What is this?

[redvespa90]

This morning I acquired a chicken from a friend who picked it up in the middle of downtown. We suspect it is an escapee from the local chicken plant.

I'd love any help I can get - it sure is an ugly ugly chicken. It has poop all over, but I don't want to hose it off because its so cold outside. I have a baby in the house so I'm a little wary of bringing the chicken inside and possibly giving my son some weird sickness.

Its vent area/underside looks EXTREMELY raw and bright red - what is this, and what can I do to help it?

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

That's a Cornish cross (meat bird). It must have escaped from the chicken plant. They weren't bred to live that long, so you may have to butcher it... although some people here on BYC have had CornishX's live for a long time. Sometimes the red is just the natural color of the skin down there.

 

[rollkeeg877]

well those chickens are treated so badly my father works at a chicken plant and he's told me some pretty nasty chicken stories about chickens that have had to heads and 4 wings but those chickens are not used they get killed and thrown out ad no one is suppose to know about them so it don't suprise me that the chicken has that problem

 

[willowbranchfarm]

You will also have to watch what he eats. Since he is a meat bird he will gain weight very fast.

Sorry meant she.

 

[redvespa90]

So you do think its a girl? Since she's a meat bird, will she really eat until she dies of her own weight? I can't quite figure out what I'm supposed to do with her. I was going to get one other laying hen so she could have company, but would I have to restrict both of their diets?

 

[willowbranchfarm]

So you do think its a girl? Since she's a meat bird, will she really eat until she dies of her own weight? I can't quite figure out what I'm supposed to do with her. I was going to get one other laying hen so she could have company, but would I have to restrict both of their diets?

Yes i do think she could eat herself to death. And im not sure on her gender. You could feed them separately .