Bad chickens

[Meny73]

i was given 15 chickens, they are one years old. I don’t know for sure what was the situation, but they told me that the city told the owners to removed them. When I pick them up the run way place was bad, no place for the food, I don’t know what they were eating or drinking. The first couple of days they didn’t eat the 20% layer mech, they eat their own eggs and they pick at each other and if they get a feather they will eat it. They pick at each other in places where I can’t cover, the neck, the wings. , I feed them vegetables from my garden, put mustard in places where they had no feather and I put golf balls and cover the best so they don’t see eggs as much. They almost look like savages , is like they aren’t used to see humans around, they run away. They are Ameraucana or Easter Eggers and Rhode Island . They aren’t used to to be touched . They scream when I hold them and they try to Fly away. Winter is coming and is getting cold, so I don’t know if they will keep eating the eggs or they aren’t just laying.
What can I do?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They probably aren't currently laying. They definitely need a higher protein ration and protein snacks. Go easy on the vegetables for now. Have you given them more room? In general chickens don't like being grabbed or held. Let them come to you. They will slowly get used to you. Hopefully you can straighten them around. Sometimes feather picking and egg eating are hard habits to break.

 

[OldEnglishGameBantam33]

no chickens are bad. If you have time to sit on a stool or milk stand and stay there and monitor their behavior.

 

[Meny73]

no chickens are bad. If you have time to sit on a stool or milk stand and stay there and monitor their behavior.

Yes, I do monitor their behavior , I had chickens for 4 years and they were never like this and I do monitor their behavior that’s why I know how they are. I got them this past Monday. But I’ll try my best

 

[Meny73]

I think they are laying the first day I got 7 plus the ones that they eat for what I think they were 3, but could be more.
Thank you

 

[chickens really]

Stress of moving them will cause them to stop laying. Definitely feather pecking is a terrible habit that sometimes can't be broken. Lots of room is needed and collecting eggs early.