CO laws on poultry care? Animal neglect in a public park, CO.

[centrarchid]

Shutting down the program is not my intent. improving care practices is. I've offered again and again to donate my time, fix the coop, build stations to perch, free medication, bumble foot treatment at no cost, no time on their part - just for free... so far mine or my volunteer friend's offers have been met with opposition for the chickens. Other similar offers are met positively for the beehive/the surrounding area... it's puzzling...

I do not think it is puzzling if you approached them like they are doing something wrong. Especially if like in this thread.

 

[PirateGirl]

If you feel you are not getting anywhere, perhaps it is time for a call to animal control, as previously mentioned

I have not seen the chickens, so I do not know how bad it is, but an ACO should be qualified to determine what needs to change.

 

[Acre4Me]

In addition, there may be an issue with the fact that you are not a volunteer nor are you a business that can donate a service, such as fixing the coop. They have basic legal concerns, and insurance requirements. This is why only volunteers can work with the animals etc. also if you were to injure yourself fixing the coop but not a volunteer nor a business owner donating their service (like a licensed/insured handyman service), then this is difficult territory for both parties, and thus is not allowed.

 

[ShannonR]

Dear Backyard Chicken community!
(I do realize it's a longer post, and so I thank you for hanging in there while I give a full account.)

I am writing to ask your advice on an issue of animal neglect in a public park here in Colorado. (The coop + chickens belong to the government park/museum) Please bear with me...I'll try to make my summary as concise as I can.
There is a large chicken coop in the Historic Park and Museum of Golden, Co. Twelve chickens total, mostly older birds. There is a chicken wire fence around the pen area (pen is fairly large) with a little bit of mulch on the ground and two dusting areas in the open.

My observations and reasons for calling it "animal neglect":

* No access to vegetation at all
* Coop/pen overflowing with rats (they drink/eat from the chickens' feeding troughs)
* Impacted/sour crop (giant crop clearly visible - wright after the coop is opened in the morning). I have successfully treated one of their hens with sour crop at my house that one lucky time when a kind volunteer and myself were able to take the sick chicken home. The director of the museum doesn't allow chickens to be taken from the coop no matter what the reason may be.
* Intestinal worms (I saw round worms in the poop). When I inquired, the administration said the chickens aren't being wormed.
* Bumble foot (I stay for a while at the coop when I bring them vegetables and I observe. Many hens there have the black scabs of bumblefoot.)
* Lice (also seen w/ naked eye crawling on their heads)
* Possible gout (deformation of foot in some birds)
* Respiratory illness (chicken coughing+sneezing strenuously, shaking head + scratching the face excessively, fluid coming out the nostrils, discharge from eyes, etc.) - this has been going on and off for as long as I've been feeding them - 1.5 years.
* Waterers (1-2 gal) aren't cleaned/refilled regularly and are frozen over (those that are outside in the pen area). There is a heated waterer inside the coop, which is good, but that's the one I've seen rats drink from.
* Feeder is never cleaned out, the volunteers "only add to the feeder when is it's low on pellets" (was the answer when I asked the volunteers themselves)
* Summer 2017 I saw a Polish Hat hen that was dark red/blueish in the face, falling over trying to walk and ultimately falling onto the ground unable to get up from the blasting heat of the sun. She acted like she was loosing consciousness (maybe a heart attack). Seeing that she was unable to get to the shade where other chickens were, I immediately ran to the Museum and asked them to help. They said that they'd bring a vet one of the days to check on the sick chicken. Next day - same story. I kept seeing that really struggling chicken and they told me that the vet said "everyone in the coop is healthy". This lasted about a week, with me running over to the museum, making calls, pleading with people responsible for the coop to help that poor bird. A few days later that chicken died (that's my guess, because I didn't see her in the coop/pen area anymore. I inquired at the Museum if they had euthanized her, they said "no").
* Last fall 2017 we had 2 days of crazy cold (-8F at night) in mid October. I came to feed the chickens, and saw a heavily molting hen - pretty much featherless - lying on the ground of the coop - wings sprawled out, face down, shaking violently and pretty much unconscious - dying from hypothermia. Other chickens were coming by and pecking at her, to which she didn't react at all. (I had to throw a lettuce leaf to make them stop pecking her.) Ran to the museum to ask them for help yet again - just to find that it's closed on Tuesdays. No one has responded to my phone call or called back in response to my voicemail. (The museum is closed to visitors on Tue, but the staff is usually still in the bldg working.)

(I have never seen an animal shake of cold like that hen did... and I couldn't help her because it's a government facility with a 7 ft high fenced around! :-((((....) The volunteers hardly ever check on the chickens during the day, when they do (those few times that I myself saw) - it is to take the eggs and leave right away. The volunteers might simply not know what signs to look for when a chicken is in ill, or in pain/distress - but that should not be an excuse when becoming a caretaker of animals. I tried talking to volunteers at the coop (occasionally I meet them there) about the ways to improve things, but have been ignored.

* One of their hens has a lame leg (she hardly walks... slightly jumps rather). The night I was bringing in the hen I helped heal from sour crop back into the coop (the the help of that kind volunteer), I saw the hen with the lame leg lying on the ground of the coop for the night - unprotected from those giant rats and drafts in under the floor. It was 17F that moment.

* The coop has tons of holes at the base, dug by rodents and the holes are becoming bigger and bigger. Volunteers or administration aren't doing anything to fill them in, and secure the coop from drafts.

* There is a coin dispenser machine for scratch. That scratch is pretty much all corn, and is given to the chickens all year round (by visitors/their donations). Scratch is supposed to be given to chickens only in winter/cold months, otherwise they become fat and sickly. Most chickens are pretty large at the Golden coop, as they don't move much in that pen and keep eating scratch daily.

I have talked to the lady at the museum who is in charge of the chicken coop and volunteer program probably 8 times or more... but was shut off every time. I've pleaded with her and the director of the museum for a chance to collaborate, offering my care giving and medication (dewomer) at no cost, no time on their part and no change to their day-to-day operations... The kind volunteer who has been super supportive and concerned has offered to cover the cost for vet visits/treatment numerous times...All we've gotten from them is "thank you but the chickens are fine and we do not need help at this time". The volunteer group does not have each other's contact info, so there is no open communication. There has not been any training provided on chicken keeping/care practices from the words of volunteers themselves.

Since I've started asking people - visitors of the coop - for advice and trying to raise awareness, I've found out that the coop has been a high profile place for complaints, and the administration being "political" and ignorant of the issue. I've heard that people reported the museum for animal neglect before. Somehow the situation is still not good (it's been over a year now since I've started advocating for those poor birds; more than 5 years of this negligence - from what I've heard directly from visitors).

My intent is not to cause trouble/harass anyone. I am just trying to help the birds, and the administration is very hostile to us volunteers, who see the issue of poor chicken care practices. What I've written above is a true account and not an exaggeration.

I am at a loss, and in need of advice/help on the effective approach to change the situation for those birds? Who do I contact to raise more awareness?
Referrals are welcome too, if you know anyone in CO or elsewhere who could help.
Thank you SO MUCH for reading my post!
Perhaps someone knows a link to Colorado poultry keeping law... (I found very little so far) Referrals are welcome too.

Thank you SO MUCH for reading my post and I hope to hear from you guys soon.

This sort of sounds like a losing battle on your end. Question: If you are not able to actually remove the chickens from the coop and/or handle them, how is it you are diagnosing all these ailments in the birds? Further, on what basis are you qualified to diagnose these chickens?

I understand your concern really. But judging by your long post, I think your concern is kind of misplaced. There is quite a lot of speculation and many assumptions in your post. You will not win a battle with the government... so choose your battles carefully.

Edited: I see you are also feeding these chickens-- do you have permission from staff to do so? And how do you know for sure your feeding isn't causing or perpetuating any of the problems you think exist in this situation (rats, ect.)

You can't force others to keep chickens the way YOU want them to....

 

[centrarchid]

How does the park's poultry care regimen compare to what was done during the interval they are trying to recreate? What needs to be done to ensure the birds being in good health when using the old technology? Complete feeds were not yet available at the time so how can the park make available complete nutrition without using complete feeds? Then have complete feeds as a fall back. I can make for balanced nutrition without feeds, but it cost more in terms of materials, labor and may require more free-range time than practical with the park's current resources.

 

[HensSweetHens]

In addition, there may be an issue with the fact that you are not a volunteer nor are you a business that can donate a service, such as fixing the coop. They have basic legal concerns, and insurance requirements. This is why only volunteers can work with the animals etc. also if you were to injure yourself fixing the coop but not a volunteer nor a business owner donating their service (like a licensed/insured handyman service), then this is difficult territory for both parties, and thus is not allowed.

That's exactly what I feel like I'm up against. I understand that for them I am a nobody, and may become a liability. Then what is a way to go about this situation?

 

[ShannonR]

That's exactly what I feel like I'm up against. I understand that for them I am a nobody, and may become a liability. Then what is a way to go about this situation?

To walk away from the situation altogether before it makes you crazy. Go volunteer at an Animal shelter, or do something else to better the lives of animals.

If you insist, you could begin a petition to try to gather signatures from folks who May also be concerned about the chickens welfare, but to be totally honest I think you would be met with limited support with this one.

 

[lcwmt]

That's exactly what I feel like I'm up against. I understand that for them I am a nobody, and may become a liability. Then what is a way to go about this situation?

As I understand it, from the website, this is essentially a Living History Museum/Park.
Such places have mission statements (should be publicly available) and they also have guidelines under which they present their "experiences" for the public.

So: are the animals housed and cared for as they would have been in the era the museum is seeking to replicate? ***If so, that's where to start.

Generally speaking, change is best approached when one works WITH an institution's principles.

I understand your set of concerns about the welfare of the chickens, but do not know enough about what is happening within the Museum/Park's structures to advise you.

It does bear noting that many chicken keepers today regard their chickens in the same framework as their canine/feline companion animals rather than as livestock or farm resources.
It is doubtful that the Museum sees the chickens as pets.

apologies for this being a disjointed reply.

 

[HensSweetHens]

This sort of sounds like a losing battle on your end. Question: If you are not able to actually remove the chickens from the coop and/or handle them, how is it you are diagnosing all these ailments in the birds? Further, on what basis are you qualified to diagnose these chickens?

I understand your concern really. But judging by your long post, I think your concern is kind of misplaced. There is quite a lot of speculation and many assumptions in your post. You will not win a battle with the government... so choose your battles carefully.

Edited: I see you are also feeding these chickens-- do you have permission from staff to do so? And how do you know for sure your feeding isn't causing or perpetuating any of the problems you think exist in this situation (rats, ect.)

You can't force others to keep chickens the way YOU want them to....

I was able to help treat the sour crop of a hen from that coop, because my volunteer friend asked the director if she could take the hen and treat her. He approved - and later got very upset because he said he'd made a mistake and chickens aren't to be taken out of the park. I also tried to treat her two scabs of bumble foot - for ten days (one scab was healing very fast after I soaked it in epsom salt water and peeled away the dead stuff).

I am at the coop quite often and have been observing for a yeah and a half. I am not a veterinarian, but have had my own flock for 7 years and treated sour crop, bumble foot, prolapsed vent, respiratory infection, scaly mites, etc. successfully. And some things are seen from a visual examination - especially when you sit close to the chickens for a while and can reach out and touch them through the fence wooden slots.

Can you elaborate on "I think your concern is kind of misplaced." please? I am willing to be corrected, and keep an open mind about all this.

Oh, and yes, there is a sign on the pen - a list of what to give to the chickens and I've been thanked a few times by the volunteers and the admin lady herself for feeding them.
Scratch is thrown all day long by visitors into the pen area, so the vegetables I throw over to them would I guess be equally considered a lure for rats. My perspective is "the more vitamins they eat, the more resistant they are to disease/illness". As I mentioned, it's a good thing that they're trying out avenues to eliminate rats, we'll see if they'll remove the scratch dispenser box too, otherwise it's not going to make difference.

 

[centrarchid]

It is a public institution, therefore they must have some sort of Animal Care and Use Committee with a form filled out detailing care regimen. That would serve as a starting point to work from. It may be that protocols are not followed, or that they need to be improved upon. Approach needs to be carried out so you do not come across as a liability looking for a fight.