Dumping Chickens on Our Property - What to do?

[MaggieRae]

I still think that you have an awesome problem. But if the birds have injuries, it loses a bit of it's flare.

I wonder how they got injured...

 

[splashie]

I'm sure everyone within 50 miles knows where here and love animals. Were always outside working with the chickens, ducks, geese. And then we have a baby pygmy goat living in the house with us along with 3 dogs and 3 cats... lol... a regular crazy house (smile).

The one hen has a real bad neck injury, we were able to sneak up on it and take a look, it looks like her spine is showing. I can't believe that she is still walking around like that.

I just don't feel very good about people who would do such a thing to an animal. They don't even think that they could destroy our whole flock if they introduced a disease.

We will try and catch them tomorrow and into a box they go..

I'm not ever sure at which point on our property that they are dumping the birds. Or I would set up a motion camera to catch them.

 

[Judy]

Unlikely that people who would do this ever thought about disease. They probably figure they are leaving them with a good home.

Afraid I'd put them in the freezer. Quarantine is better than no quarantine, but no guarantee at all that you aren't introducing CRD or something similar.

 

[splashie]

That's my fear, were going to keep them on our front porch away from any other chickens. Until I can find them a home.

 

[MaggieRae]

I wonder if a dog or something got that poor bird when they first dumped it on your property....

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

That's got to be illegal to dump animals. I wonder if there is a way to catch it on tape with a motion sensing camera or webcam or something that you don't have to personally monitor.

 

[MoodyChicken]

If you decide to keep them, please remember the possibility of carrier diseases. Carrier birds may look healthy and remain healthy even after weeks of quarantine, but as soon as you introduce them into your flock YOUR birds get sick. Addopting feral or dumped birds is a major risk for your flock unless you can test them for every disease (lotta money...) or if you're willing to sacrafice a bird as a guinea pig (quarantine for two weeks then introduce one of your birds and wait three weeks, wait and see if it gets sick or if it doesn't get sick). Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[splashie]

The bird was injured before someone dumped it on our property. It's a nasty wound. Black dead skin all around the injury. So the wound is older than 24 hours old.

We are lucky here, we don't have any dogs wondering around the area. We do have an occasional coyote, but they always just moved on, we have too many precautions against predators for them to show too much interest in our birds.

Were going to catch them today and take a close up view of the one with the injury, if it's really bad, were going to cull the one. Otherwise they go into a box on the porch away from our other birds.

 

[kingmt]

Quote:
You are braver then me. I would put them down then burn them. If someone is dumping them then that would make me very nerves about the birds. Why would they not asking you to take them. It would be scarier then someone sewlling there whole flock for a few dollars. There is red flags here everywhere. Put those birds down for your own safety.

 

[clowngrl]

I dont know how good animal control is in your area but you can call them and they should come pick them up.
In our area the shelter will put them up for adoption and if they dont get adopted they have a farm that will take some of them. If not they put them to sleep like the cats and dogs.