Rescuing neglected chickens...help!

[CCUK]

Thanks so much everyone, you guys are awesome! The girls are all tucked in for the night after being dusted, feet Vaseline’d and crops full of food and fresh water. They looked pretty cozy in their new home together before I turned off the heat lamp for the night.
Before I sign off for the night- I quickly checked some of their poops from when they were in the cat carriers and didn’t see any worms. Should I go ahead and treat for worms anyways?
I also looked them over and,m found no lice either. Or at least, not a single lice egg on their feather shafts. That was a pretty big surprise. If they had any mites, would there be any visible evidence? Either way, I dusted them for safe measure. Their combs/wattles seem pretty pale to me, as if they’re a little anemic. What do you guys think?
After they got some food and water, all 4 of them perked right up. None of them are noticeably lethargic. Aside from being a little underweight and pale, they all seem pretty dang healthy, considering. We’ll see how they are tomorrow, but what would you guys do in terms of the dewormer? I don’t want to do anything unnecessary that might compromise their health, ya know?
Until then, have a good night y’all! Thanks again for all the help. So far, so good!
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They look great! Definitely not as bad as I was expecting. They've definitely pulled the luck card being rehomed with you. You've done a great job on the coop! For scaly mites on them, because they have feathers, it would be best to get a bowl of parrafin oil and get them to stand in it for a few minutes. Do this a couple of times a week for two weeks and that should kill all the mites. Surgical spirits also works. Ivermectin drops will also kill off any other mites that may be lurking. They may well not be laying at the moment hence pale combs but you'll find out soon enough!

 

[77horses]

Those are incredibly pretty girls. I am so happy for you all.
I feel like it is like the last episode of the 77horse Rescue. Being you have a large audience of BYC vested and hanging on the edge of their seats can we have a season 2?!! Like the first 2 weeks of settling in?

I think I’ll start a new thread just with updates on them going forward! I’ll add the link here when I get a chance to create it! Thank you so much

 

[77horses]

They are very pretty... So glad they are in much better shape than expected! Expect the worst and you will often be pleasantly surprised, yes?

With the feathered feet and general fluffiness (so adorable!) maybe a chemical mite/lice treatment wouldn’t be a bad idea? Ivermectin if you have access to it, it’s supposed to be effective against leg mites too, and with those feathered feet I can’t imagine the Vaseline is much fun for anyone involved. People with way more knowledge than me will give you good advice on this very soon I am sure!

In the meantime, congratulations, you’ve done a wonderful thing in re-homing these beauties where they can be properly loved and cared for. I think this is just so kind and awesome! Great work so far

Hmm I might look into the Ivermectin. Honestly the Vaseline treatment wasn’t too bad, I had my SO hold each one while I massaged the Vaseline onto their feet with my hands, with the slightly sweet scent of the cocoa butter mixed in with the Vaseline I felt like I was giving a chicken spa pedicure honestly I thinly they enjoyed it too, as soon as I started massaging it onto their feet they immediately relaxed and seemed pretty content, every single time! I bet it was at least a little soothing lol
Thank you!

 

[77horses]

They look great! Definitely not as bad as I was expecting. They've definitely pulled the luck card being rehomed with you. You've done a great job on the coop! For scaly mites on them, because they have feathers, it would be best to get a bowl of parrafin oil and get them to stand in it for a few minutes. Do this a couple of times a week for two weeks and that should kill all the mites. Surgical spirits also works. Ivermectin drops will also kill off any other mites that may be lurking. They may well not be laying at the moment hence pale combs but you'll find out soon enough!

I’ve never heard of the parrafin oil treatment, I’ll definitely look into it! Thank you! Yes, I do wonder if they’ll start laying at all once they put some weight back on and start getting all their needed nutrients. We’ll see!

 

[77horses]

To me, they look to be in pretty good condition!
How old are they supposed to be?
The combs are a bit pale, but they may not be laying at this time either.

For the deworming. haha! Personally if I were going to deworm I would use a broader spectrum wormer like the Safeguard or Valbazen as discussed. Since you have Wazine, that would take care of any roundworms they have but nothing else.
Most of the time the only worms you would see in the poop would be roundworms if there is a heavy infestation or possibly tapeworm segments. Usually worms are not seen at all. A fecal float would give you information.

Huh, I’ve never heard of pale combs being correlated with not laying- can someone explain this more? Is it just something normal with older hens? Or are their combs pale because they haven’t been getting enough nutrients and that’s also why they’re not laying? They’re about 4 years old. How old do (healthy) hens usually get before they stop laying?
For the dewormer- I think I’ll look into getting the Valbazen, just to be safe. Thank you!

 

[77horses]

I remember reading on here someone successfully uses a cooking oil spray to treat scaly leg mites. It would probably be a lot easier with the feathers. It will still cause dirt to stick though so do you just grin and bare that?
I don't have any feathered feet.. my chickens, that is. What is the story with cutting those feathers while treatment is going on?? I wouldn't like to, but would it make sense? Or could that cause irritation?

They are gorgeous btw I hope they thrive!

I’ve never heard of using spray oil before! We’ll see how the Vaseline works with their feathered feet for now. Maybe trimming the feathers would help, although I’d be worried about mistakenly cutting a blood feather too short or causing irritation. Hmm...

 

[77horses]

They look really good!
In the pics I can see full crops there. I really think they will do well.

As to worming........It is unusual to actually see worms in the droppings unless they have a heavy load. A vet can test the poo for parasites that way you will know for sure if they have any at all.
If you get the poo tested make sure to mix poo from all 4 of the birds. That way no one gets left out of the test and you pay for one test. They look under a microscope for worm eggs.

No they don't have to be a bird vet to do it.

Honestly that's the best route before medicating since different wormers treat for different types.

The test at my vet runs about $50.

The pale combs could be because they recently molted and aren't back to laying yet.

I’ll look into this with the vet we bring our cats and parakeets to! Thank you for the suggestion!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Huh, I’ve never heard of pale combs being correlated with not laying- can someone explain this more? Is it just something normal with older hens? Or are their combs pale because they haven’t been getting enough nutrients and that’s also why they’re not laying? They’re about 4 years old. How old do (healthy) hens usually get before they stop laying?
For the dewormer- I think I’ll look into getting the Valbazen, just to be safe. Thank you!

The comb is a good indicator about laying "status" and other health related issues.
In the photos, they are pale, but I don't see anything that screams "sick". It's more the color of a comb that you see in hens that are out of lay - usually due to molting or in older hens that are taking a winter break.
Their feathers look fairly decent in the photos, so I'm thinking they have gone through their yearly molt and just have not come back into lay yet. As days get longer and light increases, they get settled in, are eating/drinking and put on a little weight, I think you will see the combs pink back up and they will begin to lay. As to how often they will lay, that's to be seen - age, breed and overall health would be factors.

 

[21hens-incharge]

It sounds like they were calm and rather enjoyed the handling during treatments.
Sooooo much nicer than screaming and flapping.



It will be interesting to see what color eggs you get. They are cool looking birds.

 

[MROO]

Before I go collect rescue chickens the absolute necessities are:
Somewhere safe, dry and draft free they can call home
Secure, roofed and wind proofed, with a dry floor. Bedding is needed here, hay or straw do fine, but pine needles are probably better pest wise. I do not heat my coops - these girls come from a factory with round the clock heating. They do perfectly fine once they can get out of the wind/rain. In fact, they often still choose to be outside on wet, windy days, so once their coop is dry and draft free they have always done fine. I do fill a corner with straw as I feel it is warmer for them to snuggle into their first few days, which they do. I don't need to provide roosts for a few weeks as they do not be able to get to them until their strength builds. I need something to hold feed and water in, and a few nest boxes (depending on how many chickens I am taking, one per four seems fine). Cardboard boxes will suffice until something more solid and permanent is arranged. Hardware cloth is your friend. Cover all exteriors with hardware cloth if at all possible. They will need a run also of course, but initially you could put up a temporary run which would need to be supervised until something more permanent.
Feed, Oyster shell & Grit
My local layer feed is 16% protein and I want to give them more than that so I provide an 18% grower feed which I steep in water the night before. For the first few days I also give them greek yoghurt and tinned cat food. They love this and it can get their appetites going as they can be very fretful being in such a new world. It takes time before these girls will see tuna as a food source and not something going to eat them. They initially run away but after a few weeks they love tuna too. After the first week they get only chicken feed available always, and a high protein treat once a week. (I am strict with this. They have been through enough, I do not want to add to a weakened system by diluting their nutrients).
A Sick bay
This simply needs to be somewhere you can put a chicken if it is ill and the others are pecking at it. Blocking off a corner of the coop is perfectly ok. The move can bring out all kinds of things in chickens and the first few weeks are always a time of very close observation.
Poultry Vitamins
They need to build up their strength in the first few months. Once a week I add poultry vitamins to their drinking water.
Sudocreme
The rescue chickens I collect will often be partially naked. This causes pecking (and is mostly from pecking). Sudocreme seems to help - a lot.
Vaseline
Scaley leg mites always present to some extent. To Vaseline their legs now really helps before the problem gets worse.
Permethrin Powder & Spray
Lice and mites often a serious issue upon arrival. Dust each chicken as I am letting them into their new home. The spray is used 10 days later when the chickens get dusted again I spray the coop.
Dog nail clippers/nail foil
Overgrown nails (and beaks/crossbeaks) always an issue. I do this day one also - maintenance required.
Corid.
With my rescue chickens it will be their first time on ground, with yours, it will be new ground. So Coccidiosis is a possibility. If this strikes, you don't want to be going looking for corid, you'll need it straight away and time is of the essence.
Epsom Salts
The stress involved in the move can and does bring on egg binding and other reproductive disorders. An epsom salt bath (or many) is often required within the first few days.

The above are the things I use immediately on collection of the rescue chickens as I am unloading them. They get dusted with Permethrin, nails get clipped (they have been living on wire so terribly long nails), vaseline on their legs for the scaley leg mites, sudocreme on any bare, red or bloody patches, have wet feed ready and clean water with added poultry vitamins alongside oyster shell and grit (beside food so they can find it straight away). The Permethrin spray is for the housing, I don't use the spray on the chickens.

I hold off and wait to see if I feel I need to worm. I know depending on location and weather conditions this seems to be required in some places so a good broad spectrum wormer is probably necessary also.

The above is essential to me before collection. The following have proven to be essential at later times.
Electorlytes - lethargic chicken
Antibiotic Ointment - wounded-open to infection
Tylan 50 - respiratory illnesses
Amoxicillin - internal infections/reproductive disorders
Calcium Supplements - laying issues
B Complex vitamins - deficiency
Bandages
Gauze
Vet wrap
Scalpel (bumblefoot)
Sulfa powder
Manuka honey
For crop issues (which are many with chickens that have only ever had access to pellets and are now on the ground): this article has saved me, and some of my chickens! https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...d-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments.67194/
Also, on hand, I strongly recommend this forum. It should be on every chicken owners list of necessities. Even if you never need to post, you will so often find useful info either in the articles or within the forums.

As a final note, I tend to the 'essential' things I listed above straight away. I find it best to nip things in the bud, also, If you are needing to constantly upset the new chickens by trying to tend to these things over time in the first weeks they will be very skittish and afraid of you. Their priority when they see you will be to hide or get away. My advise is: do as much as you can, as soon as you can, then show the new girls you are someone who feeds them, not someone who upsets them. They will become really friendly really quickly
I am sure I have forgotten to mention some things, but I will think more about it and add to this post when anything comes to me. What an exciting time for you

My avator is my little rescue Dolly (she is a real little dolly bird). I took that photo in her first week with me. I will need to take a new photo and upload it. She is a fine bird and I am only her proud human around 5 months now!

The only thing I would adjust on this is to give the girls a dusting with a good lice & mite treatment (not DE, that's for dust baths) BEFORE putting them in their travel cage and your vehicle. They'll already be stressed as you catch them, and they're probably weak enough to be manageable (haha, I know!) so do it right away to avoid sharing the pets at home. A good dust bath in the corner of your shed would help, too. After the conditions they've been living in, they'll probably think it's a spa!