Limping Partridge Rock Hen

[jujube2]

This 8 month old hen looked like this top photo on 2/4/14, photos below shows her on yesterday 2/8 after returning from a 2 day trip. We found her squatting at the coop door. When opened she jumped to the ground after limping to get out of the coop. Once on the ground she limped favoring her left leg then sat. When checked there are no sharp bone fractures, but when touched she let us know she was in pain. We're thinking a possible fracture, but what could have caused the feathers from the base of her head to her tail to be missing and her back with open wounds? We have separated and isolated her in our little chicken hospital away from the flock, cleaned her back and applied neosporin pain to the wounds. She is eating and drinking and alert attempting to move around as she can tolerate. Suggestions please. Thanks

 

[Eggcessive]

The poor girl looks like she was attacked by the rooster or the hens, and her feathers were pulled out and picked. Is she low in pecking order, or has she been showing signs of illness, where they would pick on her? She could have hurt her leg before or after this started. I would keep her in a small area to rest the leg. Place her food nearby, and put vitamins and probiotics in the water, or give a small amount of buttermilk in place of probiotics. Make sure she gets a little extra protein to help regrow feathers--scrambled egg, dry cat food, or gambird feed are good. If her leg looks swollen or red, you can try splinting it.

 

[jujube2]

Thank you so much for the reply. I do have save a chick electrolytes and probiotics in her waterer. I also have buttermilk, girls love it. Could she also be molting? Today she has even less feathers than when we put her in the chick hospital yesterday. She is standing and moving upright as opposed to leaning to one side. Still slow going but she;s comfortable and showing no other signs of being sick, just sore to touch. She is not housed or sharing a run with the roosters, so it would have been her sisters who did this horrible deed. She wasn't low on the pole or sick prior to leaving on Tuesday late in the afternoon. We arrived about the same time we left on Thursday and found her in this state and immediately removed her and checked her over. I'd read another post saying either 5 regular aspirin dissolved in a gallon of water or 1/2 a baby aspirin would help manage pain. I gave her 1/2 yesterday and again today. B vitamins were also suggested so i crushed 1 tablet and added it to her feed. I will give her extra protein and will also give the same to her sisters as many of them have or are loosing feathers from their butts and necks. How often should they get extra protein and how much?

Thanks Again

 

[Eggcessive]

She looks a little like she could be starting a molt, but I think she was picked on also. Molting hens can tend to act and seem sick, like they don't feel well. They are uncomfortable, and I think the others can sense that and be aggressive, much like they act to a hurt or sick chicken. As long as they are getting 16-20% protein in their feed, you could just give them some scrambled eggs, a handful of gamebird feed, or dry cat food once a day. Or just switch the to 20% all flock or flock raiser feed--that is plenty.

 

[jujube2]

Good Morning,

Thanks for the additional information. I also believe she'd been attacked because of the way the missing feather pattern took. Seems she was down on her belly with her head down when she was pecked and plucked of her back feathers. She's safe now and cozy now that we're here to protect and nurse her back to health. I really appreciate your help, we're only equipped with 8 months experience. We've lost one girl to impacted/sour crop and a yeast infection before that with nasty butt. I am learning that there are natural preventive options we can take to keep our flock healthy and have taken those measures. We have no vet here, there is one in town but he does not treat chickens and would not call in Nystatin for the hen we lost. So we're on our own out here with the help of this forum for which I am very grateful. I will be making a trip to town on Wednesday and will switch to Flock Raiser, I did see it in Tractor Supply. Would you happen to know if there are antibiotics for chickens that do not require prescription? We do have 2 feed stores up in town in addition to Tractor Supply.

Have a Great Day