Help I think Ive been HAD!

[birdlover2]

Thank you so much, the only reason why I want a warm is from where they came from and one of the chickens has a little bit of runny poop on her butt feathers and over all their feathers kind of look dull that could be due to the poor nutrition they had before I want a kind of cover my bases I did check for mites and didn't see any I'll check again tomorrow.

I agree you should def give them some kind of worm medicine. Let us know about mites and other things in the morning.

 

[chkncrazy]

I agree you should def give them some kind of worm medicine. Let us know about mites and other things in the morning.

From what I can see there are no mites crawling under the wings or around the cloaca or at the base of the skin I seen it before in a friend's chicken so I kind of know what I'm looking for, although I'm not very happy about their feathers they look so dingy and dull and the Rhode Island red at the base of her tail feathers it kind of looks Criss doubt like the pictures I've seen of chickens with lice... I thought I felt an egg through the abdomen of the Easter Egger a couple of days ago but nothing yet from either of them.... not lookin good lol

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Thanks for getting back!!!!!!!!!! You can't really call it abuse because of their eyes they have adequate shelter and food.. I mean it's not like the guy was fighting roosters and starving them I just don't think he takes care of them well top of then think slightly older I think someone mentioned above if he is only feeding scratch grains, the chickens could be pulling out their feathers due to lack of nutrients. I've actually seen this many many many many time in avian cases. Thank you phone to manage my money back at least you live you learn I was just highly disappointed when I got there they looked like zombies lol... and they've been eating since they've got here so maybe the guy wasn't feeding them too often let's hope that proper nutrition and spoiling will have them bounce back a little fingers and toes and anything else I can cross are crossed lol

What stood out to me was that he actually was starving them. Cracked corn and scratch isn't food. At least it is as far from a nutritionally complete feed that they could have gotten. A diet of grains will quickly cause a cessation of ovulation. Hence - no eggs.
Since they aren't laying, I wouldn't even switch them to layer feed. I'd go with a starter, grower or all flock feed that is 18-20% protein and that may kick start ovulation.

Actually, the birds don't look all that bad to me. Good thing you didn't get the birds they originally wanted to sell you.

no raised scales with the Rhode Island red does have a Spurs that's a quarter of an inch.... although I had a couple Rhode Island Reds in the past that had Spurs as well so who knows as long as they give me something I don't need a dozen eggs every 12 days you know what I mean but I do want something for my money in a way oh, I'm a hobby farmer but I'm also not looking to just feed animals I have two cats and a dog that already take up those slots...lol

By 4 or 5 years of age my Penedesenca hens, like many Mediterranean breeds have 2" spurs.
Not necessarily preferred but not a disqualification in Meds.

Everything seems to be going well today they are still eating like there's no tomorrow, the Easter Egger still is very scrawny but I could feel an egg in her abdomen so maybe I'll have an egg from her soon, I kind of want to worm them for coccidiosis but I've never done that before never had to but their poop kind of looks running... Any suggestions, also should I put some apple cider vinegar in the water?

An egg will only be in the uterus for about 20 hours so it likely wasn't an egg.

From what I can see there are no mites crawling under the wings or around the cloaca or at the base of the skin I seen it before in a friend's chicken so I kind of know what I'm looking for, although I'm not very happy about their feathers they look so dingy and dull and the Rhode Island red at the base of her tail feathers it kind of looks Criss doubt like the pictures I've seen of chickens with lice... I thought I felt an egg through the abdomen of the Easter Egger a couple of days ago but nothing yet from either of them.... not lookin good lol

 

[chkncrazy]

What stood out to me was that he actually was starving them. Cracked corn and scratch isn't food. At least it is as far from a nutritionally complete feed that they could have gotten. A diet of grains will quickly cause a cessation of ovulation. Hence - no eggs.
Since they aren't laying, I wouldn't even switch them to layer feed. I'd go with a starter, grower or all flock feed that is 18-20% protein and that may kick start ovulation.

Actually, the birds don't look all that bad to me. Good thing you didn't get the birds they originally wanted to sell you.

By 4 or 5 years of age my Penedesenca hens, like many Mediterranean breeds have 2" spurs.
Not necessarily preferred but not a disqualification in Meds.

An egg will only be in the uterus for about 20 hours so it likely wasn't an egg.

thanks for the response they are on all flock actually all my animals are usually always on all flock lol... I still haven't gotten any eggs from them maybe what I felt in the abdomen was a bone but it clearly felt like something circular and hard I haven't felt the hen since... yeah they were looking pretty shabby when I got there I was actually shocked that he was talking about them what they looked normal I was going to just leave until I saw these two and I kind of felt pressure to buy, let's see what happens

 

[ChickenCanoe]

thanks for the response they are on all flock actually all my animals are usually always on all flock lol... I still haven't gotten any eggs from them maybe what I felt in the abdomen was a bone but it clearly felt like something circular and hard I haven't felt the hen since... yeah they were looking pretty shabby when I got there I was actually shocked that he was talking about them what they looked normal I was going to just leave until I saw these two and I kind of felt pressure to buy, let's see what happens

Here is a good description of the avian reproduction system and how long the egg spends in each part.
http://www.poultryhub.org/physiology/body-systems/reproductive-system/
the sections are:

• Infundibulum
• Magnum or ampulla
• Isthmus
• Uterus or shell gland
• Vagina
• Cloaca

After ovulation, the yolk spends about 15 minutes in the infundibulum where it is fertilized if the bird had been mated. Then about 3 hours in the magnum where albumen is added. Then about 75 minutes in the isthmus where the inner and outer membranes are added. Then on to the uterus where calcium carbonate is applied to the outer membrane to form the egg shell. That process takes about 18-20 hours. Since the calcite crystals are applied in layers, palpating the abdomen wouldn't likely detect anything hard for several hours after it enters the uterus.

 

[chkncrazy]

I wasn't meaning to palpate per say... I was checking the hip bone width lol with there isnt much I should say maybe 2 fingers....lol

 

[ShannonR]

From the pics I think the chickens are around 2-3 years old. They aren't positively ancient, but not pullets either. With age the comb sort of migrates down their beaks, it's hard to explain properly. That's a really basic guesstimate on age, sorry but it's the best I can do from pics.

I cannot take a guess as to laying status or capability, sorry.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I wasn't meaning to palpate per say... I was checking the hip bone width lol with there isnt much I should say maybe 2 fingers....lol

That's the pelvic bone width.

 

[chkncrazy]

That's the pelvic bone width.

Yes!! I couldn't think of the correct word at the moment, I've had chickens on and off for 28 years and have no problem dispatching my own I just wish I didn't feel like I had to buy them lol! I felt like after contacting me 2 months after with the virus and everything that I should get them and for some reason in Connecticut I can't find anything else on Craigslist I should have learned my lesson started off from chicks like I usually do! Lol LESSON LEARNED!

 

[Morgan Leigh]

I know this happens to the best of us even myself after keeping chickens for 30 some odd years it's happened to me here and there and I'm embarrassed to say it's happened to me today.. I think I bought 2 spent hens!!!!! I don't know how I feel about this or what to do hopefully you guys can help me NOT feel like an idiot , here is the backstory. The week covid broke out mid-march there was an ad on Craigslist someone selling Easter Eggers $20 each they said they were about a year-and-a-half to two years old and still laying well. I messaged the person and they said they didn't want to do anything yet because of this covid-19 and they didn't want people around which is understandable. Fast forward 3 months I got a random text from the person saying they're selling their chickens again and if I'd still be interested in getting the couple of Easter Eggers, and I said oh my goodness I can't believe he remembered and sure why not.. they said okay $60 for the pair !!!!!!! and I sent back a screenshot of the original Craigslist post that I thankfully took and not deleted at the time advertising them for $20 each hahaha so thankfully the person honored it.... I got to the house today and the guy is outside throwing scratch grains on the ground so the chickens he had would come running up and I would be able to pick the ones I wanted, I should have known right there and then and walked away!!!!!!! 6 out of 8 of his chickens looked like they were 100 years old going through molt no back feathers no tail feathers I even asked if he had a rooster he said no... I mean they looked terrible, pitiful there werent even pin feathers growing!!!!there were some barred rocks mixed in and their Combs were complete pale pink and the Easter Egger Combs I couldn't really see but they all looked horrible!!!! and I looked at him and asked if they were still laying and he said yeah I started panicking and out of the corner of my eye I saw an Easter Egger and a Rhode Island red fully feathered with bright red Combs on the kther side if the property...and I askes if they were for sale also (which seems.like a dumb question, but the diff. Was so drastic) and he said yes and I said I'll take them real fast because they looked night and day from the ones. I threw them in the box got in the car and was trying to shake off the horrible experience, I got home as I'm putting them in quarantine I'm checking over for lice just in case that's why all the other ones lost their feathers. I was checking the vents which looked fine but when I measure their hip bones I could barely fit three fingers... and the Keel was about three fingers both were the same and what struck me was they were eating like there was no tomorrow, he told me he only feeds them cracked corn and scratch grains he doesn't have them on layer feed and was getting rid of them because he was moving. I'm praying I'm praying that they improve with real quality food and possibly give me a couple eggs a week..... so that's the whole sordid story!

Thank you to anyone who is reading this or could give me any advice or comforting words LOL oh, and I hope everyone is doing very well through this whole ordeal and everyone's animals are doing very well.
Aldo

I would have offered to buy the whole lot, lol... there should be a license to own pets!