Clipped tails??

[rayk47]

I bought some chickens from Craigslist today so my older chicken wouldn’t get lonely after her companion passed. They were 5 dollars each and from a very sketchy location, which I found weird. I brought them home and noticed they were very thin and had clipped tails. I’ve heard clipped tails are not good for chickens, and am wondering if there is any way to help grow them back or if there is anything I should know about them? I wanna give these little guys a better home than they came from

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Can you post pictures of the chicken’s feet? Are the toenails even present? What are you feeding your new chickens? A good 16% layer feed or 20% all flock feed with crushed oyster shell and grit in separate containers for free choice would be good. Scrambled eggs or bits of tuna are good high protein treats to help them gain weight.

 

[CHlCKEN]

If they were cheap and from a ‘sketchy place’ please remember to quarantine them, as they could be carriers of disease that may spread to your original hen

 

[rayk47]

If they were cheap and from a ‘sketchy place’ please remember to quarantine them, as they could be carriers of disease that may spread to your original hen

how long for?

 

[CHlCKEN]

how long for?

About 6 weeks.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Theyl l grow back when they molt, they might have been trying keep them from flying

 

[rayk47]

Theyl l grow back when they molt, they might have been trying keep them from flying

good to know!! I have no idea why they’d clip the tail, considering the wings seem normal

 

[MissMonty]

Clipping the tail seems completely odd to me, they don't use it to fly but rather to slow down and balance more but hey. I would quarantine at least 30 days completely away from your current bird. Longer is better. Give them a good diet and they'll gain weight

Well unless something is wrong, if they aren't gaining weight I'd be worried about a disease

 

[NatJ]

Can you post pictures of the chicken’s feet? Are the toenails even present?

??? The tail is at the back end of the bird, not on the feet.

I have no idea why they’d clip the tail, considering the wings seem normal

I have clipped a chicken's tail a few times, usually because I wanted to be able to tell it apart from another one that looked just like it. It didn't seem to bother the chicken. A clipped tail can be seen from across the yard, while most other ways of marking a chicken require me to get closer to see which one it is.

The clipped feathers stay that way until the next time the chicken molts. Then they fall out, and new unclipped ones grow in.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I bought some chickens from Craigslist today so my older chicken wouldn’t get lonely after her companion passed. They were 5 dollars each and from a very sketchy location, which I found weird. I brought them home and noticed they were very thin and had clipped tails. I’ve heard clipped tails are not good for chickens, and am wondering if there is any way to help grow them back or if there is anything I should know about them? I wanna give these little guys a better home than they came from

Hi there and welcome to BYC!

I've never seen a chicken with a clipped tail. Though I have trimmed bumm feathers that were mucky.

But feathers can break and might not grow back until molt. It could even be molting time, perhaps.

They could also be having parasite issues.

How many chickens did you get? Are you able to post photos using that little button that looks like a mountain and sun in the edit bar? Do you have any ideal how old the birds are?

Do the eyes look clear or have bubbles? How does the breathing sound? What color is the skin under their tail area on their belly? Have you seen their droppings yet? Do you low the gender of the chickens? What are you planning to feed them? Are you located in the US?

Adding your general location to your profile can help folks make their best suggestion possible at a glance.. as it can give clues to the type of resources which may or may not be available to you.

Hope they start to improve quickly, and I don't see why they wouldn't under your new found care!