Found Chicken

[sirhc]

This morning I found a chicken on the side of the road, I think it was heading to the slaughter house and fell from the truck/crate. It has barely any feathers on it's stomach/chest. Her back end (bum) is very red and looks almost swollen. She is eating and taking water, but my concern is her back end.

The blood on the chickens feathers is not from her. It must be from the other chickens that were in the crate with her.

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Any suggestions or help would be great!

 

[lacyloo]

awww thats so sad, yes it looks like a cornish chicken "meat bird" and your right it prabaly fell from a truck once it calms clean it up like the blood off it, and give it water.

hopefully somone will see this and know what more to do for it

 

[jkcove08]

A nice warm water bath is the first thing that needs to be done. After that use a hair dryer in low and dry her off. Then I would use an antibiotic cream on the backside. You might want to get some gatoraid or small bottle of pedialyte to give her to drink. This will give her a nice boost. Jenn

 

[silkiechicken]

Yep, thats a cornsish x, about 8 weeks old, male. Missing feathers on breast is normal for these birds as they eat, sleep, poo, and drag themselves around on the ground.

If you want to try to keep it alive, keep it on a restricted feed diet. There have been people able to keep them up and going, but they are very prone to heart attacks, leg problems, and thins just relating to being overweight. I personally butcher my birds of that type because I don't like to keep around an animal bred for meat and can't keep up with normal chicken things, or are suffering due to their fast growth rate. And well, I only raise them for the purpose of eating them.

It is up to you though and they are very calm birds. I'm sure once it's built back up and on it's feet, it will waddle right over in hopes of treats!

On the rear, you can give the bird a bath in warm water with baby soap. Rince well and dry the bird with a hair dryer with your hand in the air stream so you don't burn the bird. Careful about overheating these types, as they don't do well in hot enviornments. If it starts to pant while drying, stop till it can breathe well again.

If his bottom has no scratches or injuries to be found after cleaning, she is good to go. If there are lesions, neosporin would be good for them, else, happy chicken raising.

 

[sirhc]

sorry for the dumb questions, but how can you tell it is a male? I thought cornish hens were small..this guy is about the size of a foot-ball. what should I feed him/her. I have duck feed, can I feed that.

 

[silkiechicken]

Since it is standard practice to raise meat birds to about 8 weeks before butcher, females should not have such bright red combs yet. I've raised quite a few for meat, and the girls only have lititle pink numbs by this age. Chances are this factory raised up the boys and sent them first as they take less time to reach market weight. I could be wrong, but am 99% sure that is a big boy.

If you were hoping for eggs from a meat bird anyways, they will lay, but they are not very good at it, and will eat you out of house and home in food before giving you a dozen for breakfast.

 

[sirhc]

I thought cornish hens were small..this guy is about the size of a foot-ball. what should I feed him/her. I have duck feed, can I feed that.

So there isn't too much concern about the condition of his back end. Also he seems to have difficulty walking. Is this due to being kept in cages...will this get better if he has room to walk and strengthen his legs

 

[jjthink]

Poor dear thing. Thank you for rescuing her/him. Breaks my heart, all these incidences reported of chickens falling out of trucks, injured in the road, and in hellish condition. If only humans were, on average, as evolved as most BYCers.
TLC and peaceful surroundings will go a long way toward making the rest of this birds life quality time.
JJ

 

[roosters97]

ASK HOOLIGAN!!!!!!!!!

 

[SpottedCrow]

10,000 Good Karma points for rescuing the poor dumpling.

Being able to walk around on grass will be good exercise.
You'll have to limit the food or it'll blow up and bust...Cornish/Rock are notorious for heart attacks.