So, I purchased 5 standard black cochins from a gentleman who was selling off his whole flock. They were purchased this spring as day old chicks from a VERY reputable breeder who has excellent lines. The problem, their combs were pale, along with their wattles...they are also pretty thin, I can feel their breast bone and besides feathers, there's not much to them. When I got them home, I put them in our isolation area, wormed them with valbazen and dusted them for mites. I am feeding them starter feed, so they are getting 18% protein...they do appear to be eating and drinking and all of their crops have some food in there (although nothing like my other chickens do). I've added ACV to their water a couple times the last couple of days. They basically sit around, huddled together all day. They do have a 40x40 area to free range...I occasionally see them scratching and pecking around in the grass...but most of the day, they are just huddled together in a large cochin pile. I suspect that they were kept in a small cage their whole lives, as they appear to be somewhat confused about what to do in the grass. I've thrown them some scratch, and they seem mostly uninterested in it, I've also tried to give them fresh tomatoes and watermelon...again, they look at me like I'm nuts. Any other tips about what I should be doing?? Their poops appear to be normal, and I haven't seen any signs of worms (we are 4 days past the valbazen)...I also checked them over and didn't see any signs of mites or lice, but I dusted them anyways. Any other causes for the pale combs?? Do you think malnutrition could be the cause for these symptoms?? Any input would be appreciated! Thanks.
