Hen with broken or dislocated wing

[I have 3 chickens]

about 4 days ago when my chickens were out in the yard they were attacked by two big raccoons. Thankfully they all seemed alright although they were missing a few feathers, but after everything had calmed down I noticed one of my chickens wings was dragging on the ground, so I wrapped it up and hoped for the best. Unfortunately when I went to check on them in the morning she had managed to unwrap all her bandages I tried to wrap her wing up again and again but she always manages to get it off . Her wing is look better than it did and is no longer dragging on the ground but her shoulder is much lower than it should be. I want to wrap it back up but she gets to anxious when the rap is on she won’t eat till it’s off . I don’t know if it’s best to just leav it and hope it heals or to wra it every day no mater how many times she takes it off. Any suggestions would be wonderful.

 

[I have 3 chickens]

Any suggestions would help!

 

[Isaac 0]

Having an injured wing droop freely, and not immobilized very well could potentially worsen the injury, as the hen may try to fly up onto the perch, or get her drooping wing caught on something.

My first goal would be to assess her wing to determine the nature of the injury. Gently palpate each bone, to see where exactly the injury occurred. Since you mentioned, she's holding the wing up pretty well it's unlikely you're dealing with a fracture. More likely some blunt force trauma was done to the upper humerus while she was trying to escape the raccoon.

Most wing injuries are treated using a figure-eight wrap. I use a little bit of gauze, underneath to help improve circulation and providing padding. If you add too much you'll effectively be aiding in her getting the bandage off. If you wrap as shown above, it'll be very hard for her to get out of the bandage. Ensure the bandage is not too tight.

She may be annoyed with the bandage at first, but she'll get used to it after a while. Offering treats may distract her mind from the bandage. After several days or a week, take the bandage off for a while to let her exercise the wing, and assess if she needs it anymore.

Having no bandage can worsen the problem, but keeping a bandage on too long can worsen the problem.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I get birds with dislocated wings sometimes. I usually just pop the joint back in place.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I think if you isolate her from the other birds in a small enclosure she will be less likely to unwrap herself. Also try using vet wrap if you aren’t already. It’s less likely to slip. I had a bird with a similar injury and this is what I did for her. She still looks lopsided months later but has mobility to her wing.

 

[SulkyBantam]

Carefully push it into place and bind it to her body. Isolate her.

 

[I have 3 chickens]

Having an injured wing droop freely, and not immobilized very well could potentially worsen the injury, as the hen may try to fly up onto the perch, or get her drooping wing caught on something.

My first goal would be to assess her wing to determine the nature of the injury. Gently palpate each bone, to see where exactly the injury occurred. Since you mentioned, she's holding the wing up pretty well it's unlikely you're dealing with a fracture. More likely some blunt force trauma was done to the upper humerus while she was trying to escape the raccoon.

View attachment 2418190

Most wing injuries are treated using a figure-eight wrap. I use a little bit of gauze, underneath to help improve circulation and providing padding. If you add too much you'll effectively be aiding in her getting the bandage off. If you wrap as shown above, it'll be very hard for her to get out of the bandage. Ensure the bandage is not too tight.

She may be annoyed with the bandage at first, but she'll get used to it after a while. Offering treats may distract her mind from the bandage. After several days or a week, take the bandage off for a while to let her exercise the wing, and assess if she needs it anymore.

Having no bandage can worsen the problem, but keeping a bandage on too long can worsen the problem.

Thank you so much! Her shoulder is still lopsided but she can flap her wing now ! Do you know if I should be worried about her shoulder being lower?

 

[Isaac 0]

Thank you so much! Her shoulder is still lopsided but she can flap her wing now ! Do you know if I should be worried about her shoulder being lower?

If she's flapping it well, and it's not hanging down too low, I would personally leave it. Just keep an eye on it, and consider adding steps to the perch.