In over my head- bought chickens from production farm

[Gray Farms]

Also something you may want to consider. The vast majority of these what I call "the classic egg house" hens have been breed up for decades to lay like crazy for about 8 months then they pretty much quit. That's why you usually find them in large groups for sale and they are usually very cheep... they are about done laying. That being said, I'm not saying they are going to quit laying tomorrow and never lay again, they just won't lay good in the future as most other breeds would. Just something to think about before you put a lot of time or money for a second coop into them.

 

[sannabelle]

Thank you. I honestly hadn't thought much about that before buying them... but I'm okay if they just end up as yard wandering, non egg producing chickens. I'm a little bit soft, but I just feel bad for them, really.

I definitely should've, and can now see the "signs" in the original ad for the chickens. The pictures posted of them were probably stock photos from google. Oy.

I have a bit of a curse when I try to buy animals that are not "rescue" animals. They always turn into rescues regardless.

I bought two mini donkeys for my kids last winter- showed up to meet them and they were basically feral, had never been handled, and were 8 and 15 years old. Instead of walking away and letting someone else deal with that mess, I bought them, of course. They're slowly but surely warming up!

 

[Folly's place]

You could call the seller and ask about his feeding program. Some hens are fed antibiotics, some aren't. Nobody feeds hormones! They won't have been organically managed, or the seller would have bragged about it. While they are isolated, look very hard for lice and mites, and have a fecal run at the vet's, and treat as needed. As everyone said, good food and space and time will have them much happier and looking better. Good luck! Mary

 

[sannabelle]

Hi- sorry to bring up this old thread.

Chickens seem to be doing well, however when I went into their coop tonight one of them was all puffed up, eyes closed, seeming rather lethargic. Didn't seem like she was trying to sleep....my instant thought was that she is sick.

What can I do for her?

Should I remove her from the other hens? Give electrolytes?

Thanks!

 

[lengel]

I would remove her, put her in a quiet spot in your basement and make sure she has easy access to food and water. She may be egg bound. If it seems like she's straining to lay, you can put her in a warm water bath and see if that helps stimulate the process. There are many other suggestions for how to assist on this site. Good luck with her.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I wouldn't remove her, that would cause more stress. You will just have to see how it goes, they probably aren't used to the organisms and bugs in your area and soil, or the stress of it all stressed her immune system. Without any other symptoms it's hard to guess what to treat her for.

 

[sannabelle]

Thank you both. I am concerned about removing her, as she has been with these other hens her whole life....so many new things happening at once.

I will watch for other symptoms. So far no discharge from nose or eyes.

 

[aart]

I would remove her, put her in a quiet spot in your basement and make sure she has easy access to food and water. She may be egg bound. If it seems like she's straining to lay, you can put her in a warm water bath and see if that helps stimulate the process. There are many other suggestions for how to assist on this site. Good luck with her.

Not good to jump to conclusions like this, there was no mention of any egg issues or that she wasn't eating/drinking.

I wouldn't remove her, that would cause more stress. You will just have to see how it goes, they probably aren't used to the organisms and bugs in your area and soil, or the stress of it all stressed her immune system. Without any other symptoms it's hard to guess what to treat her for.

Ditto Dat^^^^

Hi- sorry to bring up this old thread.

Chickens seem to be doing well, however when I went into their coop tonight one of them was all puffed up, eyes closed, seeming rather lethargic. Didn't seem like she was trying to sleep....my instant thought was that she is sick.

What can I do for her?

Should I remove her from the other hens? Give electrolytes?

Thanks!

Not an old thread.....it's good to follow up on threads you start, especially if you have more questions on the original topic.
I'd keep a close eye on her.
If she continues to look poorly you might seclude her in a wire crate right in the coop and/or run
(so she remains with the flock) to monitor her intake and output, how she eats drinks and poops can offer valuable clues as to what might ail her.

 

[sannabelle]

Update! She is doing much better today...I think I may have just been a little paranoid last night.

I finally got their food situation all figured out- I got egg layer crumbles and filled large dishes with them and then wet them down. Not two minutes after I had done that all the hens were happily chowing down. So now I'm not so worried...before I only saw them pecking at what I had given them, and didn't really think they were ingesting much actual food =/

For hens that came from such a nasty situation they really have sweet, sweet, personalities. This was the first day I've let the kids into the coop with the new hens and my youngest son said "I love these chickens. They're majestic." hahaha.

 

[aart]

Update! She is doing much better today...I think I may have just been a little paranoid last night.

Easy to do as a beginner.....IMO it's most always better to watch and wait rather than start throwing 'cures' at unknown ailments.
Glad things are looking up!!