3 odd hens

[marina]

One hen was given to me in July with her tail feathers missin leaving her cloaca exposed and looking red and tender. Three months later, there is no sign of her feathers growing back, but I never see her being pecked. He skin is still red and looking raw.

A second hen arrived around the same time with a lot of poop sticking to her feathers. I thought that a new free-range diet (with layer pellets) and a smaller flock would cure that, but despite several cleanings she is still that way after 3 months.

Finally, there was an attack on several girls that left two alive but with very low affect. There are no signs of external bleeding, only a few feathers are missing. Their eyes are half closed, they do eat and drink. I have not seen them preening, and one in particular looks like she's trying to sit; she does not have the usual hen stance but more of a hawk stance.

What should I make of all this? Thanks for any feedback.

 

[kenman]

I can only speak too the first one. I have a similar hen that I received free back in June. She looked terrible. Looked like she had been in a fight with a vacuum, or had been the only girl with a coop full of roosters. I checked her for mites and she was clean. She started laying the second day I had her. Today, she still looks the same feather wise, but is plump, healthy, lays every day. So I am hoping that when she molts, her feathers will grow back.

 

[marina]

Thanks for the feedback. She does seem fine otherwise; my only real concern is for frostbite this winter...

As for the attack victims, they are recovering with time and TLC.