New guy with question

[bbking83]

Yesterday I purchased 3 Golden Comets hens from a local farmer. He said they were around 2 years old. At the time they were in a livestock trailer with about 30 other birds. He grabbed them by the feet and carried them out of the trailer. I didn't notice anything obviously wrong with any of them but I was also a little overwhelmed looking at all the birds and being new to chickens. As he carried them out upside down, one had some clear drainage coming from its mouth. I did not notice any color to it but the consistency was similar to a cross between water and mucus (didn't flow out really slow but did not come out quite as fast as just water). He said the chicken must have just taken a drink of water and that's what it was. I know there are probably many worse case scenarios, but was that most likely what it was? There was a clean drinking water pan in the trailer. I may be over reacting but I figured better to ask and be safe than sorry.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Watch them for a few days if there is drainage from their mouths or noses it could be respiratory illness. Why did you buy two year old hens? Generally if your buying layers you want to start with chicks or under six months. Simply because they lay really well the first two or three years then stop. And golden sex links have an average life span of four years from what i have read. There are a few that live longer but not many.

 

[bbking83]

I started with hens because I thought they would be heartier (since it's winter) than chicks and be easier to get started with. We also had trouble finding any local golden comets for sale. Plan is to see if it's something my wife/son will stick with and enjoy and if so we will get a rooster and add to the flock in the spring. The drainage was when the bird was upside down, I have not noticed anything else so far.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Mmmm.... I am not sure then... Thats kinda odd... And i understand that..

 

[Eggcessive]

It is true that they can have liquid come up from their crops when they are held upside down. But as previously said, watch them closely for any noisy breathing (wheezes or rattles,) gasping, nasal drainage, watery or foamy eyes, sneezing, or swelling around an eye or the face. If you see that, I would recommend taking them back or putting them down, since you don't want to start a flock with a chronic respiratory disease that will infect any new chickens you bring in. Buying chickens from anyone is a crapshoot--you may get ones that look healthy, but are carriers of a disease or become sick due to the stress of changing homes. I usually tell people who start flocks to buy baby chicks from a well known hatchery where you have the best chances of not introducing a disease.