[katog]

Do you know what the matter might be?
She is a ? 3 year old ex batt otherwise healthy looking bum not dirty, just throws her head right back to drink.

[Sylvia]

All birds do this, some more than others

[daddymatty82]

thats how birds drink aint it take a sip then lift head to take water down . without doing it they cannot drink.

[Marsbar]

Yep, mine do that.
But more noticeable than others.

[manian]

yep mine too
Mx

[DJ_Chook]

I have one that doesn't sip. She completely head dunks & throws her head way back, like she's dying of thirst and has never drank water before.

[katog]

This is not normal behaviour, she is one of 17 hens and has just started doing this 3-4 days ago the others still drink normally.
Thanks for your replies, maybe someone else knows of a cause for her severe action throwing her head so far back it is upside down against heer back .

[jaykay]

Ah, that sounds odd.
Have you checked her crop? If it's impacted, ie full of 'stuff', often long grass or hay, then it will block the passage of both food and water to some extent.
If it is that, I syringe some vegetable oil down their beaks and then hold them with their head at least horizontal, if not down a bit and massage the stuff out. It stinks, but they look heartily glad to be rid of it.
The other thing can be gapeworms - when was she last wormed?

[daddymatty82]

sour crop will stink as well and the birds will not eat  and be all lethargic least that's what 15 of my hens done in the past 12  mths i always seam to catch them to late and then after all   the time they die. you could also if you feel impacted crop or its sour crop and you cannot get it massaged out  with oil  get the scalpel out and cut in to the crop and take the mess out that way then stitch the wound up and purple spray it that some times works

[oldhinton]

This is completely normal for a lot of poultry !!