- Mar 2, 2014
- 5
- 0
- 7
Hello all!
A friend of mine is a property manager and a house she was preparing to rent out had an abandoned chicken in the fenced in back yard. The owner had left her when he moved! Apparently there was only dry rice and a dog kennel for food and shelter
Im thinking she had been on her own for several months...
The good news is she has a new family and we plan to love her and care for her! However, Im gonna need some support here! Ive never had a chicken, or any pet for that matter!
A little bit about our new chicken, Big Mama (also know as ChickChick depending on who is talking to her): She is very sweet and social. She follows the children like a puppy, eats out of our hands and is very easy going in general. We are concerned that she is eating her own eggs and pecking at her chest and eating her feathers. Ive read about these issues and we are hoping that as she is fed healthy food and cared for these issues will stop but it is hard to see her distressed. I am going to check for mites. She also had a clear soft shelled egg today. I am going to add baked cracked shells to her feed.
Im not sure what kind of chicken she is maybe a Delaware?
We have an empty rabbit hutch that we have made changes to, ie: a large door, a ramp and pine straw. We have been putting her in at night but she does not stay there. We leave the door open. It is a very big space, comparable to coops I have seen at our local Garden Center. Should I close her up at night or leave it open? Our back yard is fenced in and about 3/4 of an acre.
A few other questions, please dont laugh too much at me
Should I get her a baby pool so she can sort of wash up? She is pretty filthy. Hose her down?
Do chickens learn their names?
Should I get a second Chicken for her to have company? Would I get a baby chick or another adult? Do I need to wait to make sure she stops eating her eggs so she doesnt teach another chicken to do the same?
Thanks so much for any advice. I am not online everyday but I look forward to reading each and every suggestion!
I am grateful to have found such an informative site.
Wish me luck!
Em
A friend of mine is a property manager and a house she was preparing to rent out had an abandoned chicken in the fenced in back yard. The owner had left her when he moved! Apparently there was only dry rice and a dog kennel for food and shelter

The good news is she has a new family and we plan to love her and care for her! However, Im gonna need some support here! Ive never had a chicken, or any pet for that matter!
A little bit about our new chicken, Big Mama (also know as ChickChick depending on who is talking to her): She is very sweet and social. She follows the children like a puppy, eats out of our hands and is very easy going in general. We are concerned that she is eating her own eggs and pecking at her chest and eating her feathers. Ive read about these issues and we are hoping that as she is fed healthy food and cared for these issues will stop but it is hard to see her distressed. I am going to check for mites. She also had a clear soft shelled egg today. I am going to add baked cracked shells to her feed.
Im not sure what kind of chicken she is maybe a Delaware?
We have an empty rabbit hutch that we have made changes to, ie: a large door, a ramp and pine straw. We have been putting her in at night but she does not stay there. We leave the door open. It is a very big space, comparable to coops I have seen at our local Garden Center. Should I close her up at night or leave it open? Our back yard is fenced in and about 3/4 of an acre.
A few other questions, please dont laugh too much at me

Should I get her a baby pool so she can sort of wash up? She is pretty filthy. Hose her down?
Do chickens learn their names?
Should I get a second Chicken for her to have company? Would I get a baby chick or another adult? Do I need to wait to make sure she stops eating her eggs so she doesnt teach another chicken to do the same?
Thanks so much for any advice. I am not online everyday but I look forward to reading each and every suggestion!
I am grateful to have found such an informative site.
Wish me luck!
Em