Hen injured and not walking on leg - can she live/lay etc?

[mylittlehof]

I had my Chickens attacked one early AM - one taken and one hurt over a month ago (it was my fault it happened, which I am still mad at myself for it).

The one was very badly hurt is eating/drinking and hopping around on the floor of the coop and even getting down into the yard (about a 2 foot ramp down), but puts no weight on her injured leg and does not hop up on the roosts. She should be getting to the age of laying - two others (different breed) now are laying.

My question: do you all think that she will ever regain use of her leg? ( It was really torn up and after over a month the only progress we have had is her getting up on the good leg.) Will she ever lay? I worry that she won't get up in the nests too.

Thanks for your help - I love this forum and all the great people on it!

 

[beautifulbirds]

Hi there, sounds like you've got a really strong hen there and it is more than likely that she will lay. She is just getting over the injury and it will take time; could be as much as 3 months. What you could do, to help her along, is to put her in an area where she doesn't have to struggle up and down a ramp, a run on her own would be good. Give her lots of protein to help heal the injury and make sure she has food close to where she is so that she can spend time resting the injured leg. Have you dealt with any possible infection; your post doesn't say?

 

[dlhunicorn]

you need to separate this bird ... she should not have to walk up ramps, hop up to a roost or nest until her leg is completely healed.

 

[mylittlehof]

Thanks for the information! She didn't have an infection - I got some puffer antibiotics from the feed store and it seemed to keep any away.

Can you give me a good idea of what I could feed her for protein (besides egg - I'm enjoying the ones I get from the other girls -

 

[beautifulbirds]

What you normally feed her plus meat, lettuce (lots of greens would be good) bread, fish. You could put a vitamin supplement in her water. Making it easy for her to get in and outside so that she is not using all her resources on just moving around would be good. Treat her as you would someone with an injured leg. If they had a bedroom on the second storey of your house you would maybe move them downstairs. Also, corn for warmth.