Limp tail

[Nugget]

I wonder if this was something she was born with, trauma induced, or if there could be another explaination. My 5 month old wyandotte hen's tail hangs limp. No matter what she is doing it's always just hanging there. Some photos I've seen of wyandotte hens shows their tail standing up.

This isn't a big deal, but I always wonder when I look at her. When I got her the feathers over her tail were broken and looked bitten off. There was no blood or obvious wounds. Does anyone have any thoughts? Do chickens injure each other like this? She was in with a rooster before I got her.

 

[allen wranch]

It could be any of the things you mentioned - hatch defect or the rooster or another bird injurying her. Sometimes a bird is born with a tail that goes sideways. They are called wry tail and are DQed at shows.

 

[Nugget]

Thanks for the reply! I figured it would be hard to tell, but sometimes things like this are common problems and I took a chance. Perhaps that's why she was sold to us (failed show prospect). She's still a pretty girl