How can I tell if a chicken broke her back?

[kelly ryan]

We woke up to a racket in the coop and when I went out to see what it was I found one of our hens ( all mixed breeds) on the floor not moving. They sleep up on box about 3 1/2 feet off the ground and since she was the only one on the ground I assume she fell off. She was on her side not moving(looked like when they take a dirt bath) but didn't move when I wen to pick her up. She can't hold her knec or stand, but can flap her wings. She is in a small carrier downstairs in the dark in an unused bathroom for now. Any Ideas or suggestions?

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. She may just be extremely weak or dehydrated, since that can cause the heads to be droopy. Another possibility is Mareks disease which can cause limberneck or wry neck. I would try to get fluids into her adding vitamins and electrolytes to her water. A broken neck would have caused paralysis of her whole body, and possibly death from paralyzed breathing. There is a good thread on tube feeding called Go Team Tube Feeding where you can feed her the fluids through a feeding tube into her crop. Let us know what happens.

 

[kelly ryan]

Thanks! I had isolated her in a carrier in the house in a unused bathroom for about 3 hours and when I checked on her she was up and even laid an egg. So I gave her food and water and put her outside in the carrier for about 2 more hours. When I carried the carrier to the coop and opened it she got out and free ranged with the flock. She was a little wobbly but seemed alright through the day. At night I checked to see where she was and she had flown up to the sleeping spot and seems alright this morning.

 

[Eggcessive]

Wonderful news.