# Newbie question



## EmmaJB (Oct 23, 2012)

After being able to spend a few hours in the run with my babies finally today, I noticed something I'm not sure is quite right...

A couple of my girls have been secreting a mostly clear liquid from their bottoms, and not just a trickle either, the sound made was like emptying the last of a bottle of water on the ground. 

They are not at laying age yet, and I've only had them since Friday. These are my first chickens so excuse my naivety, but is this how they urinate? Or do they usually urinate when they defecate? 

Is this something I should be worried about? I cleaned out their coop today and changed the food/water as per usual. The only thing I did different today was add crushed garlic to their water, after which I noticed the unusual toileting...

I want my babies to be healthy to get through what I suspect is going to be a harsh winter.

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## BigECart (Jul 12, 2012)

EmmaJB said:


> They are not at laying age yet, and I've only had them since Friday. These are my first chickens so excuse my naivety, but is this how they urinate? Or do they usually urinate when they defecate?


The Chicken Chick on Facebook posted this article earlier in the week. I don't have chickens yet so didn't read the article, but do need to bookmark it for future reference. My understanding is that chickens do not urinate, so sounds like yours are sick.

http://bit.ly/SJ4tlG


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## EmmaJB (Oct 23, 2012)

I hope not 

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## EmmaJB (Oct 23, 2012)

I've read through the article and the poop I witnessed is not there. It looked like a shell-less egg after being deposited but with a small white 'yolk' rather than yellow. It wasn't an egg as they are not of egg-laying age. It was not viscous, it was quite the opposite. As I said, it sounded watery as it happened. 

I'm going to bookmark that article though, some really useful stuff on it, and although not very pleasant, the pictures help a lot. Thank you much 

If my girls continue this unusual toilet habit I'll take a picture and post it - you have been warned!!  

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## Bird_slave (Oct 26, 2012)

It doesn't sound normal to me. :-( 
Normal chicken poop can take many forms, but the urine part of it, uric acid, is solid (it's the white part).
A pic would help narrow down the cause.

I am editing this to add that chicken poo can get watery at times, like when it's very hot out and they are drinking alot but eating little; but nornally the urine part is solid.


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## EmmaJB (Oct 23, 2012)

They had drank a lot prior to the incident, I got home to an empty waterer when I got home from work, I filled it and they crowded it again. They have been eating though. If it happens again I'll get a photo.

I hope it's something that can be easily remedied...

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## patlet (Oct 4, 2012)

Why is the waterer emptying so fast? If they aren't getting water regularly, then they could get watery stool because they are drinking too much when they do have access to water.


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## EmmaJB (Oct 23, 2012)

It emptied that day :/ I had been on a sleep (a 24hour shift) at work so my other half had let them out that morning. I'm not sure whether he thought there was enough water, he would have been running late for work (he doesn't do mornings! So by the time I got home at lunchtime they had drank what was left dry.

I can report though that I have witnessed no more incidents of the watery bottoms, nothing unusual in their coop this morning  maybe it was a case of as you say, drinking too much too fast.

I'll have to get in into my other half's head to change and fill it every morning! I'll know tomorrow morning as I'm on a sleep again today.

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