The Poultry Keeper

cordyhutchfixer · Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 5 Location: Somerset

hi, please help i have been left with a Crevecoeur Chicken its black with a poofy head. I dont know what to do i know nothing about birds. I have a cage and stuff but i dont know what to feed it. Do they eat catfood because thats what i have? Otherwise i dont know how im going to get fish for it. i dont know who else to ask!

Knobby · Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 9:53 pm Post subject:

Ermm.....I dont think they eat fish either !

Heather · Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 10:05 pm Post subject:

feed it the cat food for now if really necessary , maybe you have some sort of breakfast cereal you can give it ?

you really need to get it some layers pelllets though

freddie pentwhistle · Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Berkshire

Are you sure? I heard that they had an liking for abundant tastes and that certain types of fish such as salmon and kipper are a rich part of their proposed regular diet. If you want I can get you the link...I found it when I was researching Cubalaya chicken for a project in the work experience practical part of my veterinary course. Though I'm thinking that perhaps cat food isn't necessarily the best of ideas. It may have an adverse effect on their weaker pH stomach acids.

freddie pentwhistle · Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Berkshire

In fairness though, chickens aren't really my area of expertise and I am aiming to go into a more domesticated field of veterinary so I would probably take the advice of the previous person. Though, from experience, I wouldn't use a chocolate or heavily sugared form of cereal.

Heather · Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 10:19 pm Post subject:

no I meant something like oats if you have them, if you mean to keep the chicken I'd suggest you get a good reference book too asap

Heather · Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 10:25 pm Post subject:

Maybe Red Herring is a fish that they like ??

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

hello cordyhutchfixer and welcome to the forum. I just did a google and you have a lovely chicken there.
Chickens don't normally live in cages. They would prefer to live in a wooden house called a coup or in a plasltic one, like eglu. It would be cruel to keep it in a cage i the house. They need to be able to forage on the ground in addition to having layers or growers pellets ~ depending on it's age. Less than 16 weeks and its growers over that layers.
In the meantime you could give it cereal, sweet corn, mashed up hard boiled egg, and green leaves you may have would also make it a happier chicken than it probably is right now.
Where do you live, maybe someone from the forum is close to you and could let you have a little food for her/him until you decide what you really want to do.

freddie pentwhistle · Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Berkshire

Oh yes that's what I was thinking of...Red Herrings...if I'm not wrong, the flesh of Salmon also has a reddish colour as do smoked kippers so I guess they're easy enough to confuse. Wait aren't herrings a type of bird?

freddie pentwhistle · Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Berkshire

Oh no, I was wrong again. I've just checked my dictionary and it says that herrings are a type of fish. I must have gotten them confused with herons. What can I say? I'm only in my first year at university. Anyway along with assisting cordy with her 'bird' problem, I don't suppose anybody has any information on the Cubalaya chicken?

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

oh well, I was always gullible

freddie pentwhistle · Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Berkshire

Heather · Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 11:09 pm Post subject:

I think it is one of those naughty boys again , but I haven't worked out which one Rolling Eyes

could it be someone new though ??

NannyP · Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 11:11 pm Post subject:

Is it me, or are my paranoia pills not working, this thread seems very fishy to me Confused

Heather · Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 11:14 pm Post subject:

no has that fishy smell to me too Rolling Eyes