Rehoming Four Hens ... But they don't look so good :(

[lynnseym]

GUYS! I got chicken butt photos! She said she was glad to send them to me and said that they don't have mites or lice (two spots are new feathers in one pic she said) and that she is feeding them oyster shell?
Let me know what you think this looks like! These are all four.
Last one is the heavy brooder.

 

[Geggs]

From what I have read, chicken lice does not transfer to humans.

A nice dust bath of fine sand, a handful of wood ash and a handful of diatomaceous earth, available at many garden stores or the garden area of some big box stores, will help with mites as well as general chicken comfort. You can place a cat litter box in their run for this, or an oil pan from the auto store works nicely.

A good diet and a run with available shade and green things to eat and scratch in will also help.

I agree with a previous post that the one who has all her feathers is probably the highest on the pecking order, and the one with the least is likely the lowest. More space and better nutrition should reduce the need to peck.

Worming them may also help. Some recommend stirring a few tablespoons of diatomaceous earth into their feed once a month or so to treat/prevent worms naturally. I do this with my birds, but I don't know how I would tell if they had worms. They all have all of their feathers though, and are happy and active, so it doesn't seem to hurt them.

There's lots of advice online about breaking a hen of being broody. I haven't encountered this yet, but I think it can be harmful if it goes on too long, as they eat and drink very little when they think they are sitting on a nest.

There's never a guarantee that any animal you take in will thrive, but does that mean you shouldn't try? Especially since you don't have other chickens to worry about bringing potential chicken sickness to. It sounds like they will have a far better chance for a happier and probably a longer life with you than where they are now. Best of luck if you do go for it!

 

[Shezadandy]

I would take them!! The one with no butt feathers is exactly how one of mine used to look. She and her sister just picked their feathers off - until her sister died - and she regrew ALL her feathers. They had 20% protein 24/7/365 and yet, just couldn't resist. You can get (or make) hen saddles/aprons for anyone with a bare back- that will protect the skin. We're headed for molting season (when all the feathers fall out and they regrow new ones) anyways - so this feather situation should resolve shortly.

Dusting with "poultry dust" (usually it's some kind of 'garden and poultry dust') shouldn't hurt and is cheap insurance. If you take them, get hands on- look around the vent, under the wings- just slowly move feathers around- if there are creepy crawlies, they won't be hard to find, or partially submerge them to see if anything goes running - or if you find bugs in the bucket.

For the girl who is brooding, read up on how to break a broody hen - it's for her own good. If she goes broody again later you can either get her chicks, eggs to hatch …

Sorry if I've duplicated anything- those are my thoughts. They deserve better even if they never lay a single egg again!

 

[lynnseym]

We are going to do all the things suggested and we have decided to take them in because they deserve a better life and are so docile and sweet even if they don't lay eggs for much longer!
You are all amazing to help us and thank you so much for helping us make this decision! It wasn't one we took lightly but we are excited to bring these girls home with us! And hopefully they grow their feathers back with all the suggestions, etc. We are going to be sure to deworm them with D.E. as mentioned above, I have a ton for my plants and gardens but I didn't realize it could be used for them directly and in their bath. This is awesome!

I'll update later on! Hopefully they last awhile and do much better!

 

[21hens-incharge]

We are going to do all the things suggested and we have decided to take them in because they deserve a better life and are so docile and sweet even if they don't lay eggs for much longer!
You are all amazing to help us and thank you so much for helping us make this decision! It wasn't one we took lightly but we are excited to bring these girls home with us! And hopefully they grow their feathers back with all the suggestions, etc. We are going to be sure to deworm them with D.E. as mentioned above, I have a ton for my plants and gardens but I didn't realize it could be used for them directly and in their bath. This is awesome!

I'll update later on! Hopefully they last awhile and do much better!

Please do your proper research on DE. It is not effective for worming or treating mites.

 

[Shezadandy]

A

We are going to do all the things suggested and we have decided to take them in because they deserve a better life and are so docile and sweet even if they don't lay eggs for much longer!
You are all amazing to help us and thank you so much for helping us make this decision! It wasn't one we took lightly but we are excited to bring these girls home with us! And hopefully they grow their feathers back with all the suggestions, etc. We are going to be sure to deworm them with D.E. as mentioned above, I have a ton for my plants and gardens but I didn't realize it could be used for them directly and in their bath. This is awesome!

I'll update later on! Hopefully they last awhile and do much better!

Awesome!!!!!

But … DE isn't great for chickens- it's fine for plants, but it works on insects because it's sharp shards that cuts into garden pests- not good for breathing in! (more info linked below) Also, compared with other treatments, it's downright ineffective.

Here are some links that will set you on the right path with concise information all in one spot:

The main site: https://the-chicken-chick.com/
About DE: https://the-chicken-chick.com/the-cut-dry-truth-about-diatomaceous/
About worming: https://the-chicken-chick.com/control-treatment-of-worms-in-chickens/
About external parasites: https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

 

[ValerieJ]

See this is what my mom said, she was very concerned that because I have the tendency to want to save everything that we are going to be disappointed if they don't do well but in my mind I'm saving them from a crap living situation and bringing them into a good one. IDK what to do to be honest. They really are sweet girls too, they have been handled a lot and we have kids so that was a big thing for me.

I'm always on the side of rescue concerning any animal or bird. Don't let it be a bad experience. Know going in that something can go wrong and you could lose one or all of them, but in the meantime you will have done what you can to give them a chance. I think when you treat them for mites, that would take care of lice too, but I'm not positive because I haven't dealt with either before. Good nutrition and eradicating the bugs will eventually improve their feathers and health. Being in a small area probably has something to do with feather loss too, and the one without so much feather loss is the one most likely pecking at the others. More space, and some obstacles in their space, will improve this.

You just might have a wonderful experience rescuing these hens. And trust me, you'll get more chickens when they stop laying, or before. I let my chickens live out their lives when they quit laying. They really do become pets.

Good luck. And thanks for saving these little ladies!!!

 

[ValerieJ]

We are going to do all the things suggested and we have decided to take them in because they deserve a better life and are so docile and sweet even if they don't lay eggs for much longer!
You are all amazing to help us and thank you so much for helping us make this decision! It wasn't one we took lightly but we are excited to bring these girls home with us! And hopefully they grow their feathers back with all the suggestions, etc. We are going to be sure to deworm them with D.E. as mentioned above, I have a ton for my plants and gardens but I didn't realize it could be used for them directly and in their bath. This is awesome!

I'll update later on! Hopefully they last awhile and do much better!

I'm so happy you are taking them in!!! If you decide to use DE, be sure it is FGDE. If you do not see any mites on them, then all you really need to do to improve their health is give them some nutritious food.

 

[Matieus27]

If the one hen is really constantly broody like that sleep some real eggs under her and let her hatch them then you'll have new babies already, for the most part, integrated into the flock and then you'll have more chickies

 

[ValerieJ]

The broody hen seems to be missing more feathers than any of the other hens. Could it be that she is not actually broody, but trying to stay away from the hens that are pulling her feathers out? Does she growl when you try to pick her up? What happens when you take her off the nest and put her on the ground? Does she immediately fluff up and lay sort of spread out and flat?

If the one hen is really constantly broody like that sleep some real eggs under her and let her hatch them then you'll have new babies already, for the most part, integrated into the flock and then you'll have more chickies

I wouldn't do this if she is broody and has been for a while. She needs to get up and eat and drink. They lose a lot of weight when they are broody, and her health is already compromised because she's been trying to survive on scratch grains.