Rescued two hens need help!

[jakemunro]

Hi I work at a public park and noticed two hens running around for about two weeks, There are no houses near this area so I am assuming they were dumped. So I decided to bring them home. They have a nice coop and run and all the essentials. I am new to chickens and want to give them the best life possible. I have no idea what to look for if they have mites/ lice or some sort of illness or what breed they are or how old they are. Here is a pic of them

 

[Flock Master64]

How big is their coop and run?

Are they laying eggs at all?

It's hard to tell the breed and age but they both look like hens and the black one looks like a barred rock or a Dominique hen I'm not sure about the white one. Do you think you could get better pictures?

 

[jakemunro]

Here is a picture of the coop and the run is 4"x8"

Ya I can try to get a better picture tomorrow morning, they are both in for the night. And I have had them for about 5 days now and haven't seen them even touch there nesting bed, they sleep on the perches in the coop.

 

[jakemunro]

Idk if this picture will help any.

 

[Nineplus5]

Good on you Jake!

 

[Flock Master64]

That's normal. Chickens like to sleep up high and nest down low. They're probably still nervous and getting used to their new home wich is probably why they're not laying yet so no worries there. As of checking for lice and mites you could go out after dark with a flash light and move there feathers around until you see their skin. If you do this you should be able to see any lice or mites moving around but they are tiny and hard to see. They can be treated with different types of sprays

 

[Flock Master64]

...

Idk if this picture will help any.[/quote

I'm still not sure about the white one but I bet there are people around here who know

 

[jakemunro]

That's normal. Chickens like to sleep up high and nest down low. They're probably still nervous and getting used to their new home wich is probably why they're not laying yet so no worries there. As of checking for lice and mites you could go out after dark with a flash light and move there feathers around until you see their skin. If you do this you should be able to see any lice or mites moving around but they are tiny and hard to see. They can be treated with different types of sprays

Thank you I will go try and look. Any suggestions on sprays if they do end up having them? And also best material for dust baths?

 

[Flock Master64]

Sorry I don't none of my chickens have ever had mites or lice to I've had no reason to use the sprays. For dust bathing you could just turn up some dirt in their run or get an old tire or something and fill it with loose dirt or sand and they will role around in that

 

[rosemarythyme]

Unless they seem to be showing signs of skin problems or irritation I wouldn't worry about treating for lice and mites. Providing a dust bath would be a great help to them in controlling those pests - it can be as simple as a pit with a combination of any/all of the following: clean soil, sand, peat moss, wood ash. My birds just roll around in my garden soil or in a corner where I dumped a little peat moss.

Once they are settled down, if you feel comfortable trying to handle them, you can do a physical check for pests if that's a concern. The Chicken Chick site has some photos http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html