A Visiting Chicken in my yard. Please help me!

[D10chickenmom]

If that is the actual bird I would say you may have a true aracana(kind of rare) looks "rumpless" to me. I too am no expert but it might be a rooster. Wow that is a beautiful animal. Maybe it wont crow....<praying hands> "please be a girl...."

 

[old fashioned]

Looks like you have yourself a very beautiful hen. She doesn't look like some "stray" but more like she may have wandered too far from home. You may want to check with your neighbors, or even run a lost/found ad in local area before keeping her. I know if she was my chicken, I'd be worried. In the meantime, (or better yet-if nobody claims her) you may need to set up some type of shelter with a roost and nest area. Chickens will eat just about anything, but need certain amounts of nutrients. She looks like a full grown (or near so) hen, and would need layer crumble or pellet feed, some grain including a bit of corn, grit, calcium (oyster shell) etc. The scrambled or even boiled egg does seem "wrong" but they don't really know what it is and do benefit from the extra protein. Then of course to be on the safe side, you'll need to get a dust powder for mites/lice, wormer, vitamins because you want her to be healthy. And then get her atleast one other hen for companionship. But don't get a rooster unless you have atleast 3 or more hens. He is a verile male and needs plenty of attention, so be sure to have choice or he'll wear one or two out. And of course, be sure to provide plenty of fresh water that you can put a little Apple Cider Vinegar in-for medicinal purposes. And if you're lucky you might get some eggs that don't look or taste like anything you get in the store. Much better of course because you know where the eggs came from, that you helped produce (by the care and feed provided) and is so fresh that you're neighbors will be jealous.
As you can see, this is how the obsession begins.....
welcome to the BYC world-we've all been there

and it's not cheap! (cheep?)

 

[D10chickenmom]

Quote:
Hi, neighbor!! and WELCOME!!
I was hoping I was wrong so that you would keep her and have fresh omlets for breakfast (and yummy egg salad sandwichs for lunch) and get more girls and become one of us and be our new friend!
And s/he is actually beautiful. (If it's a boy, maybe I could bring one or two of my girls over there to, uh, say hi! lol
Hmmm, he and Pebbles would make a handsome couple....we'd have to call him BamBam lol)

Best zombie voice...."yes...become...one ...of....us...."

 

[greenpalm]

Okay, well, maybe I ought to get to bed, just in case it IS a boy. I'll be sure to drop back in and report back to y'all (possibly bright and early, eh?), and who knows, I'm pretty fond of him/her, even if it turns out to be a he, I may decide having chickens is pretty fun. We are completely petless at the moment, having just lost my 16 year old kitty last month. Chickens might be cool, and we love eggs. Eggs and pizza are the only two foods all 3 of my children will eat!

Thanks again.

 

[BorderKelpie]

Awww, sorry about your cat. But I do think it's time to consider a new (few) pets.

EE's are awsome chickens, too. I have two now that are laying green eggs. Yumm!

 

[erinm]

looks like a roo to me. I see hackles and sickles. beautiful too. ErinM

 

[greenpalm]

Okie Dokie! thought I'd get back and give an update. Our visitor is still with us. S/he has not crowed at all…is it safe to assume it is a she? Or is it too soon to tell? I know that roosters don't necessarily crow only in the morning, but s/he's been here close to 24 hours now and no crowing.

I offered her grapes, tomatoes, and carrots, along with the Walker's Scottish Oat Cakes. She ate most of the grapes, a few tomatoes, all of the oatcakes and ignored the carrots. I needed to go to Walmart today anyway so I looked there for chicken feed and didn't find any. I'll need to find some place more "feed store" like, I suppose. I did get a small box of nuts, seeds and fruit treats made for parakeets or the like, my son and I scattered some of that around. She got pretty excited when were throwing out the handfuls, like she recognized that as food.

Nothing else new to report. No one has come looking for her.

Should I try to arrange warmer sleeping quarters for her tonight? How should I do that? I thought maybe I'd just sort of wind up the blanket I have onto the brick pile nest-style, so at least she could snuggle down into it. It's getting down into the 40s at night. I'd appreciate any other quick solutions I can offer her. Last night, as the sun started going down she seemed to get kind of weird, she beat her wings against the window.

Okay, thanks again,
Julie

 

[easttxchick]

If you have an old dog crate or something like that put some hay or pine shavings in it(if you have any). If not, some pine needles(you're in Texas-you HAVE to have pine needles).

Doesn't necessarily mean it's a hen because it hasn't crowed yet(looks like a hen to me, but kinda hard to tell). Beautiful whatever it is.

Sure hope you decide to keep the bird(and then you'll get one more so it will have a friend, and then another...).

If you have any vegetables try those(no dried beans, though) or maybe some fruit.

Good luck and watch out for those darn predators!

 

[sonew123]

That would be a roo! Mine looks just like it!!

 

[elmo]

You really don't need to worry about cold with a standard sized chicken, particularly with the weather we get here in North Texas (I'm in Dallas). A chicken does need to have a place to get out of the rain, though, and a place where it can sleep safe from predators (racoons, etc.). If you decide to keep this bird, you'll have to figure out what sort of coop to use or construct. Check out the coop page here on this forum, you'll get lots of ideas.

As far as food and other kinds of supplies, check out this place:

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?h...hnear=mckinney+texas&cid=17341655778718047332

I bet they have everything you need. In the meantime, plain old wild bird seed will do fine, as well any table scraps you have left over (just nothing salty). Here's a good guide:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart