Poor flock has been plucked by too many roosters!

[Feath3rDust3r]

Last night I went to buy what I thought was going to be a rooster and 3 hens. I was expecting to see healthy 1.5 year old birds.... but I was SHOCKED!! These chickens were bare!! They have been living in a shed with 2 hens per rooster ..I think they had 15 roos and 30 hens originally! The shed wasn't very big and the run was a mud slop!

I couldn't leave the rest of the poor baldies to be raped so I bought ALL of the remaining 9 hens.

I have a coop that is comfortable for 5 but tight for 10...I can't let them out because my junior roosters free range and I don't know if I should separate the rooster from them and put him with the jr's because I want to make sure they don't pass on any nasty disease...what I do have though is a sand bath, clean shed with shavings and dry covered run.

I'm not sure what to do with these poor girls... there skin is so mud cakes and one of them has just a few mud caked feathers underneath... should I wash them or let them dust bath themselves clean?

I don't think saddles will help because these would need helmets and capes!!

If anyone can suggest any way that I can help these girls I'd appreciate it.

I'm not planning on keeping them all...I just want to get them a bit healthier and find them homes where they can have a happier life!!

 

[HappyDuckie]

Poor girls. I would keep them separate from roosters to be able to regrow their feathers. Could you put the junior roosters in a coop and let the girls free range? They should be able to clean themselves just from dust bathing. You might want to give them a higher protein food to give them a boost and help grow their feathers back.

 

[Feath3rDust3r]

Poor girls. I would keep them separate from roosters to be able to regrow their feathers. Could you put the junior roosters in a coop and let the girls free range? They should be able to clean themselves just from dust bathing. You might want to give them a higher protein food to give them a boost and help grow their feathers back.

My junior roosters are ones that I've hatched and I keep them together until I find homes or they get butchered. With the baldy flock I got one rooster...but until I know he doesn't have a disease I don't want him with the jr's

 

[HappyDuckie]

My junior roosters are ones that I've hatched and I keep them together until I find homes or they get butchered. With the baldy flock I got one rooster...but until I know he doesn't have a disease I don't want him with the jr's

Just the one might be ok with them if you have no other options. But keeping them in a coop that small with a rooster may just make it worse.

 

[Feath3rDust3r]

Just the one might be ok with them if you have no other options. But keeping them in a coop that small with a rooster may just make it worse.

That's what I was worried about I have a rabbit hutch size coop with no run... that's my last option for keeping him separate and quarantined... but he's going to be lonely and a bit cramped

 

[Newbie123]

That's what I was worried about I have a rabbit hutch size coop with no run... that's my last option for keeping him separate and quarantined... but he's going to be lonely and a bit cramped

Better than getting some of your flock sick!

 

[Feath3rDust3r]

Oh boy! So some of these poor hens laid eggs today and I broke one open...THIS was in the yolk!!

Any idea what it is? And should I post this somewhere else?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Are you sure that egg was laid today and wasn't tucked under anyone?

 

[Feath3rDust3r]

Are you sure that egg was laid today and wasn't tucked under anyone?

Definitely. I just got the chickens last night. There were no eggs at 10am but by 4pm we had 3

 

[Feath3rDust3r]

After I saw this egg I cracked the other 2 and they looked normal