A place for my disabled chicken? Companion?

[chickenmeg1]

Hello!

I have a 4-5-month-old Delaware hen who has one usable leg. Up until this point, she has been kept with my other chickens who are the same age, although they have been leaving her behind so she spends a lot of time by herself.
As the temperatures get colder, I have become more concerned about her. She doesn't always make it in the coop at night, so I go out there and put her in the coop so she can at least sleep on the floor (the other chicks have a droppings board with space underneath, so she doesn't get pooped on). This has been working well for a while, but now I've noticed that she has had some feather loss on her disabled leg as well as her chest. I think this is from her rubbing on the ground.

I've been bringing her inside on cold nights, and since noticing the feather loss I am keeping her inside until I can figure out a new plan. I tried to put her out with the other girls for a bit, but the "bully" of the group immediately pecked her and walked on top of her. I am starting to realize that she probably needs to be separated, if only because of this one chicken.

I was thinking I could maybe have two flocks - my regular, 5 chicken flock and my separate, disabled chicken+buddy flock. That way, I could free range them separately. Here's my problem: I have no other place for her, and I have no other companion for her (partner NOT ok with a house chicken). Do I need to get a completely separate coop and run? I have read through this thread (@Lazygaze @NatJ) which was very helpful to me, but I don't have the time or know how to build something from scratch. What other breed would be a suitable companion, and if I get a full-grown hen, is that a problem to introduce them together? I'm also unsure on how to handle this all while traveling - some may say I should have thought of this before I got chickens, but I couldn't anticipate caring for a disabled chicken.

I am so grateful for any advice - I'm going out of my mind over here trying to figure this out!

 

[NatJ]

I am so grateful for any advice - I'm going out of my mind over here trying to figure this out!

To start with the most obvious point: are you sure you want to continue to own this disabled chicken?

For people that like to eat home-raised chicken, the solution is obvious. A disabled chicken will make chicken soup that is just as tasty as the soup made from any other chicken.

For people who view chickens as pets and are not willing to eat them, it is still worth considering whether euthanizing this chicken would be an overall better choice than trying to provide for her needs.

Some people do manage to re-home disabled chickens, but there is always the chance that the chicken will be either eaten, or put in a pen with other chickens and no special care. I would not try rehoming a disabled chicken except in unusual cases (like personally knowing and trusting the person who wants to be the new owner.)

the "bully" of the group immediately pecked her and walked on top of her. I am starting to realize that she probably needs to be separated, if only because of this one chicken.

I was thinking I could maybe have two flocks - my regular, 5 chicken flock and my separate, disabled chicken+buddy flock.

What other breed would be a suitable companion, and if I get a full-grown hen, is that a problem to introduce them together?

I would see if one of your current chickens could be a companion for the disabled one. Not the bully, but one of the others. That would leave you with a flock of 4 chickens (including the bully) and a flock of two chickens (disabled plus one more.)

Introducing the chicken to one of her recent flock-mates would probably be easier than introducing her to a total stranger. If the idea does not work, you just return that bird to the main flock, rather than having a new chicken that must be introduced somewhere.

Buying a new chicken gives a chance of introducing diseases or parasites. Re-arranging your existing chickens will not do that.

I'm also unsure on how to handle this all while traveling - some may say I should have thought of this before I got chickens, but I couldn't anticipate caring for a disabled chicken.

I'm not really sure how to deal with with this while you are away.

A few thoughts:

You would need someone responsible for day-to-day care of the chickens. You should probably set things up to be as easy-care as possible for that person. You could consider something like a webcam to let you check on the chickens (so instead of asking someone to check on them many times each day, you could do the checking yourself with the camera, and mostly have the local person do a once-daily tending of feed/water/etc.)

I have no other place for her, and I have no other companion for her (partner NOT ok with a house chicken). Do I need to get a completely separate coop and run?

You probably do need a separate setup for her (plus companion). If you can put her coop & run next to the one with the other chickens, they can interact through wire mesh without anyone getting hurt. That can make a difference to how lonely the disabled chicken is (with or without a companion.)

I have read through this thread (@Lazygaze @NatJ) which was very helpful to me, but I don't have the time or know how to build something from scratch.

If the hen has trouble with mobility, you may not want a typical coop-and-run setup. Things like ramps, small doors, and perches could be problems.

You might consider something similar to one of these:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/portable-predator-proof-poultry-pen.67890/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/kycklingars-4x10-tractor.47785/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...losure-easy-to-disassemble-for-storage.73804/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hoop-tractor.69336/

Those exact examples are meant to be portable, but yours might be permanently in place.
What I specifically noticed about all of those pens: everything is on one level, and a chicken can go from the "run" to the more sheltered coop area with no ramp and without having to go through any small doorway.

I would probably put a solid roof on the whole thing, so she is always protected from rain and to make it less likely to get muddy inside.

Some pens of that style can be fairly easy to build, but you may also be able to buy a suitable pen. Try looking for "chicken tractor" or "rabbit cage" or even "dog house" and "dog kennel."

You would need to consider predator-proofing just like with any other chicken coop (for example, a dog kennel might be strong but have wire mesh with big holes, so it might need to be covered with hardware cloth.)

"Open Air' chicken coops (intended for hot climates) might also be useful inspiration. They often have a single large area, with one end sheltered for sleeping. (Covering a few more sides in the winter could provide enough shelter in the entire space.)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ms-biddys-upcycled-swingset-coop.74496/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/open-air-coops.48177/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/
(In the third article, the big coop that is in several pictures is a basic arrangement that could work for a disabled chicken, with some parts sheltered and some more open. Of course you don't have to make it anywhere close to that big, for just one or two chickens.)

 

[NatJ]

I have read through this thread (@Lazygaze @NatJ) which was very helpful to me

Did you make the post, then edit it to add the tags?
I didn't receive a notification of being tagged, but I've seen before that the notification doesn't happen if someone adds the tags in an edit.

@Lazygaze I'll tag you again, in case you didn't get a notification the first time either.

 

[User635240]

Hi, i see this is an old post. What did you do with her?
I have a similar hen, whose leg was chewed off by a rat. I put her in a section of a horse trailer (with a smooth floor) with two other disabled hens, and made a door out of chicken wire with a wood frame. I don't know if she is happy or not. I see it is getting harder for her to stand on the one leg. As long as she has economic value (laying eggs), and she seems healthy, I'll keep her in there.

 

[Mrs. K]

One of the problems with a disability in chickens, is that what they could manage when they were smaller, becomes impossible when full size. I do not think there really is a viable solution, and IMO, but not my bird, it would be best to euthanize her.

Sometimes I think chickens are a hard pet for people with great sensibilities, they take it so hard.