Droopy winged, injured chicken, losing feathers

[ChickensRule101]

We have a chicken who was always being pecked at by another flock member. So her wings were always a little feather-less. She is a Gold Sex Link. A few days ago, however, we saw that her left wing was drooped down. And she was shedding her feathers. Now she never comes out of her coop, and stays in there all day. We go into the coop and feed her, but we have not tried any remedies yet.
Please help.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. How old is she? Do you think that her wing is injured, or drooping because of a disease? Molting can happen a little at a time for juveniles, and a big complete molt happens around 18 months ad each year thereafter. Chickens who are low in the pecking order, bullied, or who are sick tend to hang around the coop. Does she have any trouble with her legs walking or with balance? Did she have a Mareks vaccine?

 

[ChickensRule101]

She is two years old, and we don't think that her wing is injured because of a disease. We think it is because of a predator. There are many opossums, cats and rats around our house. There is also a feather-less area under her crop where the roosters cant reach. So something else could've gotten there to rip off the feathers. She has never molten before, none of the chickens have. Not even the oldest ones. And she didn't have any vaccines. Thanks.

 

[Eggcessive]

You have very unusual chickens if they are 2 and have never molted. I've had a couple that molted so gradually that I didn't notice, but with most you know it is happening. They stop laying for 1-2 months, combs go pale, and you see feathers in the coop and run like there has been a pillow fight. Always check under the vent and all over for mites and lice with feather loss, and treat with a good product such as Sevin or permthrin. Is she sitting in a nest box most of the day, and is her bare spot on her chest and belly?

 

[ChickensRule101]

Yes, I guess you could say that they are unusual. But I am sure that they have never molted. But there are her feathers everywhere, not in the coop though, under the tractor, inside the shed... She doesn't sit in the nest box. She keeps on the perch all day. She doesn't eat anything by herself. We have to go into the coop and give her to eat. The gap-like feather-less spot is on her belly.

 

[Eggcessive]

I had thought she might be broody, but I really think she in having a molt now. Is she laying? They don't when molting.

 

[ChickensRule101]

No, she is not laying as many eggs now, she skips a day or two, and then lays eggs. She didn't lay one today, but she did yesterday. If she lays eggs she lays one. When she was healthy she layed one, or sometimes two eggs each day. But the egg laying has definitely decreased. What do you think of the droopy wing? It is only one wing, and it is always drooped down.

Not my image, or my chicken.
But the drooped wing looks exactly like that.

 

[Eggcessive]

Some chickens with Mareks disease will have a weak or paralyzed leg, plus a drooped wing, but I don't know about just the wing ounless it is injured.

 

[ChickensRule101]

Her leg is shivering, it's like she can't stand right, and keeps herself isolated in the coop.

I am very worried now, I learned that the Marek's disease can spread and there is no cure. Overall her weight is the same, her leg is shivery, her feathers are shedding because she is molting, but the drooped wing still confuses me. And she seems much weaker.

 

[ChickensRule101]

Shadow is feeling a bit better! Her foot stopped shaking, and she eats something besides her favorite treat, (oats). But her wing is still droopy. I can't do anything, just hope for the best... Is there something wrong in the food we give her? Or the plants and bugs that live around our property? I cant figure out all the bugs that live around here because there are a lot. But the food we give her is regular feed from the feed store, and the treats are bits of vegetable scraps from the compost, (no moldy stuff in there) sometimes we give the flock bread. Oats, and even regular chapati dough. It used to be like Marek's Disease, but now it is curing. She doesn't come in out hands so we can examine. Please reply someone...