Boy this thread could get me going.
In my lifetime, I have rescued numerous animals....cats and parrots: NEVER AGAIN! Dogs, I might rescue again. And no matter what the animal it is always the same things over and over and over again. And I just don't get it. As Howard says sometimes it is the naïveté of new owners that gets them in trouble. I can understand that. But RESPONSIBLE and caring owners take that learning curve and learn from it and do better. As that saying goes; when you know better you can do better. And I am by no means perfect. The mistakes I made years ago that cost an animal its life haunt me. I try hard not to repeat those mistakes. Chickens are prey and they know it. To put them in harm's way or in a situation where they can't use their instincts to protect themselves is to me reprehensible. I have nothing against free ranging. I can't do it at this time because my yard is such that they would have no way to hide or protect themselves...with tons of hawks overhead. In the future I may be able to change that. So for now they are in a (Fort Knox) house at night and in a run inside a pen during the day. I have been called neurotic and picky because even now I am still tweaking defenses on that house. Because they are virtually a roosting buffet at night if anything should get in. And don't think for a second that every predator out there doesn't know that a roosting chicken is an easy meal. Of course they do.
It has been mentioned that Disney has ruined us as far as animals are concerned. I couldn't agree more. That is all too many people know or understand about nature. I was in that spot at one time too. Then a little spike deer that I had been feeding for a year chased me and taught me that not even Bambi is always sweet. (an aside here: has anyone looked at how many people get injured by DEER each year?) Nature is cruel most of the time and does not care about our boundaries or that our chickens are meant to be ours and not theirs. Nature didn't get that memo.
I think too part of the problem is that people are oblivious. I spend a ton of time watching nature outside my door. I get called nutty for that too. And I guess one of my pet peeves is when people INSIST certain predators don't exist at their house. Don't bet on it! Just because you haven't seen them does not mean they are not there. Even in the city. When we lived in the city I saw and knew full well that skunks, possums and raccoons visited my yard...and one night a bear! Predators aren't going to jump out and let you know they are there. If they were always that obvious they would starve because then their prey would know they were around too! I am in the country now and I KNOW just about any predator one can imagine is close by. So I plan even for the ones I haven't seen. But I know that possibly there will be a time that something figures out my defenses and takes advantage of it. And I hope I learn from it.
As far as food. It is not one size fits all for all situations. Things will work for you until they don't work...then you need to rethink. Soooo many disagreements on this in parrot rescue.
Not as many with chickens but some it seems. I preach probiotics pretty much for all animals. If you can help them keep a strong immune system they have a much better chance of fighting off stuff. If something you are feeding doesn't seem to be working ...change it! Add to it. Do something because nutrition can make a huge difference in how long they live and how well they produce. I always say variety is the spice of life and though it can get interesting doing that with a run, I still manage to throw them something to forage daily....along with their regular feed.
And I guess in the scheme of things a nutritious feed alone will keep them healthy but how boring. So I do the best I can. It is all anybody can do....and listen to advice from experienced keepers when given.
And I got going....sorry.
How silly can people be? I got some raised eyebrows when I said mink existed around here. Good heavens...we are only a few miles from the river and besides that...why don't they check their state natural resources site. The WV site says there is a thriving population of both weasel and minks. 
