I went to an adoption meeting last night for 4 - 1 year old Rhode Island Reds, and I'm going to adopt them Sunday! I'm very excited, but there are immediate things that need done and I'd love some advice from the pros. I want to make sure they have a happy life!
Their current coop is 4'x8' with run and they currently do not have access to dirt or dust (litter was at least 3" deep in coop and run). Their water was a bit dirty and the coop doesn't have good ventilation. The current owners have also left a heat lamp on inside their coop 24/7. The girls have recently began plucking tail feathers. Also, 3 of them have missing feathers surrounding their vents and the skin is VERY red. The hen without any missing feathers is the bully (we're naming her Roseanne) and I got her to let me pick her up and check her. I didn't SEE any lice or mites, but realize that just a quick visual inspection probably isn't solid. Her vent, comb, feet and eyes appeared healthy and they were all very active. The current owners say their getting 3-4 eggs daily.
When I pick them up Sunday, I'm going to completely clean the coop and sprinkle down with DE or Seven Dust? I'll make some improvements to the coop by adding vent holes and improving the locking doors. They'll have a clean, fresh run with lots of new things to scratch and find until we get a much larger run built for them the next weekend. Should I go ahead and assume they have mites/ and or lice? If so, what should I treat with? Should I try to give them a dawn bath to soak their chapped vents then apply Preparation H? Anything else I should do? Thanks!
Their current coop is 4'x8' with run and they currently do not have access to dirt or dust (litter was at least 3" deep in coop and run). Their water was a bit dirty and the coop doesn't have good ventilation. The current owners have also left a heat lamp on inside their coop 24/7. The girls have recently began plucking tail feathers. Also, 3 of them have missing feathers surrounding their vents and the skin is VERY red. The hen without any missing feathers is the bully (we're naming her Roseanne) and I got her to let me pick her up and check her. I didn't SEE any lice or mites, but realize that just a quick visual inspection probably isn't solid. Her vent, comb, feet and eyes appeared healthy and they were all very active. The current owners say their getting 3-4 eggs daily.
When I pick them up Sunday, I'm going to completely clean the coop and sprinkle down with DE or Seven Dust? I'll make some improvements to the coop by adding vent holes and improving the locking doors. They'll have a clean, fresh run with lots of new things to scratch and find until we get a much larger run built for them the next weekend. Should I go ahead and assume they have mites/ and or lice? If so, what should I treat with? Should I try to give them a dawn bath to soak their chapped vents then apply Preparation H? Anything else I should do? Thanks!
