My hen was attacked and defeathered

[Sweetlilbaby]

I cannot find any major injuries. But what can i do for her? it's freezing at nights. I brought her in the house put her in a dog crate with shredded papers. It was all i could think of right now was getting her warm. she's got warm water and feed.
Is there anything I can give her to help with the stress and how long til she grows feathers back?

 

[Scooter&Suzie]

I've heard that the darkness soothes a chicken. If she has any wounds buy Blue-Kote. It only costs about $6 or $7, lasts forever, and works wonders. My hen had a huge gash on the back of her neck all the way to the muscle and it healed it. Wouldn't be bad to have on hand... Just remember, when you put her back outside she will not be used to the cold and might die. Slowly make it colder for her inside so that you don't shock her. Also, be careful about bringing her inside - She isn't used to it as warm as you have it. Of course, she doesn't have as many feathers right now. Keep drastic temperature change in mind.

She sounds like it might be fine, but the pecking order sounds severe... Maybe you could get her a chicken saddle to help keep her feathers on?

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

I've heard that the darkness soothes a chicken. If she has any wounds buy Blue-Kote. It only costs about $6 or $7, lasts forever, and works wonders. My hen had a huge gash on the back of her neck all the way to the muscle and it healed it. Wouldn't be bad to have on hand... Just remember, when you put her back outside she will not be used to the cold and might die. Slowly make it colder for her inside so that you don't shock her. Also, be careful about bringing her inside - She isn't used to it as warm as you have it. Of course, she doesn't have as many feathers right now. Keep drastic temperature change in mind.

She sounds like it might be fine, but the pecking order sounds severe... Maybe you could get her a chicken saddle to help keep her feathers on?

She wasn't attacked by another hen. She is the dominate hen. A cat got into the chicken pen and attacked her. We've been having an issue with cats.
I have blu-kote but she has no open wounds that i could find. She's in my bathroom that is being kept at 65 degrees. I don't know what to do to help her. I feel like i can't leave my house at all cause I leave and this happens
it will probably be a long while before she gets to go back outside. I am imagining that it takes a long time to grow back feathers over half the body. I may have to buy a dog kennel and put a tarp under it in the garage with some sawdust or something. have an indoor pen for her to move around in.

 

[Scooter&Suzie]

Quote:
Oh, alright I had pecking order issues myself and assumed it was the same for you. I've seen little chicken outfits for defeathered chickens... I wounder if anyone makes them to sell? I don't think it will take more than a month for the feathers to come back. My hen, the one with the gash, grew hers back rather quickly. Just try not handle her while the new feathers are coming in, it is uncomfortable, and possibly painful.

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

I

Oh, alright I had pecking order issues myself and assumed it was the same for you. I've seen little chicken outfits for defeathered chickens... I wounder if anyone makes them to sell? I don't think it will take more than a month for the feathers to come back. My hen, the one with the gash, grew hers back rather quickly. Just try not handle her while the new feathers are coming in, it is uncomfortable, and possibly painful.

Thanks. I hope mine feathers up quickly. she's a 5 almost 6 year old hen. She's not young, and I'm shocked she survived the attack, maybe her age and knowledge kept her alive.
I'm honestly thinking of crocheting a little wrap that would fit her body so she could go outside for a half hour a day. But I'd rather give her a vitamin D supplement and keep her in a warm area. it's freezing outside.
I have never had to deal with this before. Usually if a chicken gets attacked by an animal the chicken is found dead, or a part of it is found. This hen usually doesn't like to be touched. but when I saw her she looked at me like "help me" and let me pick her up.

 

[gryeyes]

Ohhhh, that last line just made me tear up! I know that look...

I keep my house fairly cool (okay, lately the weather has made it really hard to warm it up, so I wear sweats, use a heated throw on the sofa whilst I watch TV) so when I put my current house chickens out, it won't be such a shock for them. Two are young pullets who didn't get put out before the freezing winter weather hit; they'll go out in a few weeks. The third is a special needs Polish rooster, blind in one eye and victim of repeated pecking and bullying. He's the one who gave me that look... With his poor, bloodied head tilted to one side.

Mine wear diapers. If you have the skill, why not crochet a sweater for her? I think you can find the pattern if you Google "Featherless hen sweaters."

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

I am good at crocheting but i cannot follow a pattern. my skill is more like look at a pic of what i want it to look like and do it from the photo.
today my hen is doing better. I moved her into the garage. She was getting stressed from my dogs moving around in the house. So she's out there in a great dane sized crate with shredded paper and sawdust. I went to check on her and she's near the lightbulb and covered herself in the shredded paper where her feathers are missing. Pretty smart to cover her skin up by herself. I'm keeping hands off her as I know she's not feeling great and probably has bruises all over her body. I just keep giving her feed and checking her water dish.
I hope she refeathers quickly, though she might be caged/crated til the freezing weather is over with.

 

[gryeyes]

Another note: feathers are protein, so beef up the protein she gets with SOME canned tuna, maybe some cat food, and definitely some Black Oil Sunflower Seed (BOSS). Don't give her too much of these supplements, because that can throw off the nutritional balance of commercial feed - about 10% of what she eats is the most you should add.

BOSS is about 15% protein (pretty close to most commercial feed) and it has nice oils to help promote feather growth.

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

I feed black sunflower seed mixed in their feed. right now they also get some corn mixed in because the cold weather. I need to clean out our cooked meats anyway. Might pull out a little of the steaks we cooked and ended up freezing for later thaw and grind them up so she can eat it mixed in her food.

 

[Sweetlilbaby]

Ready to pull out my hair on this one, My chicken is losing even more feathers now. Not sure what to do i know it is stress. She wants to be with her flock but cannot be because it's to cold outside for her.