Are these chickens under weight?

[farmgirlroots]

I should know better than to get chickens off Craigslist. It seems my standards and others are very different as to what "healthy" means. I'm never buying off CL again!

I now have 2 Rhode Island Red pullets, 19 weeks old, that I've got quarantined away from my other ladies. All sounded good until I met up with the lady. By then I'd spent so much time with arrangements and felt I could do much better for these girls, that I just decided to pay her her overpriced fee fir them and get the hell outta there, taking them to give them a better life.

I gave them each a full-on sink bath cuz they stunk to high heaven like a pig pen or something similar. I've treated 1x so far with Sevin for what looks like poultry lice (I know, I know, I've read many of the debating threads over using it and I'm not here for a lecture - it is what I've decided to use and that's that). I'm treating for worms, which I believe they have, so hopefully their diarrhea will be eliminated along with that. But in looking at them I'm wondering if they were ever offered regular ol' chicken feed (vs just fending for themselves). They are scrawny things. Do they look under weight to you for 19 weeks old? I don't even know if one can tell by looking. They just feel so bony -but I'm used to Speckled Sussex and Orpingtons so maybe those are a heavier breed?

The one great thing is they are amazingly tame.

 

[RJSorensen]

They look thin to me, the neck shot is not as I believe a bird of that age to be. And the health problems you paid to bring home, you took a beating on this one. However looks like you have damage control in full swing and for sure they will have a much better life with you than there were getting. That is so sad to raise young birds, who should be in the prime of their health, in such a compromising situation. Very sad. I like your what's done is done style… so get them some protein and perhaps you can salvage them into productive birds. Only time and a lot of care on your part will tell.

Best to you and your new charges,

RJ

 

[farmgirlroots]

Thanks, RJ. One more question, can you confirm for me that these are pullets? If the lady is to be believed, at 19 weeks I would think that would be evident, but today I let them roam my back yard and noticed an awful lot of chest bumping, wing flapping, and squaring off/jumping forward at each other (they still are not out with my other hens - just these two that were supposedly raised together). I'm going to go out and try to get better pics.

 

[farmgirlroots]

Chicken in front:

Chicken in back:

 

[boyswillbeboys]

If they were males at 19 weeks they would have larger combs and most likely be crowing

 

[RJSorensen]

At the age stated there should be no problem telling the roosters, they look like hens. They should be laying soon, and be at the pinnacle of their health. If they were to lay, I wonder the condition of the eggs…

On the chest bumping, being out of doors seem to make one and or another try to better its place in the pecking order. I see it out side all the time, but not so much in the coop.

Best to you and these birds,

RJ

 

[donrae]

If the age is correct, they're both pullets. I have to say, though, before reading your text I scanned the pics and my first thought was "one of those is a cockerel". So I guess you'll know in a few weeks, if they grow a significant amount the age is off and you may have a male.

They may be light, but that'll straighten itself out in a few weeks, so I can't see it really matters. With all the other issues they seem to have had, I'd be surprised if they were plump.