My chicken has a broken wing(?)

[ChickenLiam]

My young chicken (not sure of age), has been really off lately. She doesn't eat, or follow the other chickens, she just sits in one spot all day. At night, she doesn't fly onto the roost, but instead sits on the floor.

My neighbour also owns chickens, so I have asked him what the problem could be. He said she could possibly have a broken wing and will probably need to be put down soon.

I'm really attached to all of my chickens and I'd be absolutely devastated if I lost any of them.
As it has been a week (or nearing a week), is it too late for my chicken to have her wing treated? Can anybody provide some helpful advice?

Thank you in advance!

 

[chicmom]

Does your hen act like it's wing is broken? From what you described, she might just be broody. When a hen becomes broody, it's a hormonal thing that makes a hen really want to hatch some chicks. They will sit in a nest all day, and only come out once in a while to make a poo, drink and eat, then they're right back on the nest. The hen might sort of purr or growl at you, and not want to walk around if you take her off the nest. But they will get right back on the nest when they get a chance. And they feel very warm too, in my experience. It's quite surprising, and if you've never seen a broody hen, you might just thing that she was sick..... Hoping things are alright for you and your hen!

 

[ChickenLiam]

Does your hen act like it's wing is broken? From what you described, she might just be broody. When a hen becomes broody, it's a hormonal thing that makes a hen really want to hatch some chicks. They will sit in a nest all day, and only come out once in a while to make a poo, drink and eat, then they're right back on the nest. The hen might sort of purr or growl at you, and not want to walk around if you take her off the nest. But they will get right back on the nest when they get a chance. And they feel very warm too, in my experience. It's quite surprising, and if you've never seen a broody hen, you might just thing that she was sick..... Hoping things are alright for you and your hen!

No, it's definitely not what you described. Now that you mention that though, one of my other hens is doing exactly what you just described! She sits in her nest all day and growls at me if I try to force her out lol.

I open the door to my coop every morning so my chickens can roam freely around my yard, the original chicken I described, does in fact come out of the coop, but it will find 1 spot, and will sit there the entire day. Just weeks ago, it would roam around the yard with the other chickens. So this is definitely worrying for me. As I said in the original post, she doesn't fly onto her roost at night, but instead sits/sleeps on the ground and haven't seen her eat anything in days.

 

[chicmom]

Does your chicken have a droopy wing? Can you pick her up and feel for any broken bones? If it was a wing, I would probably fold that wing as it would naturally, and tape it close to the body so that it could mend in the closed position...

 

[ChickenLiam]

Does your chicken have a droopy wing? Can you pick her up and feel for any broken bones? If it was a wing, I would probably fold that wing as it would naturally, and tape it close to the body so that it could mend in the closed position...

yes, she does have a droopy wing. Would a bandage holding her wing into position suffice?

As I've previously mentioned, I think it's been almost a week since she's been behaving differently. Is it bad that I've left it this long or will the wing still heal if I tape it back into position?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would give her a thorough exam all over to check out possible problems. I am not sure why you think she has a wing problem. Is one or both wings drooping? Can you post a picture? How is she walking--any limp or problems standing or getting around? Any swelling of her ankles, or joints? Does she lay eggs? Pick her up, feel and look at her breastbone (keel) for any sores or weight loss. Also feel her lower belly for any swelling. Feel of her crop in her right upper chest, to check is she has food in it, if it is firm, soft, puffy, or empty. Look for any lice or mites running around the skin around her vent area. What do her droppings look like? Can you get her to eat some chopped egg, tuna, or a bit of wet chicken feed? If her wings look droopy that can be a sign of weakness or dehydration. Try placing her in a dog crate with her own food and water, on an old towel, paper towel, or puppy pad, and keep her near the other chickens. That way you can watch her closely, and check her food intake and droppings. A vet could do a fecal test on some fresh droppings. Vitamin tonics such as Poultry Cell or NutriDrench 2 ml daily given orally or on some food for a few days, might help give her some energy.

 

[chicmom]

Really, all you can do is try. Maybe just the support the bandage would provide will make her feel better until the bone heals. Maybe you can catch her, and put her in a crate with food and water and baby her until she perks up. If she doesn't recover, at least you tried. Good luck to you!

 

[BYCforlife]

The one that growls in the nesting box is most likely broody.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you suspect a broken wing, scroll down this link to find how to splint a broken wing with vet wrap: http://www.starlingtalk.com/fractures.htm