Why is it so hard to find to buy clean chickens free of parasites???

[arianna]

I have just got back from a 50 mile drive one way to buy two bantam polish mix hens from someone who advertised on Craiglist as “ hand raised, very tame, and healthy chickens for a good home only” In the emails exchanged with the seller she assured me of how well this chickens are taking care of and how she spoils them with snacks.
So I was very excited about this trip. When I got there I found a small farm with few horses, two beautiful peacocks free range, few pigeons, and 20 or so mix breeds polish mix with a nice puff on their head (mostly roosters), some free range with access to a large barn.
The lady of the house was not at home so I was left to deal with her husband, who apparently knew nothing about chickens. Everything looked ok until I saw the inside of the barn and then I knew there is got to be at least lice on those chickens. Of course I check them out and, yes, they where full of lice, but not skinny. Unfortunately one of the hens I went to buy had some very bad problems with her feet (one toe was broken, hanging on the side, very swollen, looked like a very bad case of bumble feet), while the other hen turn up to be a .....rooster

.
So you can guess my disappointment, also when I mention the lice, the husband was clearly offended and acted like he has never heard of any chicken parasites….yet they have chickens for years…
In the end, I looked at the other hens, and checked few others that had an “interesting” look but they where so wild that I could barely hold them in my hands (and those where supposed to be “tame” chickens). I end up buying one hen (at least I hope is a hen) who either has 5 toes or 4 toes and a very long spur?

I know silkies have 5 toes, and since some of those chickens have some polish in them I didn’t know if this one is supposed to have 5 toes or not.

The hen is pretty wild, she flew out of my hands in the house, and went full speed in the window, almost give me a hearth attack

, poor thing. I taught she broke her neck, but she seems to be fine now, she even ate something.
I don't understand why some people do this. Since this chickens where free range during the day, if they would have a clean sleeping area, I'm sure they wouldn't have any parasites. In the few emails exchanged with the lady of the house she was telling me of how she spoils them with treats because she loves her chickens, yet she keeps them to sleep in a dirty barn with no nesting boxes, and proper set up.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Oh no. I'm sorry for the chickens and also sorry that you were subjected to that. Well, you at least saved them from that lifestyle. Sorry that you didn't get what you were promised as far as how the chickens were being kept and cared for. Well now they are in your hands and you will now be able to give them the life that they never had.

Some people think that they are giving the best care to their chickens but they really aren't. I wonder if you were really exchanging emails with the lady of the house OR the man of the filthy barn.

 

[teach1rusl]

Many people keep chickens that way...it's the old way really. She may really love them, but just views them as basic livestock, no frills. So they probably are never inspected for ailments. The place we got our rooster from was like that. Very nice people, and their animals were well fed, but many of the chickens looked "rough." And our roo also had parasites and leg mites. Droppings crusted and piled on roosts, nest box perches, etc. It kind of gave me the heebie jeebies. But it was obvious that they really like their birds - just the way they were accustomed to providing for them. My girls are fairly pampered pets, and I'm a clean freak with my coop, so it was a bit much for me. Everybody has such different views of chicken care...

 

[arianna]

Quote:
Thank you countrygirl for your kind comment. She will be very well taking care of and loved.
I just felt bad for the other ones, specially since in the group there was a mother hen with three small chicks hiding underneath her and as cute as they could be, that will probable have a short life if not cleaned of lice in time.
I always believed that those who can't properly take care of an animal (not necessarily intentionally, it can be just lack of time or money) in that case they probable shouldn't have any animals.
On the other hand, the chickens where not unhappy. They had plenty of space to run around at least.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Sorry for your experience! That certainly is frustrating!

Good news is that you have a hen. She looks like an OEGB, but the fifth toe makes me think possibly some mix in her background. If she is indeed an OEGB, you should have NO problem taming her up quickly. They are very personable birds.

 

[key west chick]

I got a chicken years back that had coryza. It was in a box and since it was someone from here, I trusted them enough to not look. About half way home, the smell started making its way to the front of my car. By the time I got home, I could hardly stand it. How this person never noticed while boxing her up, I'll never know. Got her home and snotty crusted nose to boot. She was gone the next day... would NEVER knowingly sell a sick chicken. But some people have no scrupples when it comes to money.

 

[arianna]

Quote:
You right about that. I am a clean freak as well but mostly because I look at them as pets with a very useful purpose, while my 3 year old little girl loves to hold and pet them.
At least they where happy, wild, but free range and happy.