Phlimm
Chirping
So we had four chickens many years ago in AZ and they were quite lively and laid eggs all the time. When fed, we had to dodge out of the way lest we get pecked if we stood too close to the food. Any veggie left overs from our table would be devoured quickly. They would run around the yard and do all manner of hilarious chicken related things. There were some pecking order issues but nothing too extreme.
Fast forward to this week. A new state, and a new group of hens. One Lavender Orpington, one Ameraucana, one Cream Legbar, and one Black Copper Maran. A nice privately made coop about the size of an outhouse with three attached nesting boxes and a fully enclosed run that is 8' long, 6' wide and 3' high. Cut straw on the floor of the coop and in the three attached nesting boxes. The floor of the run is my backyard, so...grass. They have been here three days and two nights.
The situation:
Thanks so much in advance.
Fast forward to this week. A new state, and a new group of hens. One Lavender Orpington, one Ameraucana, one Cream Legbar, and one Black Copper Maran. A nice privately made coop about the size of an outhouse with three attached nesting boxes and a fully enclosed run that is 8' long, 6' wide and 3' high. Cut straw on the floor of the coop and in the three attached nesting boxes. The floor of the run is my backyard, so...grass. They have been here three days and two nights.
The situation:
- Got them from Craigslist from someone with lots of ads for a wide variety of birds. Seller claims they are all about 12 months old (can I verify this in any way?).
- The transaction took less than one minute because of covid concerns. She tossed them into the cage in the back of my car and I drove off.
- I did notice that her birds were in a linked plastic boxes about half the height of milk crates. Lots of them in the back of a pick up truck. Seemed a bit...eeewww.
- Upon getting home, I was taken aback because
- All four have bald patches on their backs in varying sizes. Exposed bare skin with (I think) the start of feathers growing in.
- One has upper beak damage - as in partly missing. She seems to be able to drink/eat.
- Seller claims the bald spots were from roosters and that the feathers should grow back shortly.
- Seller says she trims beaks so they don't peck each other due to the large number of birds she has. The other three do not appear to have been 'trimmed'.
- The beak damaged one does not appear to be particularly in distress. But seeing her tongue flick around after eating/drinking is a bit off putting.
- Seller claims she never had trouble eating/drinking and the beak will grow back in a couple of months.
- They not very energetic. All of them just stand around looking at each other or slowly meander to and fro and pick at the layer pellets and water and grass.
- I have not personally witnessed any pecking order behavior or bullying.
- They have not eaten as much as I would have expected them to. There is a largish round pan with layer pellets (enough to cover the bottom) always present.
- There is a three gallon watering jug always present. Have filled it once the day we got them. Maybe half to two thirds full now.
- It has been hot but also has rained pretty hard a couple times.
- Fresh Georgia peaches were picked at but only if they happened to walk past the pieces and noticed them.
- Lettuce leaves appear to have been ignored.
- First night:
- Only one figured out how to get to the roosting rails in the coop.
- Two slept basically on top of each other on the ground in the run.
- The other one ended up roosting on the handle of the watering jug (after many attempts).
- Second night:
- Two made it to the roosting rails.
- The other two again slept on top of each other just inside the entrance to the coop.
- Zero eggs. When we got our chickens in AZ several years ago, one laid an egg in the car on the way to our house.
Thanks so much in advance.