Rescued a chicken and don't know how to help it recover

[luvmychickens13]

I found an add on craigslist for chickens and decided to get a pullet, so I drove out and met the man selling, only to find that the man had his chickens in a cramped, hot, dusty, and dirty box that smelled so rank that I almost gagged when I came in. The poor pathetic animals in the box were so pitiful that you almost couldn't tell that they were chickens! To make everything 10x worse, the man obviously didn't care about them at all, because he threw them to the ground when he was done with them and thought as them only as food. (At this point I was a mix of horrified and outraged

at the horrible treatment of these beautiful animals that God created, and the tender-hearted me was pushed over the edge by what happened next) Then the man picks up a bird roughly and starts to "Feel and see if the chicken has balls". I almost threw up. I got out of there as fast as I could with only one hen, ( I would have taken them all if I could have) but when I got home, I wasn't sure what to do to help the poor thing. When I put it outside, it didn't even know how to eat grass!!!!! I would like your input on how to help this chicken recuperate. Also, what should I do about introducing it to my other chickens? Will they pick on it extra because it hasn't been outside almost at all?

 

[Marmalade Hens]

Poor chook! Make sure to keep it in a warm place with fresh hay or wood clippings and I recommend treating it with a few raisins or some oatmeal, my chickens always love them. Also Keep it hydrated. Good luck, hope she gets better.
-M.H

 

[Judy]

The first consideration should be preventing this chicken from bringing a disease into your flock. The article linked below tells in detail about quarantining a new bird, and also talks about how to introduce birds once they have been through quarantine. I would check her carefully for lice and mites, too.

As for recovery, she should begin to scratch and forage for food instinctively. If it's not sick, then fresh food and water, along with grass to forage on and sunshine should work wonders, in time. Good luck!

 

[Fancychooklady]

Bio security is of utmost importance when introducing new birds to your flock. A quarantine period of 4 weeks is recommended . If he had no regard for his birds he probably didn't care to much about disease either. I would delice her with a good poultry dust and worm her twice ,10 days apart. There are avian vitamin, electrolyte and probiotic powders that you add to the water , it wouldn't hurt for everyone to get some in their water. What do her legs look like, are they clean?

 

[Fancychooklady]

The first consideration should be preventing this chicken from bringing a disease into your flock.  The article linked below tells in detail about quarantining a new bird, and also talks about how to introduce birds once they have been through quarantine.  I would check her carefully for lice and mites, too.

As for recovery, she should begin to scratch and forage for food instinctively.  If it's not sick, then fresh food and water, along with grass to forage on and sunshine should work wonders, in time.  Good luck!

Lol, beat me to it.

 

[luvmychickens13]

The chicken I got from him is only 9 weeks old and is not yet laying. How do I check my chickens for lice, mites, and other diseases they may have?

 

[Fancychooklady]

Check around the vent and under the wings , sometimes just handling them for 10 mins will have you scratching if the are infested. This link should help you with the mite and lice identification .

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html

Some are minute.

 

[Judy]

For scaly leg mites, the link below has an excellent pic (if you click n it) of what they look like. Treat by smothering with cooking oil, Pam, Vaseline, etc.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ed-best-easiest-quickest-solution-scaley/0_20

 

[luvmychickens13]

Great news, I couldn't find any mites or lice on her, but she is very skittish and scarred. Also, she keeps trying to find a way into my chicken coop where the rest of my chickens are, should I let her in with them?

 

[Fancychooklady]

If you do you may put the rest of your flock at risk of disease. It's a personal choice and only one you can make.