Rescued some chickens. One is especially bad and sounds funny chirping.

[Lyris]

There's a "hatchery" nearby that "rescued" some chickens. (Which gets posted here once in a blue moon.) The chickens ended up being rescued from the "rescue" and I ended up with some. They're all mangled from stress, but this girl worries me the most. Her comb is droopier than the others, and she sounds.... Congested? When she chirps. In the few hours I've had the chickens four others have begun eating/drinking. This girl has been hiding and sleeping. Even when you pick her up she just sleeps.

They've all been quickly checked by a vet for illnesses, and non of the other people have reported illness with their chickens.

Should I just leave her and give her more time? Try to get fluids down? I'm really worried about her.

You can kinda hear her congested cough here. There's another chicken clucking over her. (They DO have a coop. These two escaped when I was taking them out of the box I transported in and hid from me)

 

[AltonaAcres]

I would give it time. She has no other symptoms correct? Probably she's just still a mess after her previous owner.

 

[Lyris]

I would give it time. She has no other symptoms correct? Probably she's just still a mess after her previous owner.

No symptoms but the congested chirping and sleeping. She's a bit bloody from stress plucking, but I assume that's unrelated. She's also incredibly timid and panicked.

Her friends do have really runny poop though.

 

[DogAndCat36]

There's a "hatchery" nearby that "rescued" some chickens. (Which gets posted here once in a blue moon.) The chickens ended up being rescued from the "rescue" and I ended up with some. They're all mangled from stress, but this girl worries me the most. Her comb is droopier than the others, and she sounds.... Congested? When she chirps. In the few hours I've had the chickens four others have begun eating/drinking. This girl has been hiding and sleeping. Even when you pick her up she just sleeps.

They've all been quickly checked by a vet for illnesses, and non of the other people have reported illness with their chickens.

Should I just leave her and give her more time? Try to get fluids down? I'm really worried about her.

View attachment 2165465

You can kinda hear her congested cough here. There's another chicken clucking over her. (They DO have a coop. These two escaped when I was taking them out of the box I transported in and hid from me)

Poor, poor, baby. I don't know much about chickens' lung problems but they are the thing that usually kills chickens when they are not in their prime. I hope that she gets better.
Let's just hope that she was just screaming a lot and it hurt her throat (even though this is not good either)I also see that she is debeaked, maybe it is messing with her throat? Also as you said, she does have some behavioral issues, like feather plucking.
So far as I know, it is best to give her some good food, a hidey place, electro lights in the water, sunbathing area, and a perch.
Yet again though, I am not an expert. Let's just hope that she gets better.

P.s. It is awesome that you saved her and her sibling, it shrivels my heart when people "rescue" animals and are not suitable for raising the animal and then thus bringing the animal into another place that is horrible. They need to remember that pets do not just exist to appease them, it should be a mirror of care.

 

[Lyris]

Poor, poor, baby. I don't know much about chickens' lung problems but they are the thing that usually kills chickens when they are not in their prime. I hope that she gets better.
Let's just hope that she was just screaming a lot and it hurt her throat (even though this is not good either)I also see that she is debeaked, maybe it is messing with her throat? Also as you said, she does have some behavioral issues, like feather plucking.
So far as I know, it is best to give her some good food, a hidey place, electro lights in the water, sunbathing area, and a perch.
Yet again though, I am not an expert. Let's just hope that she gets better.

P.s. It is awesome that you saved her and her sibling, it shrivels my heart when people "rescue" animals and are not suitable for raising the animal and then thus bringing the animal into another place that is horrible. They need to remember that pets do not just exist to appease them, it should be a mirror of care.

The "farm" took in four thousand chickens to breed and resell. They left them in a yard with no food/water/shelter. There's videos of hundreds of dead chickens just laying around. When people began saving them, the kids who put them in boxes and such just grabbed their feet/wings/heads and tossed them into boxes. They come with broken beaks, toenails, feet... All are horribly plucked. Non of them no the concept of shade. There's only a few hundred left to rescue fortunately. I could only take six since the "rescue" insists on charging per chicken, but that's better than non!

So far I have four eating. After a good snuggle session a fifth began eating slowly as well. They're too terrified of the large dog crate I have them in for isolation, so they're running loose in my garage (which is nearly empty due to me being in the middle of organizing. Nothing dangerous) they're all hiding behind my secured freezer for warmth and hiding places.


The one I posted about took a small nibble of food before going back to hiding. Now I have a second who won't eat. He's terrified. When he sees me he hides under the other chickens. When I pick him up he shivers. The congested one worries me the most, but this guy comes in second.

 

[Hotpocket52]

Good God! It's hard to believe anything can survive like that. I usually give my sickly/rescued ones vitamins and additives to their water. They never quite look super good when they heal (missing feathers and bald spots) but you notice the improvement is way better than when they were sick. A vet is the best option, I always keep an emergency exotic vet number on my fridge. They might also recommend a good temporary diet that doesn't overwhelm their digestion.

 

[Neggative]

they should heal right up! not sure on the last one but the top one looks like its been debeaked... never saw one on here before.....

 

[Lyris]

they should heal right up! not sure on the last one but the top one looks like its been debeaked... never saw one on here before.....

What does debeaked mean? I have either two or three with beaks like him. They're kinda crooked at the ends as well. I also have crooked toenails to deal with once I tend to the broken ones.

Good God! It's hard to believe anything can survive like that. I usually give my sickly/rescued ones vitamins and additives to their water. They never quite look super good when they heal (missing feathers and bald spots) but you notice the improvement is way better than when they were sick. A vet is the best option, I always keep an emergency exotic vet number on my fridge. They might also recommend a good temporary diet that doesn't overwhelm their digestion.

Do you buy the vitamins? What kind? These were quickly checked by a vet, but I have another on standby. They're... Not surviving at the farm. Without getting too graphic, there's now piles of bodies everywhere. They only began making piles when it became well known what was going on. There's only a few hundred left to rescue, bit so many were needlessly lost.

Secondary question, can I bathe them? The second one is so terrified that he say in his own poo on the way to my place. It stinks. I worry about him getting cold.

And third question, the super runny poop. Will that firm up as they calm down/get on a better diet?

And I guess a fourth question, what kind of diet do you suggest? Currently they're on my chick starter food for the night. I wasn't expecting them until next week. Tomorrow I can get them a better diet. Should I start slowly and work to healthy, or just jump right in? They weren't getting fed at all on the farm. If they were it wasn't nearly enough.


Wilted comb has kinda perked up. No food or water really, though. She's pecked at some mushy food a bit. Currently she's packed behind my deep freezer with four friends. They scream in sheer terror if I try to get them out. I checked to make sure there's no cords in the way and am just leaving them to it for the night. They're smashed against the motor part of the freezer where it's warm. While it's not ideal it's at least safe. The other two are in the dog crate/isolation coop, and one has vanished in my garage somewhere to hide. I set food and water in six different places and removed anything dangerous for the night. I'm really concerned about Wilted Beak. He doesn't look happy at all.

 

[Neggative]

debeaking is basically chopping off the front of their beaks when their chicks... it helps with canablism and stuff....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debeaking

 

[Hotpocket52]

I would get a heat lamp quick if they are missing feathers and seaking heat. I think chick starter is ok but I would look into maybe something like grass or hay or fresh vegetables, but might consult a vet or professional as it might give diarrhea. Maybe the higher protein of the chick starter could be good but not sure. Maybe keep contact limited if people stress them out, over time they will associate you with food so it takes time before they will be ok around you.