I saw the saddest group of chickens this weekend

[mrsgibber]

I am so upset and felt so sick to my stomach. My family and I stopped at a local dairy farm that also has chickens. We were all shocked at what we saw. The poor roo's legs were swollen the diameter of at least a quarter. It was sick looking. Then he was missing tons of feather as were ALL the hens. They were all scruffy and sickly looking. What really disgusted me on top of all that the hens were all pecking the poor roo incesently and he just stood there taking it. At first I thought it might be overcrowding but with the roos legs looking the way they did I am thinking maybe mites too? Do they swell up like that? Their enclosure smells REALLY bad too...like it's never been cleaned! Makes me sick when people get animals and don't take care of them!!!

 

[Frizzled]

Your a better person than I would have been. I have a very bad temper when it come to animal abuse. I would probably have taken them to a better life and paid the price later i guess. Did that with a dog once and still have her. She's fat and sassy now. She won't let anyone near me if she thinks they are going to harm me.

 

[b.hromada]

Oh my gosh, poor chickens! What the heck is wrong with those people?! I would have voiced my opinion, nicely at first. If they got snooty with me, then I'd let them have it! Think of how much pain they are in. Just makez you want to cry, doesn't it? Hope someone comes by and takes them all, huh? Let us know what happens if you can, okay?

 

[JewellFarm]

yep they can get pretty bad off from leg mites if left untreated. Maybe stop by and hint to put some Vaseline on his legs or something. That is so sad.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Maybe you could nicely explain that it's not normal and healthy for chickens that way. You could offer assistance in helping them figure out how to change things so the chickens are better off, or you could offer to buy them from them. Getting angry (as much as we'd all like to blast them) isn't really a good solution because they'll just get defensive and not want to listen.

 

[Mahonri]

Quote:
Great idea.

 

[mrsgibber]

Ya, that was what I was thinking but my husband didn't want me to start any trouble with my kids there...he knows my temper!! Though I did loudly voice my opinion outside by the coop where the workers were hanging around. Hubby quickly scurried me back to the car.

I really should say something though. It's not fair they are living like that. Maybe I'll draft up an anonymous letter with a care sheet for treating mites on chickens. It sickens me everytime I think about it!!!!

 

[TennesseeTruly]

I personally wouldn't do business that was treating ANY of their animals poorly. Of course that's just me.

Laurie

 

[barred-rocks-rock]

sick

 

[mrsgibber]

Well that's what I said. We went there with the sole purpose of buying a dozen eggs (my girls are minutes from laying but until then...) NO way, NO how would I buy anything from them!!! I just had to wait another day to get my eggs at the farmers market.

I don't know how they stand to walk by that and not do anything to help the poor things. They were all missing BIG patches of feathers but they were really torturing the poor roo.