Found a chicken - I think I want to keep it!

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Can you see the mites or lice? I keep looking at the bare areas of her skin and haven't seen anything running around.

VERY HAPPY to hear that they are specific to birds. I did see some spray at the feed store.

My main concern with her is her lack of walking
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I'm sorry, I just can't venture a guess as to why she is not walking. You might try posting that specific question in the Emergencies/Diseases section and get more responses specific to that question.

There are different kinds of lice. They are tiny and you are more likely to see the egg clusters attached to the base of the feather next to the skin. Try parting the feathers up around her neck and different part of her body where there are feathers still and see what you might find. I've never actually seen a mite in person. They are very tiny. Some people recommend looking for them at night when they are more likely to be active. With mites, also, you might find some scabbing on the bare skin...at the least it would look irritated.

Did you already post what it is you are feeding him/her? I can go back and look...
 
HI and Welcome!! I think a shepherd with a doggie door is a good coon deterent! I leave my girls in a fenced yard all day with and without my labs. If I think I will be home late I always leave a dog out! Yes I know there is risk, but they are happy and have sheltered areas! I would feed her some eggs. Scramble them up, the protein can't hurt! I would also post under emergencies and disease with a HELP in the title!! Chickens are so funny, you will enjoy her/him! Legs say roo, but face doesnt scream it. Maybe she is just real skinny, so they look big. Good Luck!!
 
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I thought the same thing! How sad
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On the weekends I let her out in the yard but she doesn't really run around.


I never thought that she... might be a he. She seems too gentle to be a rooster from what I've read.
 
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I never said anything about buying anything? In fact in my first post I wrote that the coop can be put off if you could just put the crate somewhere secure at night. I don't see how asking why you weren't addressing how you were gonna keep her safe in the meantime is off-putting?
Were just trying to share that raccoons are nasty an if they find her they will have a free meal and she will have no way to escape. She is not safe being in a cage on a patio, but that cage could easily be set in a bathtub or by the backdoor at night where you could easily put her back out in the morning.

I am the last person to criticize anyone for not spending stupid amounts of money. I never intended for my post to say "go spend money now!" more so as a caution. I don't see how that's unfair? This is a site where we love our Pets and our chickens and were just trying to give you a heads up because I feel like you really like this little guy.

One of the things you will hae to learn about community forums is that you may not always hear what you want to hear but in the end we all share a common love for our birds and a general want to do what's right for them. You're absolutely doing a very good thing, no one denies that, but her life is in danger outside in a crate at night. I'm sorry if you don't like to hear that
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I'm sorry if I missunderstood you. I probably did. It's the same with texts and email - sometimes the person on the other end hears something different.

I'm starting to feel like I'm in over my head with this chicken. I'm really concerened that there is something very wrong with her. She has a healthy appetite but she does not like to walk or stand. I put her out in my grass and she sits there for 20 minutes. Then she gets up, takes a few steps and is down again.

As far as moving the kennel goes - it's bigger than you think. I struggled to put it up on the patio table. It's not something that can be easily moved in and out.

Every way I look at it, it's going to come down to spending money. Even if I find materials to build something - I don't have the tools. I'm trying to decide if I should spend the money on a coop. I have some savings, but this wasn't in the plan. But I like the chicken and looking at all the beautiful pictures on this site - I especially loved the fluffy butts section - I think I would like to have about 4 chickens. So, it's very probable that I will be buying a coop for her tomorrow. I'll have some help this weekend to pick it up and put it together.

Im so sorry, and i am sorry if i came off harsh. I know youre probably so overwhelmed!
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but we are here to help you and if this chicken makes it it will be so rewarding, i promise. In the big picture you are doing such a nice thing for such a small little creature. I found that after the coop, chicken keeping is pretty inexpensive after that, but can be frustrating when one gets sick or injured. Its too bad you dont have a cat carrier. when i have a quarentined chicken i let it be in a dog crate outside during the day and then bring it into a small cat carrier at night and set it by the door.
keep on trucking! this little guy is going to steal your heart and someday you will look back and try to remember why you lived your life without chickens in the first place!
 
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Wow - that kind of rings true, just looking at her first pix. Also someone posted earlier about a chicken sitting back like that having a possible vitamin deficiency. But you've gotten the vitamins in the water which will help both scenarios - hopefully you'll see improvement in walking soon. And the scrambled eggs / extra protein would be good, too. She already looks so much better in the pix you posted - she looks calm and looks to have put on some weight. She also looks to me like a 'she' and I think her legs look big because she's so skinny - JMHO, though. Thanks so much for posting the pix! And I'm really glad she's with you. You're doing a great job -
 
Murs, you have a belgian sheepdog, they will hear the racoon coming a mile away if she's anything like my boys. A car door opens two houses down and I know about it. With the dog door there, I'm sure she will do her best at helping to keep your chicken safe. At least the noise decible will go up if anything comes close ;-)

I was too thinking vitamin deficiency, weakness. I also wouldn't go spending tons of money on chicken housing unless you're sure you're going to get more. I mean, I don't like to be pessimistic, but this chicken could have something seriously wrong with him/her. I'm all for giving it a fighting chance, hoping for the best, doing all I can, but within the realm of reality for this particular chicken. Fingers are still crossed that she will come through this and be a healthy happy chicken. But there seems to be quite a bit of healing left for her to go through.

Keep up the good work, who knows what this little bird has been through. Time will tell.
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I just found this thread and the first thing I thought when I saw the pic is that she got sucked off a chicken truck that was headed to the processing plant. She looks just like the birds you see in those 2x4x1 cages stacked ten high and 4 across on a semi trailer. I have seen several dead ones on the highway and have heard of people rescueing live ones off the side of the road. It would explain her inability to walk (raised in a too small cage and fed to add meat quickly) and the healthy appetite. The good news is that he/she is probably young and will recover with time. The bad news is that it will always eat like a horse and may have a shorter life span than most because it was bred to be "harvested" by a year old. Do you have commercial chicken houses and/or processing plants near your home? Do you live on a highway? I think you saved it from being a boneless skinless split breast. At any rate, even if I'm wrong about the origin of your new friend, it seems he/she has been given a special friend, and a chance to have a happy life. Good for you, better for her! Thank you for caring!

Started to edit typos, then said, "What the heck...."
 
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I keep thinking skinny meat chicken, too. She is too large/wrong shape for a young leghorn and not enough comb for a mature one. Meat chicken would also explain the nice temperament.
If she is of the meat variety, you have to be aware that their normal life span is measured in weeks. Although some do live years, their bodily organs have been re-designed enough that most will pass from heart attacks before their first birthday. I sure wish you had a knowledgable chicken person to evaluate her before you get really attached to her.
On the other hand, why not get a few chickens and a coop anyway?
 
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I have a suggestion for coon prevention for you! You can most likely buy 1/2" hardware cloth at the feed store near you. It's usually under $20 for 5 feet. This can be wrapped around the sides of your dog kennel (top probably won't matter), and will definitely deter any hungry raccoons
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Unfortunately, Pecker does in fact look just like a Cornish X
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Cornish Xs are meat birds, and any chicken you buy from a fast food restaurant will be from a Cornish X. They are raised commercially because they grow big enough for slaughter in a mere 8 weeks (2 months), as compared to the 12 to 18 weeks (3-4 months) it takes for a dual purpose breed to reach the same size. They are crowded into "chicken houses" with about 1 square foot of space each. They often die early because they have heart and leg issues because of their fast growth rate.
When I first started with chickens, I accidentally bought 4 mislabeled Cornish Xs from Tractor Supply. Once I learned what they were, I decided that I would kill them (well, have someone I know kill them for me). I raised them to 8 weeks of age in the best conditions possible alongside four that I still have. Even though they were provided with more than enough space and good feed, they were so sad and all they wanted to do was eat and dust bathe.
Cornish Xs eat constantly because they are growing so fast, which explains Pecker's seeming to be hungry.
Mine did not ever grow feathers under their wings or on their bellies, and they looked exactly like Pecker. They could never walk right and always fell over on their butts.
I do agree that it seems like she fell off a chicken truck or escaped from a "chicken house".
I know that some people have raised them for months but I do not remember who it was. I do know that they limited their feed. You may want to post in "Meat Birds ETC". I am doubtful that Pecker will ever be healthy, but I really do hope that it works out! If it doesn't, you should still get some hens; chickens are addictive! I started out with 4 in March and now I have 26 chickens!
Good luck!
 

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