Have RIR hen w/ extreme wry tail...I have a few ??'s about this...

[Mass Mike]

Hi all,
First, off thanks for reading this, this is my first post in the forums. I have a flock of 7 four month old RIR hens. One of them has an extreme wry tail. It's almost at a 90 degree angle from straight. it is also the last in the pecking order. It is always the last out of the coop into the run in the morning. It is often on a roost in the run or in the coop alone while the other hens are on the ground in the run, feeding. It is also considerably smaller than the other 6. Not sure what to do. I thought about keeping it in the coop while the others are in the run and feeding it alone but....will I be doing that forever? Will she still be a decent egg producer? I'd love a little help on this.

Thanks, all...
Mike

 

[sourland]

If possible, I would provide food and water in the coop as well as in the run. I would not separate her from the flock as reintegration is always a problem. In my experience wry tail is frequently associated with other physical/genetic abnormalities and she may or may not be a respectable layer. Hopefully she will be able to hold her place in the flock and earn her keep with decent egg production. Good luck with your birds.