Need some advise please?!

[TherryChicken]

I bought some chickens and a duck from someone today. Well I had my bf go get them and when he returned all I saw was these chickens and duck in very bad shape. The rooster had no feathers at all on his tail, the hens had a lot of feathers missing as well, and the duck was so skinny, small, and loss of feathers. (Will get pictures tomarrow for yall). I just put them on probiotics, should I worm them as well (I think I should)? Is it possible that they have mites or lice? I can't tell if they do, let alone how could I treat them? Would their eggs be safe enough to eat?
The person we bought them from only said hi, but acted like he didn't want to mention anything about the animals and he wouldn't sell separate either. I paid $60 for them, plus $23 in gas. Worth it to get them out of there. They were eating and drinking like they've never eaten or drank before. My bf said their water was nasty and green and had no food there. Said there was nothing but dirt.
Hope someone can help me, will post pictures soon.

 

[countrycakelady]

First off, thank you for rescuing them! That is exactly what I am going to say about that......now... You will have to get them back in good shape, first off with diet.....also I would do a good dusting with wood ashes to get rid of any pests...I am a new chicken mama, but you will do fine. I wish I was there to help you.....they sound like they were literally at the door of death...how can anyone treat helpless animals like this? Hope others can chime in and give the great advice that is on here....FANTASTIC people on this board!

 

[TherryChicken]

First off, thank you for rescuing them! That is exactly what I am going to say about that......now... You will have to get them back in good shape, first off with diet.....also I would do a good dusting with wood ashes to get rid of any pests...I am a new chicken mama, but you will do fine. I wish I was there to help you.....they sound like they were literally at the door of death...how can anyone treat helpless animals like this? Hope others can chime in and give the great advice that is on here....FANTASTIC people on this board!

Thank you, that's the only reason I don't mind spending all my money. To get them out of there. I was in shock when I saw them. I'm just glad they are here now. They get water and food 24-7.. I will deff keep yall updated too. I am not new new, but I am deff still learning a lot as I go .. When I opened the carriers, they saw the shining on the water and came out and went straight to it to drink it. With the food, they kep making a choke like burp sound while eating and I don't know if it's because they were just eating too quickly or what?.. However they have Purina layena layer crumbles, water with an ice bottle in it and probiotics, some oyster shells, and suet blocks..

 

[countrycakelady]

I could cry reading this post......they probably had not had food or drinkable water in who knows how long.....that is so sickening! I wish you the very best...and will be waiting to read the happy endings to your story!

 

[TherryChicken]

I could cry reading this post......they probably had not had food or drinkable water in who knows how long.....that is so sickening! I wish you the very best...and will be waiting to read the happy endings to your story!

Thank you! I will do my best with these babies. He also said that there was a barred rock hen, 3 white leghorn hens, 1 rir hen, 1 rir rooster, and 1 Cayuga duck.. Well that's wrong, there is 1 barred rock, 3 Delaware or possibly Sussex hens, 1 RIR rooster, 1 red-sex link hen, and not sure on the duck. Hopefully someone can tell me what she is. He just didn't want to say anything about them when my bf went to get them. Only said hi and ignored everything else. I couldn't let my bf leave them there. However, now I need help lol

 

[MrsBachbach]

I would just let them gain a little weight before worming. Worming is hard on a chicken that is already in bad condition. Unless you see worms in the poop, hold off on the worming until later. Another thing, besides the lack of food and clean water they experienced, that can explain their rough appearance is they may be in molt. This is the time of year when most birds molt and they can look very rough when they are molting. So, just feed them and give them some probiotics and vitamins in their water and they should come out of it soon. I bought a few young chickens last year that were kept in very tight conditions. I do believe they were eating their own poop! When I got them home and in their pens I could not believe how smelly their poop was. It was awful. My birds poop didn't smell like that. It had to be their diet or lack of. It took a couple of months before things looked and smelled more normal.

 

[TherryChicken]

I would just let them gain a little weight before worming. Worming is hard on a chicken that is already in bad condition. Unless you see worms in the poop, hold off on the worming until later. Another thing, besides the lack of food and clean water they experienced, that can explain their rough appearance is they may be in molt. This is the time of year when most birds molt and they can look very rough when they are molting. So, just feed them and give them some probiotics and vitamins in their water and they should come out of it soon. I bought a few young chickens last year that were kept in very tight conditions. I do believe they were eating their own poop! When I got them home and in their pens I could not believe how smelly their poop was. It was awful. My birds poop didn't smell like that. It had to be their diet or lack of. It took a couple of months before things looked and smelled more normal.

Yeah, their poop smells really awful and ok, I'll just give them the probiotics and feed n water. How long after the probiotics is it safe to take their eggs to eat? Or is it even safe right now if they aren't in moult?

 

[MrsBachbach]

Eggs are fine to eat when they are on probiotics. After all, you eat probiotics in yogurt with live cultures. Even if you add a vitamin/mineral supplement to their water the eggs would be fine to eat. Only when you add a wormer or antibiotic or something like that is when you want to toss the eggs. Try adding a little bit of apple cider vinegar to their water for a few days, 3 tsp per gallon, then add the probiotics for a few days to their water per instructions on package, then regular water again. Some people use apple cider vinegar as a natural worm preventitive. They usually add it to their water on a weekly schedule. Eggs would be fine to eat while doing that also.
If they already have worms you will have to use regular worming medicine, but once that is done, you could try the acv. Now, when using the Corid, during treatment period, I personally wouldn't eat the eggs and maybe for a couple of weeks after. I really don't know what the withdrawal period is on that or if there is even one for eggs so I would toss them just to be safe. Corid is for coccidiosis only, not roundworms or other types of worms, fyi.

 

[TherryChicken]

Excellent info, Thank you very much! I am fixing to upload pictures now.

 

[TherryChicken]

The so called "Cayuga" hen

The Barred Rock hen