One eyed limping Barred Rock Hen

[jennifersmith326]

I got about 60 hens from a man last weekend and I have a hen that seems to be missing an eye and is limping.

The eye injury looks old since it is completely healed, but he handled them a little to rough in my opinion so the limping injury could be recent.

What should I do with her?

I was thinking about letting her out of the pen she is in to roam around the yard with the other 9 yard birds I have. I think she would have less of a chance of getting hurt by the other birds that way.

 

[purpletree23]

If the injuries are old and healed I would watch her closely. If she is holding her own with the other chickens and gets along with them I would leave her alone. BUT because she has a blind side and the others can sneak up on her and peck her (chickens can be terrible to one another) and if she is getting injured and constantly scared and hiding I would cull her. There will always be a hen who is at the bottom of the pecking order but I feel that they should all be equal physically so they can all have a fair chance.

I used to have a polish hen with a big floppy 'poof' on her head. She couldn't see peripherally and she was beat up on unmercifully. She was always bloody and hiding in the corners. I didn't want to see her spend the rest of her life like that. I did try to re home her but no luck.