'Pale' as feather colors, or something else? Pale comb and wattles sometimes can be anemia, from mites or lice. Look at your birds while roosting at night, with a small flashlight. Skin around vents, under wings, and upper back.
Treat everyone if you find any.
Otherwise, normal as mentioned...
Picking the right cockerels to keep is always a challenge, and a guessing game.
I'd eliminate the bird who's too rough, once you are sure that's what's going on. And 'wry tail' generally means a pelvis and/ or spine that's crooked, so not a blemish, rather a bad individual to breed on.
You...
An important part of moving or visiting a new environment is learning ahead of time what's out there!
Long ago we moved to Okinawa for a couple of years, DH was in the army. Before getting there we read up about it's history, climate, dangers (many!) and how to swim/ snorkle safely...
I have a bantam EE sitting on bantam EE eggs right now, hoping for some nice chicks, next week or a little later. I didn't decide to let this happen earlier in the year, so here we are...
Toads: slow moving for a reason, their skin exudes nasty tasting stuff, most animals only try one once...
We have very very few tree frogs and toads, a huge change from two years ago. And this year, very few insects of any sort, necessary food for the frogs, toads, and bats, also missing. And the normal swarms of mosquitoes also totally missing. We don't miss the mosquitoes or deer flies, but...
Good work for that tree frog! There are so few here now, it's really sad.
Our three unplanned cockerels are now about 17 weeks old, and one of the two Australorps needs to leave. he's so far not at all human aggressive or nasty to flockmates, but all three can't stay, and he's got to go.
Mary
Very nice ride! And now you know how she feels about 'I'm done' and that gate. You saved what could have been an interesting gate jumping/ plowing into it situation.
Good for you!
Mary
Feed store chicks!
My ten 'pullets' included three cockerels this year, and two breeds not mentioned on the bin. About right for feed store chicks in my experience. All are healthy at least, and one or two of the cockerels need to leave soon.
Mary
Back to your actual question: I don't think your birds will get sick from eating rat poo, but I also don't know what diseases the rats might carry where you live.
Mary
Ugh rats!
Hope you are wearing gloves and a N95 face mask, at least, cleaning this stuff up. Must eliminate those rats soon as possible! And make those runs safer.
We had three nice pullets killed and eggs eaten the one time rats invaded our coop. Fixed their entry points, tried and failed...
Cackle recommended using a heat lamp at first for their shipped chicks, and then the brooder plate. For feed store chicks that are in good shape, the brooder plate is fine immediately, IMO.
Mary
So true!
Garlic and apple cider vinegar are both wonderful, in our kitchen for us. The birds don't need either, just use them for your own cooking.
Mary