Blind Rescue Chicken

[Epogee]

This is my first post, so please bear with me!

I have been reading BackYard Chickens for a year or so now, and last year we tried hatching some duck eggs (managed to hatch 11 out of 12). Until about 6 weeks ago, we had 3 hens, 2 runner ducks and 2 peacocks who live together in relative harmony. Then we heard that there was a local chicken farm which had 200 birds due to be slaughtered unless they found homes (They clear out their birds when they are about 1.5 years old and replace with new). It seems a bit unfair, and these 'old' commercial chickens are the same age as our 'young' hens which lay eggs every day without fail. Anyway, we bought 12 of these chickens, I gave 6 to a friend of mine, and we kept 6 to add to our flock.

All of our hens were a bit nervous at first, but we introduced the new ones slowly, and now they seem to get on ok.....except that there is one very nervous and very timid hen - terrified of everything, never wants to go outside, and I noticed soon after we had them that she didn't seem to eat or drink. I have won her confidence, and although she is still very much bottom of the pecking order, she is hand-fed twice a day, and she has started to look a lot more confident, and even helps herself to food from the feeder now. She still hides in the corner from the other chickens, but when she hears/sees me she comes running over to me and looks all excited. It turns out she is blind in one eye. She does not have a iris surrounding the pupil, but just a large fully-dilated pupil, that obviously doesn't see. The other eye is ok. When she pecks at the food in my hand, I have to move my hand to the right as her aim is always off! She seems a lot happier now, and they are all getting a lot of love and care that I don't expect they would have had commercially. She doesn't lay at the moment, but even if she never lays, she will still be cared for.

Most of the new chickens have quite a few missing feathers (especially at the front of their necks).One of the other chickens has a big scab on the corner of its wing where it bends. It doesn't seem to upset it, and it looks like an old injury that has healed - but not very well. Is there anything I should do or anything that you'd recommend? Will their missing feathers eventually grow back?

Any advice gratefully received.

 

[azygous]

Good for you for rescuing these hens. They are all going through a period of adjustment which can take up to three weeks. They should all do fine.

The one-eyed hen will take a bit longer to adjust. Chickens have self-confidence issues like people do, and sometimes they benefit from a little special help to ease them through the adjustment.

One thing you can do is to make her world smaller at first so it's more manageable. I keep a small enclosed pen within the run for special cases. They spend most of the day there while sleeping with the flock at night. Gradually, they spend a bit more time each day out in the run with the others learning to cope, and then get to go back in the protected pen when things get overwhelming.

This will give your blind hen a chance to ease into her new situation and to learn where everything is while still guarding her self confidence by letting her feel protected. It can take up to a month, but she will gradually be integrated and feel comfortable finding food and water among the flock.

The feathers that are broken won't grow back until the chickens molt. The ones that are in bald areas and have been plucked cleanly will grow back, although it could take time. A good heavy dose of animal protein for a couple weeks can jolt the production of new feather growth, but no guarantees. I had a pullet get all her back feather plucked out by a hawk attack summer before last, and they are only now growing back in.

 

[Epogee]

Yes, I do separate her a bit. I have a strange set up - I have a stable where they roost (has a bale of straw for them to stand on, as well as a few perches) which has a small attached run. Then there is a much larger run, where they go when the weather is good - I have to march them all across the tarmac to get there! When they go, I leave timid hen in the stable - she can go outside if she wants, but she prefers to stay indoors. Sometimes her friend stays to give her some company. However, the last few days I haven't let them into the large run, as they have discovered how to escape, and I haven't worked out how they do it, yet.