Managing a One-winged Hen as a Broody

[centrarchid]

I have a couple game hens that were mangled by a dog a couple months ago. One will loose her left wing in its entirety. Second hen has left wing that is greatly reduced in its functionality, at least with respect to flight. Both are coming back into feather quit well and are getting back into weight that will support egg laying. Hens will be isolated from each other and other flock members. Conjugal visits with brood cock will be short duration and supervised. Challenge will be to get so hens can incubate clutches of eggs and care for chicks. Can they and how will they compensate for loss of a functional wing?

We are about to find out.

 

[Dawnclucks22]

I have a couple game hens that were mangled by a dog a couple months ago. One will loose her left wing in its entirety. Second hen has left wing that is greatly reduced in its functionality, at least with respect to flight. Both are coming back into feather quit well and are getting back into weight that will support egg laying. Hens will be isolated from each other and other flock members. Conjugal visits with brood cock will be short duration and supervised. Challenge will be to get so hens can incubate clutches of eggs and care for chicks. Can they and how will they compensate for loss of a functional wing?

We are about to find out.

I don't think it will be a problem - I don't have experience myself, though, so I'm just winging it here. (Get it? Winging? Never mind. Just me. ) Chicks learn how to fly by instinct and while broody hens aren't very active anyway. Hopefully you'll get some more specific answers later on, haha! So sorry to hear about the attack!

 

[centrarchid]

Chicks will learn to fly on their own. Roosting up might be delayed unless I can outfit coop with way for hen to get up high enough for chicks to fly to.

 

[MasAhora]

Hen should be able to get up high via ladder, etc but do you think getting down would pose a problem if the roost is more than about 4feet high for example?

 

[centrarchid]

I think hen will compensate for inability to fly and take a less direct route to get down.

 

[centrarchid]

Wing just fell off. More live tissue left than I thought. She will likely keep the upper arm but it will not provide much benefit even with respect to balance.

 

[keesmom]

I have a one winged EE hen that can easily get up and down from a 5 foot height. She's missing almost her entire left wing, only a small bit of bone remains at the shoulder joint thanks to a coon mauling one night.

I'm sure your games will manage even better than my EE.

 

[centrarchid]

I released the most modified hen from her pen. First time out in over a month. She jumped / fell three feet with no control. She immediately started looking for a location in which to dust bath. After she does a little bug hunting I will re-pen her into the pen that will be used to produce a clutch. Once she in imprinted on that I will begin releasing her to cock that will be in a tether. The second damaged hen will be tested today as well. That cock will be servicing five hens in a rotation with two of the hens / pullets that are full sisters housed together. The hens will not be allowed to access each other.

 

[centrarchid]

Pen is 4' x 4' x 2.5' high. Nest partially concealed under covered plastic milk crate to allow hen to rooster there if she wants. Roost pole is a little higher but still within jumping range. Feeders in left foreground are compartmentalized with 16% CP layer pellets, 24% CP gamebird grower, and a mix of BOSS, shell corn and oats. Grit is in waterer to the right. Whole setup is about 36" above ground and under roof of barn so they can get about 1 hour full sun late in the day. Hens will be conditioned in pens for about 2 weeks prior to late in the day releases for exposure to cock on tie-cord on the ground. Pens will be left open at roosting time in hopes some will return to their own pen at bed time. Rooster will be housed with another hen about 20 feet away when he is not on tie-cord. That hen will have nest installed in that pen.

 

[aart]

Feeders in left foreground are compartmentalized with 16% CP layer pellets, 24% CP gamebird grower

What is 'CP'?
Do you find they prefer one feed over the other?