....wth? Anything I can do for her? I am gonna try Copper Sulfate in her water tomorrow and hope it might help her.
