Dropped off chickens

[marriedwithhorribleinlaws]

Some mean person dropped off 3 chickens about 1 week ago. I know 2 are roosters but not sure what the 3rd one is. Hen or rooster? I'm thinking it is a hen? It doesn't have the big comb but a small comb close to its head. The other 2 crow but the 1 I think is a hen does not crow but does make a noise when the other 2 crow. No I do not know much about chickens (know about cows) And 1 of the roosters pick on the chicken I think is a hen. Does it sound like I have 2 roosters or 3? We are working hard & fast to try to set up a shelter for them. It was totally unexpected, and the weather is getting bad.

 

[janiedoe]

Welcome to BYC! Unusual username you have..I hope they aren't that bad!
Can you post some pictures of your drop offs? A close up of the combs, one from above showing tail feathers and neck feathers, and a full body side shot of each will help.

 

[janiedoe]

Btw, it's great of you to take them in. Roosters can be great fun to have around. Some of them make very good pets.

 

[SilverBirds]

Do you have any pictures of the birds?

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

It almost sounds like the third one might be an Easter Egger, but pictures would be very helpful. Click the picture thing on the top of your reply. It'll show "Drop image". Click that and click the picture you want to post. (You'll need to take the picture before doing this; this website doesn't have the option to take the picture through there.) Once the picture is clicked, click done in the top right corner and wait for it to upload. Once uploaded, you click post. (This is directions for a phone or tablet, a laptop can be slightly different.)

If you need help on shelter, there's hundreds of coop articles here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/chicken-coops.12/ (Yes, some of them are a bit fancy. You don't need fancy, just something predator proof and not drafty. )

If you have any questions on feeding, feel free to ask! We're all here ready to help! (Chickens should always have food and water available to them.)

 

[marriedwithhorribleinlaws]

But someone dropped off 3 chickens out in the country. Houses far & few. The chickens came to our property. Started asking all neighbors that had chickens, did you lose any? All replied "NO" went as far as 5 miles to ask, all replied "No" next step called Animal Control. they said they would call the next day to come out & get them. Animal Control called; I asked what are you going to do with these chickens? They replied, put them down in 2 days. I didn't want that. So, they became ours. Now we have no shelter for them, weather going to get bad out fast, it's November. Bought a chicken coop, $$$, feed, $$, the feeder, $$, bedding, $$, these dropped off chickens costing us a lot of money for something we did not plan on. Never plan on ever getting chickens. We were lucky, the farm store where I bought the coop, gave me a "BIG" discount on the coop, our neighbor said he would let us have his really good shape huge dog run for the chicks, we got to take it down, put it back up. But these chicks were not plan. And there are some really mean people out there. And some good people too. I will have lots of questions for you later. Try to get some pictures too so I know what they. Think 1 might be a hen, not sure but the other 2 are roosters, that I do know. I'm a dairy farmer, know nothing about chicken. Don't even know how old these chicks are? But they are fully grown.

 

[3KillerBs]

You're very kind to take these dumped chickens in.

Where, in general, are you? Climate matters, especially when it comes to housing.

Here's some basic information for you:

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:

• 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
• 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
• 1 linear foot of roost (.3 meters),
• 1/4 of a nest box,
• And 1 square foot (.09 square meters) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

 

[JedJackson]

You saved their lives. Good job!

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. If bird 3 is a hen/pullet, it will be necessary to separate her from the roosters to keep her from being injured.