# My most recent rescue, non pigeon



## Margarret (May 3, 2007)

Hi all,

I haven't been on line much recently as our computer is at the computer doctor. I'm using one that is giving me fits, but will try to say hello and show you my latest rescue.

Our neighbors have chickens. They look pretty healthy and I enjoy them. But recently, a couple of weeks ago, this bird showed up among them. Daily I saw him get thinner and his feathers were receding leaving this scarlet skin. Finally I saw what was happening. The other birds were pecking him to death. He would run but actually had very few places to hide. So I asked if I could buy him. They weren't concerned with the problem. Yes they knew the other chickens didn't like him, shrug.(I'm dealing with a culture that just has a different take on animal cruelty). Then I said I wanted him to keep the mice out of my pigeon lofts. That they understood. So last night I got my ten dollar chicken. He is in the lath house for now till we can build a place for him to live. He is eating, drinking and pooping well. He has settled some, but won't let us get near yet. I've never had a chicken before. So I have a couple of questions that the basic chicken care sites did not answer.

1. Do they need baths like pigeons from time to time?
2. Does anyone know what breed he might be? He is really tall!

Margaret


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Margaret, He looks like a white leghorn. If he is that breed, they are a bit stand-offish.
Chickens take dust bathes and they love them. They don't bathe the way pigeons do.
Great save.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

he looks like a leghorn to me, they do not take water baths they like dust bathing, which is cool because you can sprinkle seven dust in the dust or dirt and they dust themselves, you may want to spray him for mites, he may be doing some feather plucking on his own. add sunflower seeds to his corn or mash as that helps with feather picking. worm him and then maybe one day you can get him a hen of his own as they like to be in a flock...I think it is great that you saved this "outcast" chicken can be brutal sometimes


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Great save, Margaret! I'm so glad you got that handsome roo (well, he will be handsome when he grows his feathers back)! I don't know what breed he is unless there's one called Lucky Chicken!

Terry


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

He is a cute fella. bet he will be handsome when his feathers grow back.

Reti


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

I was going to say leghorn, too. He certainly is a lucky fellow. I'm glad you were able to intervene and save him, Margaret, and I hope your computer "gets well" soon.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Margarret, I just saw this thread and how wonderful you were able to rescue this great looking bird. You're just the best!


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## Margarret (May 3, 2007)

Thank you all for the nice words and information on his breed. He is doing fine. He eats like a piggie, which makes me very happy, and is getting settled in. He has stopped being afraid of us, although he won't allow himself to be touched yet. With time I think I can gentle him down. Did you see the size of the spurs on this guy? I'm suspicious he may have been bred for fighting, but don't have any evidence to back that up. He was not aggressive toward the other birds when he was in with them. Much the opposite, he ran continuously and would not defend himself when attacked.

Margaret


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## breeze (Jun 22, 2008)

just saw this, i'm new by the way. there r so many interesting and wonderful people on this forum
i hope he does very well.

great people are not those who get public fame,
they are people who make a big difference in the background


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## EgypSwiftLady (Jan 14, 2008)

I'm so glad you rescued that poor fella! Being low chicken in the flock really isn't a good place to be and being pecked, starved and just plain stressed ALL the time is terrible.
We have a rooster that was brought here because he beat everyone else in his former flock up. He now lives alone in a pen and talks to the hens through the fence, he also starts his crowing at 3:30 AM! Hopefully your guy won't be such an early riser.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

breeze said:


> just saw this, i'm new by the way. there r so many interesting and wonderful people on this forum
> i hope he does very well.
> 
> *great people are not those who get public fame,
> they are people who make a big difference in the background*


Welcome, Breeze, and thanks for the kind words! I like that quote very much.  

Margaret, I'm glad Mr. Rooster is settling in nicely. I'm sure you know but chickens LOVE table scraps. And if you have outdoor cats, they will gobble down the cat food if they get a chance! My landlord's free-range roosters and hens (she had about 100) would stand at the cat's bowls, with the cats, chowing down.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Might I suggest the name Foghorn Leghorn? 
I'm glad you rescued the little guy, he looks like he got quite a beating. I have a rooster that got attacked by the alpha roosters for no reason. Poor guy now has one eye and lives up at the house with my dogs. He gets to eat all he wants up here, since the other chickens stay on the other side of the yard.

Oh and I doubt he was raised for fighting, even though his spurs are long. Different breeds and the individual birds just have different lengths of spurs. If he was a Game rooster, then I'd be concerned.

And to add on to what maryjane said, they really do like table scraps. We feed ours the leftover veggies from the garden when we're done picking. They love our squash, corn, and the watermelons we buy


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Margarret said:


> He was not aggressive toward the other birds when he was in with them. Much the opposite, he ran continuously and would not defend himself when attacked.
> 
> Margaret


You're saying that he's a _real_... chicken?

Pidgey


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Margarret said:


> Thank you all for the nice words and information on his breed. He is doing fine. He eats like a piggie, which makes me very happy, and is getting settled in. He has stopped being afraid of us, although he won't allow himself to be touched yet. With time I think I can gentle him down. Did you see the size of the spurs on this guy? I'm suspicious he may have been bred for fighting, but don't have any evidence to back that up. He was not aggressive toward the other birds when he was in with them. Much the opposite, he ran continuously and would not defend himself when attacked.
> 
> Margaret



Hi Margaret, 



I think what I would do, is set up a little Bowl of 'Trader Joes' Canned Corn, some fresh 'Trader Joes' Sprouts, some chopped up ripe Pear...Apple...Tpfu...


And I would sit down close to where he is, or lay on the ground, and pretend to be eating it, making conspicuous sounds of enjoyment...while watching him out of the corner of my Eye.


Where, he will become curious about what this food is I have, and how come it is so good...and, I can then invite him to join me.


Talking with him then, and saying things like, "Oh yeahhhh...this is really good food here, and, mmmm! , Oh! Uhhh, would you like some?"


And holding the little dish out for him to try a peck or two.

'pecking' with him with your finger tip even, once he gets going on it.


He will know then that you are not going to 'compete' for food things, or muscle him out of food opportunitys, so he will so ften his reserves which had been the rule previously.


Do this every day, and in soon it will be easy to pet him a little under his Crop or offer a little 
'preen' or other, and who knows, little by little, it might lead to his being willing to be touched, patted, hugged with 'palms'on his Wings, petted or preened a little, picked-up and held a moment or two, and so on.


These guys can really "PECK" of course..!



Lol...


Have fun..!


Phil
l v


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

That breed has long spurs. My chickens love corn on the cob, water mellon, grapes and cooked pasta. Worms are a big favorite too...yum.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Great rescue, Margaret!!

I know with time and TLC, he will be a changed chicken, er, rooster! AND, quite a handsome one at that! 

I know we will all look forward to updates!!

Love, Hugs and Scritches

Shi


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## Noisy_minor (Jun 20, 2008)

*great*

im glad you saved the poor thing. we have 3 hens here named pauline hanson schapelle corby and paris hilton (because the live in what looks like a jail) but thats another story what i was going to say is once they realise you are the one that brings the food, they will do anything for you they are such interesting animals yet are treated so poorly.

and yeah i doubt he was raised for cock fighting those people dont usually find homes for animals that dont preform. and from what i know they usually place artificial larger sharper spurs on there spurs so size dosnt matter

good work


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