Rescue hens-update

[Nancyjane]

Well my 2 leghorns that I rescued from the humane society (chicken place went out of business and was going to put down 600 chickens. They were distributed throughout CA) are looking better. Their feathers are starting to fill in and the swelling from the hormones is going down.
Having grown up in a cage, they didn't know what a nest was! They were just laying wherever the eggs dropped!
I realized their lack of feathers wouldn't let them fly up to the nest boxes, so I built a ladder up to them. No soap! Still eggs all over the place (at least they're laying!).
I got some cardboard boxes and some straw/hay scraps from the feed store and made 2 nesting boxes on the ground. Put some golf balls in to give them the idea. NOPE! Found an egg right NEXT to the nest box!
Finally, yesterday I found an egg in the nest! I'm hoping the other one gets the idea!

 

[ChickLuver]

I think it is AMAZING that you took those birds in!!!

We need more people to do that.

I wish I could find a place like that around here. They'll get the idea with the eggs. Are they friendly or scared of you? Poor babies

 

[CovenantCreek]

Glad to hear they're adapting. I'm sure they'll eventually understand what the nests are for. After such a traumatic start to their lives it might take a little longer than you would expect, but they'll get there.

 

[birdlover]

Nancyjane, you are a DEAR to give these girls a nice home. I can't believe they were going to destroy 600 chickens!!!

I'm sure they'll adjust after a while. Do they scratch in the dirt like normal chickens, come for treats yet, know who you are? I also read where you had two RIR's and one died. Was it the one that lost all her feathers? So you have 3 chickens or more? Excuse my nosiness. I currently don't have chickens so I have to live vicariously through people like you!

 

[tiki244]

Thats really neat Nancyjane. I am glad that they can start to be chickens.

 

[Barn Maid Ann]

That is kind of funny that they lay wherever. Well, not really funny - haha, but funny in a cute, pathetic kind of way. I'm sure they will figure it out, eventually. Their instincts must be burried in there somewhere, still.
You are a dear to help them out and give them a chance at a decent life.

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

Aww, poor things. I'll bet it was a major adjustment coming out of that cage into the big world. Thank you for saving them.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Quote:
I agree that you did a goo dthing by giving these girls a home. Eventually they'll figure out the where-to-lay thing. Patience and diligence will help.

As for destroying 600 birds, when commercial egg layers pass peak production age, this is what happens to them.

The local egg farm sells the hens for $1 each, however their beaks are trimmed and a friend of mine said she had a hard time keeping the hens at a healthy weight.

This is why I got chickens in the first place. I never knew I'd fall in love with the silly critters.

 

[Nancyjane]

Well thanks for the compliments on taking them in! I wish I could have taken them all! LOL
To answer several questions. Now I have 3 hens. The origional RIR and the 2 rescue leghorns (who are laying 2-3 per week even in January!)
The leghorns are VERY skittish and won't let me near them. Now that we're having some beautiful CA weather, I'll have to take a milk crate out to sit on and try to feed them some treats to get them to come to me.
Maybe I'll put one of the cardboard nests outside where the one girl keeps laying and see if she'll hop into the nest, then gradually move it inside. The other one is using the same nest each time.
Hopefully, in the next month or so I'll find out if the remaining RIR was the layer or the one with mal- formed eggs that only layed one pathetic mis-shapen puny egg every 2-3 weeks, even in summer.

 

[DDRanch]

Nancyjane,
Good for you and hang in there. It will take some TLC for these rescue hens to learn how to be chickens. Where in Ca are you?

Anne