# Dumped Chickens



## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

Hello

Just yesterday I went to my feed store to pay my account , while waiting for my turn to be served I noticed chickens stuffed into a small canary cage ...I went right up to the cage and counted 3 chickens . I was then served and I made the point about the chooks in the cage thinking perhaps they had just been sold and that was their transportation . The owner of the store then informed me they were dumped out the front and found when he opened in the morning .......it was now 2.30 pm in the afternooon and these 3 large chooks are stuffed in a small cage and they can't move . When I asked what was going to become of them he said he wasn't quite sure as he could not mix them with his others that were for sale as he didn't know if they would lay eggs ect ......he turned and looked at me and said jokingly did I want them ......no charge ...just take them !!!

Soooooo.........OMG .......I now have 3 chickens - hehehehe  It seems I rescue more than just pigeons  .....I am so surprised , they are the friendliest , biggest chooks I've encountered ......Not scared of me one little bit , instead when I enter their temporary enclosure they come right up to me to see what i might have .

Anyway ........They all look healthy , but 1 bird has loose droppings and a messy vent area , can anyone enlighten me how I can fix that or what it is caused from ???

I have them on layer pellets , it's been a long while since I've had a chook ......are there any scraps from the kitchen that * I shouldn't give them to eat *

Can I treat them with pigeon medications , wormers for example ?
and can I use ACV in their water or is that not a good idea ?

I'd be grateful for any info 

Many thanks ,


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Poor things..I'm so glad you came along.
Chickens need lots of leafy greens, in addition to the layer pellets. You should not give them avocado or sweet things to eat.
They love melons, corn on the cob, bits of cheese, fish and meat scraps [make sure there are no bones] eggs,oatmeal,berries, apples,etc.
They will need oyster shell in addition to the pellets.
I would just watch them for a few days...get to know them.
You can use pigeon medications although the dose is different.
Here's a link to a chicken forum. My caution to you is this, evaluate everything you read as with any forum, you will find some very good advise and some very poor advise as well.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Darren, bless your kind heart, I am sure these chickens are grateful for you rescuing them.

Never kept chickens, but they are more prone to worms and cocci, by the nature of how they feed if they are free range. De-worming can be done with the same meds as for pigeons, Ivermectin would be a good choice. I would clean up the soiled bird and see if the soiling was a matter of some issue or the confined circumstances.

Although not a member at the links below, I have read a number of the threads there, mostly in the sick birds sections, they seem like a pretty good bunch at both places, a few people with some real in depth knowledge, they certainly will be able to help you, especially if you tell them the circumstances of you getting these lucky guys.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/forums/index.php
http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/index.php

Good luck,

Karyn


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Actually...they are prone to many things if they free range. I have 6 hens and I worm them a couple of times a year. I use Mocectin Plus[ Australin Pigeon Co.] because it kills more than just round worms. Just a tip...chickens do not like medicated water and so weighing each hen and giving an individual dose is best and will also make the mediication last longer.
As with pigeons, chickens need to be protected from predators and rodents.
I hope you enjoy the hens. Chickens are wonderful companions and I adore mine. Collectively, I call them the ...Lady Bugs. Each hen does have a name, know her own name and will come to me when I call her.


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## keeta (Nov 23, 2010)

I am glad it was you and not me who found them ... just don't know where I would have put them lol ... lucky chickens 
Lyn


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## Ross Howard (Nov 26, 2009)

keeta said:


> I am glad it was you and not me who found them ... just don't know where I would have put them lol ... lucky chickens
> Lyn


Just be ready if you go over to the chicken forums they are very practical over there & don't mind putting them in the oven.


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## keeta (Nov 23, 2010)

Ross Howard said:


> Just be ready if you go over to the chicken forums they are very practical over there & don't mind putting them in the oven.


Oh Nooooo Wont be visiting there lol


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

Hi all 

Firstly , thank you all so much for the info and kind words . The chooks are doing fantastic and have settled in very well and you would have thought they had lived here for years , unfortunately the same can't be said for my pigeons , they aren't quite sure of what to make of them and I have been provided with loads of laughter watching what goes on between them .

The hen with the messy vent , her droppings have improved somewhat but I plan to catch her and clean her up ....I'm hoping some warm soapy water might do the trick .
If they aren't keen with having stuff put in their water I might try and see if I can get a wormer in tablet form and worm them individually down the throat and that way I know that issue will be sorted with .

No eggs yet .......I know they have an " off season " so I need to investigate when that is for Australia , it will be spring next month so I suspect it can't be too far off .

I have to say .........I love having the chooks and I have no regrets bringing them home , since there were only 3 it wasn't a problem naming them 

1 ) Vanessa Redgrave

2) Ginger Rogers

3 ) Helen Reddy 



Thanks again


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

Charis said:


> Actually...they are prone to many things if they free range. I have 6 hens and I worm them a couple of times a year. I use Mocectin Plus[ Australin Pigeon Co.] because it kills more than just round worms. Just a tip...chickens do not like medicated water and so weighing each hen and giving an individual dose is best and will also make the mediication last longer.
> As with pigeons, chickens need to be protected from predators and rodents.
> I hope you enjoy the hens. Chickens are wonderful companions and I adore mine. Collectively, I call them the ...Lady Bugs. Each hen does have a name, know her own name and will come to me when I call her.


Howdy Charis , your info was very helpful ......thank you !

When you individually worm your chooks ......how much do you give as I have Moxidectin Plus on hand and I have no idea how I am going to weigh them , but I would be happy to use whatever dose you use ?
The only concern I have about using it is there is a caution about using it on birds that produce meat or eggs for human consumption , but seeing they aren't laying at the moment it isn't a real concern for me .

They have also taken a liking to my pigeon mix.......in small amounts do you see that as being a problem if I continued to give them a handful each day ?

ermmmm.........they also liked the rosted peanuts in the shell i was eating and I shared a few with them , any problems there ?

They have freedom most of the day wandering the yard and Karyn has mentioned coccidiosis has this been an issue for you ?


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

Dobato said:


> Darren, bless your kind heart, I am sure these chickens are grateful for you rescuing them.
> 
> Never kept chickens, but they are more prone to worms and cocci, by the nature of how they feed if they are free range. De-worming can be done with the same meds as for pigeons, Ivermectin would be a good choice. I would clean up the soiled bird and see if the soiling was a matter of some issue or the confined circumstances.
> 
> ...


Heya Karyn

Thanks for the info ......I remember in a previous thread you mentioned triple sulfa ....I just bought a stack of medications and I bought Sulfa - AVS .....is that the same ?? , after reading your response I hit the medication book and the good thing is that it will treat coccidiosis should I encounter it , but I was just wondering if it was the same as triple sulfa .


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Actually, the Sulfa-AVS would be a better version of a Sulfonamide med, than Triple-Sulfa, because it is actually Trimethoprim-Sulfa, a very good broad spectrum antibiotic to have on hand, as it's very effective against a broad range of infection. Dosing would be 50mg/kg q12h.

Karyn


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

Dobato said:


> Actually, the Sulfa-AVS would be a better version of a Sulfonamide med, than Triple-Sulfa, because it is actually Trimethoprim-Sulfa, a very good broad spectrum antibiotic to have on hand, as it's very effective against a broad range of infection. Dosing would be 50mg/kg q12h.
> 
> Karyn


Well I am glad about that and thats good to know .......I have read the AVS also strips the bowel of some important bacteria , so to combat that I purchased a product called PROBAC soluble which is supposed to flood the bowel with the bacteria the AVS robs the birds of afer being administered .

Hope you are well


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

Hey all ........I've had a terrible last couple weeks , had my car stolen , had a cat I took in die , one of my chooks got sick and to top it off just recovered from a bout of food poisoning , but I wanted to share with you that the sick chook for now seems well again and they all seem to be doing well and they are laying eggs ......I got 2 today .....I've had 10 in total so far and they are huge ......the first one weighed 850 grams


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

sorry about your troubles.. glad the chooks are well.. the names you picked out are just terrific!...


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## zoolisa (Aug 31, 2011)

whytwings said:


> Hey all ........I've had a terrible last couple weeks , had my car stolen , had a cat I took in die , one of my chooks got sick and to top it off just recovered from a bout of food poisoning , but I wanted to share with you that the sick chook for now seems well again and they all seem to be doing well and they are laying eggs ......I got 2 today .....I've had 10 in total so far and they are huge ......the first one weighed 850 grams


Gosh 850g- you're sure they aren't Emus?!


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

zoolisa said:


> Gosh 850g- you're sure they aren't Emus?!


awwwwwww.......I just adore emus , they are so very very cute , but going by the size of the egg it was probably worth pondering if one did lay the egg 

It was a Whopper !!


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> sorry about your troubles.. glad the chooks are well.. the names you picked out are just terrific!...


Thank you spirit wings


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