Unknown Disgusting Smell- Rescue Chickens

[springchicken10]

Hi All, Okay, I wasn't planning on it. Daddy came home from some place where the owner was getting busted for having too many filthy, uncared for animals. They were going to euthanize the chickens so Daddy took two home. Of course I did NOT put them in with my healthy ones. They are in a large cage 400 ft away from them. They have a horrific smell. It may be decomp, I really wouldn't know but it's not just chicken poop. I gave them hay, feed and water and a covering. But before that I hosed down their legs. I didn't want to get them all wet. What can I do to help this smell go away? Is it safe to sprinkle Bicarbonate of soda on them? At this point I don't even want to touch them but I do feel very sorry for these poor creatures even if they are only chickens. They are active and seem healthy. What can I do to clean them? Thanks so very much.

 

[Peep_Show]

Sounds like a chicken bath is in order. And when you're doing so you'll see just what kind of condition the skin is and if there's parasites, etc.

Nice of you to rescue the birds. What kind are they?

Good luck!

 

[only1bgirl]

Did their feet look okay on the bottoms? They probably need a good bath especially if they were living in squalor, who knows what they were stuck living in. Good for you taking them in!

 

[cafarmgirl]

It may be nice to rescue them but the risk of bringing home disease is terribly high. Hopefully the bad smell is not coryza. To be honest, 400 feet away is not far enough, not in my opinion! If these birds are carrying some nasty disease it's not far enough! I would put them up in a building if at all possible, a garage, barn, shed, back porch, anything to help prevent airborn spread of anything they might have. If you are lucky it's as simple as poor husbandry and dirty birds. I hope you are lucky. Make sure you always take care of them last, don't care for them then go to your other coop of birds. Don't wear the same clothes or shoes around them and then out to the other coop. I know it may sound extreme but there's nothing quite as discouraging as finding out that some new birds have brought some nasty disease to your previously healthy flock that you will now have to deal with indefinitely or cull. Quarantine no less then 30 days, longer is probably better in a case like this. Sometimes before we do something nice we have to consider the potential risks to the birds we already have at home.

 

[dawg53]

x2 What Cafarmgirl stated.
If the bad odor is coming from around the head area and there's facial swelling, runny nostrils, rales...it would mostly be coryza and if it is, I recommend you cull them.
If there arnt coryza symptoms like I mentioned, inspect them closely for injuries and wounds, external parasites and worm them. Remember biosecurity and good luck.

 

[springchicken10]

They are mostly white with fine black and white feathers around the neck ruff area. They have rather long legs. They have no tails but they were possibly bitten off. They are eating and drinking this morning. They actually seem SLIGHTLY less stinky but I wouldn't put any money on it.

WHAT is a chicken bath? How do you do it, what do you use? I thought that they should not be wet all over.

They do not have any signs of disease. The only thing is they are filthy and one has a raw butt from some other one plucking feathers out.

THANKS to ALL you folks for helping!!!

 

[springchicken10]

Yes, you are so right. But most people don't even have 400 feet to work with. Now, to be honest, wild birds which have much closer access to our flocks, can be carrying anything to them. I put on plastic grocery bags over my shoes and rubber gloves to care for them today! Shades of ebola. I took everything off outside and put all of it in the trash can before coming near the house. Then I put all my clothes in the wash with bleach. I do realize how easily stuff can spread. I am somewhat ****** at my hubby for being so kind as to take these home but once they were home and made contact with the property I figured the atom bomb had already been dropped. But they are far as can be from my coop. I'm not putting them in the barn because that's quite close to the coop. Thank you so very much for your advice. Can I put Sevin dust on tem? I DONT want to pick them up or touch them. Any ideas? Thanks again

 

[StephensonC]

They are mostly white with fine black and white feathers around the neck ruff area. They have rather long legs. They have no tails but they were possibly bitten off. They are eating and drinking this morning. They actually seem SLIGHTLY less stinky but I wouldn't put any money on it.

WHAT is a chicken bath? How do you do it, what do you use? I thought that they should not be wet all over.

They do not have any signs of disease. The only thing is they are filthy and one has a raw butt from some other one plucking feathers out.

THANKS to ALL you folks for helping!!!

When you give them a bath, be prepared for that smell to extremely intensify. I had to give one due to being poop on under the roost. It was all over her and runny. When I put her in the water, the smell was so much worse. I just used Dawn dishwashing liquid added to warm water. Some feathers I had to massage it in, to loosen up the dried poop. Be sure to blow dry them on warm setting and make sure they are dry before putting them back outside. Most seem not to mind the bath or blow dryer.

 

[21hens-incharge]

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/02/how-to-give-chicken-bath.html

I find a lot of useful information here.

I think perhaps a bath as well so you can assess the birds skin.

 

[hennible]

Keep an eye out for fly strike that apparently can smell quite bad too...