Chicken with bony wings?!

Pics
Date sort Score sort
Hi Lindsay, welcome to BYC.
Words of encouragement, while it looks bad to you, she probably isn't too bothered by it.
If she lets you handle her, give her a little one on one time. And, offer her a little canned sardine, a couple of times a week. The extra protein will be good for feather regrowth.
Good luck with your flock!
 
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow

Yes as others have mentioned to me this looks like bullying along with rooster damage. How many hens and roosters do you have? The correct ratio of roos to hens is 1 rooster to 6 or 7 hens. If there are not enough hens, roosters can mate a hen to actual death, the mating exhausts the hen. And if you suspect this issue to be more bullying, I'd separate out the bully for a while, give this bird a break, and this goes for the mating with the rooster too.

Good luck with your flock!
 
Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad to have you here!

Not too sure about your hen's wings, but I have one who is exactly like that. She isn't the very lowest on the pecking order, and I'm pretty sure I've seen her actually starting fights so in my case I don't think it's likely a bullying issue (or parasites, either). I have a few hens whose feathers just aren't strong for whatever reason, and seemed to wear out faster, so that could be a factor for your hen as well. I think sometimes it just takes longer for certain feathers to get replaced by molting and they can look really scruffy in the meantime, too, especially if they're doing a slower molt rather than all at once, so it could be that as well. I would give an extra bit of protein a few times per week (my usual go-to is plain hardboiled egg, mashed, or actual scrambled eggs, and Greek yogurt is good protein and also good calcium as well). If she does seem to be getting bullied, separating the bully for a bit of a "time out" would be a good idea as well. Best of luck!
 
LindsayDarling said:
Thanks for the tip! I can go overboard especially when its hot out.
Click to expand...
Not all treats are the same.

High calories treats (like scratch and mealworms) are more likely to cause health problems (fat chickens).

Low calorie treats that are mostly water (like watermelon or cucumber) are less likely to be a problem.

If the extra treats in hot weather are mostly water, they are probably not a big deal.

A "treat" that is good at any season: chicken food with water added. For some reason, chickens like it better than the same food dry. You can use warm water in the winter so it's a warm mash, or cold water in the summer so it's a cool mash. When you make this with their usual food, it is just as good for them as the food you made it with, so there is no need to limit it. You can do it with chick crumbles, layer pellets, or any similar food: they all fall apart within a few minutes of getting wet.
 

Similar threads

Stipenvlerk
Help my duck has a droopy wing
Replies
3
Views
245
cheezenkwackers
cheezenkwackers
User690263
    • Like
Wing clipping question
Replies
8
Views
784
User690263
User690263

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom