"Chicken Algebra" or "The Tale of the Free Chickens"

[LoriC]

X + Y = Z

X = Some gal who posted on Craigslist saying she had 6 chickens to give away. "Laying hens, would make a great free range flock"

Y = Me, figuring I only got 3 chicks out of my clutch, and I'm pretty sure two of them are roosters, so "Y" not get six hens! For free even!

Z = Six of the raggediest hens I've ever seen. Dropped off in the back of my truck in two boxes at the feed store where I agreed (all via text message) to meet X.

So I never actually met X. I thought she would let me know when she arrived at the feed store, so I went in to purchase a few things. Next thing I know I get a text message that they are in the back of my truck. Enjoy!

I got home with the chickens, put my three juveniles in the coop, and took the boxes into the run and opened them. Out fly six bedgraggled looking chickens. Missing feathers, some with bare spots. I'm worried they might be diseased, so I text the gal and say that the hens are looking pretty beat up, ask her if they were part of a larger flock. No response. I texted her again and said I really needed to know what was going on because I don't want my chickens to get sick. She texts me back that they were getting beat up by the older hens, that they are molting, and that I should not look a gift horse in the mouth. I gave her a piece of my mind, and she replied by telling me not to text her again, which I didn't. I was too busy building an emergency coop! My first coop took me about 4 weeks to complete. This one took me about 4 hours. I converted what was supposed to be a shelter for my yet-to-be-aquired goat. Still have some work to do, but they have shade, shelter and a secure place to roost.

So the girls (AKA Motley Crew) are now in their own coop. I haven't had a chance to give them a good once over yet. It was all I could do to get them rounded up and moved into their own coop. They seem to be settling in ok, although they are fighting over space on a 12' roost! And there is one that looks like she was definitely on the bottom of the pecking order, and still seems to be. Not sure if I should separate her for a while to let her recover?

 

[CGinJCMO]

I agree with you about not texting the owner again, but she doesn't seem to under stand that her "Gift Horse" could end up being a "Trojan Horse" with disease hiding in them. Hopefully, she's not pulling a fast one on you and that they really are just hen pecked and everything will end up fine. Some people!

Good Luck.

CG

 

[fishnet1971]

oh wow. that STINKS!!!!!!!!!!!! some people just tick me off to no end. These are the ones that DO NOT DESERVE to have animals. These girls are very lucky to have ended up in your care though I bet. Sounds like you are going to do the right thing for them. I hope that they are free of disease and that they tame down for you nicely. If they are in that bad of shape, they really are lucky to have 'found' you. Keep us posted please?????

And cross my fingers for your new girls.

 

[LoriC]

The ladies are doing good. They are getting their feathers back, and don't look so ratty. It doesn't appear they had mites or anything, they just had the heck pecked out of them. They have also started to lay. What a noisy bunch they are when one of the girls is settling in to lay an egg! I built them a nesting box out of a cabinet and a towel bar that I picked up at the ReStore for less than $20.00, and they've laid one egg in it, but some of them seem to prefer to lay *under* the nesting box instead of in it!

 

[b.hromada]

That's a real nice job!!! Good for them, knowing to lay their eggs there. Bless you for taking them in, they really needed you! Great to hear they are getting their feathers back and such! Hopefully, all will work out in the end.

 

[pichuris]

Bless your heart for taking care in their time of need.

 

[christineavatar]

Do you think you will be able to integrate them with the other chickens you have?