# Our first chicken - health query



## steffanievt (Aug 31, 2020)

Hi All!

We were not supposed to buy chickens until we could drive across Greece to a breeder that has Australorp, Maran, La Bresse and Plymouth Rock chicks - but my husband decided to come home with a Greek farming chicken. Age unknown, she doesn't have spurs, she was kept in the smallest cage in a truck, and honestly although she doesn't seem ill she also doesn't seem healthy.

I'm aware chickens are not solitary, so a second chicken will be added asap, and we are currently building the coop so she is roaming around my livingroom pecking at a snack plate I made her, and some chicken food.

Now - I'm brand new to owning chickens, not new to animals and very adamant on good care so I will research and learn as we go, but I do have some questions about this lady since she is older.

- She has no spurs, so I figured she must be under 3 years old. She seems active, eats well, her feathers look ok although they lack a bit of shine and she has a bald patch on her chest possibly due to stress. I find her legs a tad pale, as well as her comb, and her beak seems slightly damaged although she is pecking just fine.

Could the bad and stressful conditions she was in be the cause of above issues? Any tips on getting her healthy and happy asap? She will be able to roam our grounds (supervised), have a nice coop, we have a veg garden and 2 acres of apple orchard so enough space to roam..


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yes, to all of those issues. If she was kept strictly for egg laying and was confined full time that's what they begin to look like. 

Hens don't usually have spurs. Sometimes they'll get a little nub but spurs? Never. 

Make sure she has good quality feed. 

And try to forgive hubs, he did a good thing from the sounds of it.


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## steffanievt (Aug 31, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Yes, to all of those issues. If she was kept strictly for egg laying and was confined full time that's what they begin to look like.
> 
> Hens don't usually have spurs. Sometimes they'll get a little nub but spurs? Never.
> 
> ...


Thank you! The internet has once again fooled me - telling me about spurs. Any idea how I could learn her age? Ah I forgave him before he even got her - always good to give a not so fortunate animal a better home 

Here is the lucky lady, Pam:


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Those nice clean legs says she's still young. Probably younger than the three years you thought. 

Her tail feathers suggest she was cage kept too. See the shredded look? That's from them rubbing against the wire. Over all though, she looks really good. Most that have been cage kept have pale combs and over all look unthrifty. 

Be careful what you bring in and from what conditions. Chickens do carry hidden illness' that are not made known until under stress like from moving from one place to another. They can be highly contagious to other birds.

A minimum two weeks quarantine is recommended. With the bird in quarantine be the last one cared for when it comes to food and water. That clothes, especially shoes are sanitized before tending to the rest of the birds.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Follow Robin's quarantine instruction as it relates to other birds. Your bird is indeed younger than three years and doesn't look too bad considering the prior conditions. I'm thinking she may improve dramatically when she gets to be outside, do what chickens do and live a good chicken life!


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## Overmountain1 (Jun 5, 2020)

No suggestions, had to add an 'atta boy' to your hubbs for getting her too. I'm happy to hear she will live a good life rather than penned up in a little cage... don't know how ppl do it. Jmo.

Good luck with her, I hope everything and everyone (and the new chickens, too) adjusts easily and settles right in. Guess that trip for chickens will be coming sooner rather than later!


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