Possible broken wing

[alinas2010]

Thank you. I think the only thing I've not done or even attempted is to splint it. There seem to be two schools of thought on this; some say just support and others support and splint. As I can't actually tell where the break is, that's not really possible and, at least in my mind, it might do more harm than this if I get the wrong place.

She's happier this morning. She's eaten with gusto and is now selling down to lay her egg.

Bandage seems to have held up well so far.

I agree with you. If you can’t actually tell where it is, then you really can’t know what to fix. And it seems to be helping her by having it wrapped up close and supported, anyways. So that’s great for now. Bones do regenerate with time. Some people do have issues splinting, too, where it ends up doing more harm than good.

I fixed broken pigeon wings, and the birds could fly again after a few weeks. It's not a big deal for a chicken, as long as the bone is not sticking out of the skin. What you're doing is just perfect so have patience and she'll be like new.

So nice to hear something like this!

 

[MandS]

Thanks for these words of encouragement and I'm really pleased to hear that what I'm doing is the right thing.

Today's update is that I didn't do the bandage right. Because it is stretchy, she can wiggle it off unless it's tight and it goes around both front and back. So this afternoon she had no bandage. The difference was that she didn't seem to be in pain or upset, indeed she was pretty active, however the wrong did hang down.

Tonight, it's bandaged up more tightly and in the figure of 8 that some sources refer to.

Thanks again

 

[alinas2010]

Thanks for these words of encouragement and I'm really pleased to hear that what I'm doing is the right thing.

Today's update is that I didn't do the bandage right. Because it is stretchy, she can wiggle it off unless it's tight and it goes around both front and back. So this afternoon she had no bandage. The difference was that she didn't seem to be in pain or upset, indeed she was pretty active, however the wrong did hang down.

Tonight, it's bandaged up more tightly and in the figure of 8 that some sources refer to.

Thanks again

Little booger, good to hear that at least she’s feeling better enough that she thinks she doesn’t need the wrap anymore!

 

[MandS]

I do have concerns today. She didn't lay yesterday and she hasn't so far today. Both days I left her in the nursing cage, which is dark and where she's laid every day so far. Yet nothing. Is this a concern?

I let her out of the dog cage yesterday afternoon and she wandered around, bossing all the others around, so she's established dominance. She seemed quite happy. Preening and scratching about. The wing, when the bandage is off, doesn't move so I've kept it on. I also don't believe it was too tight, and being a sports bandage, it's very stretchy. I avoided her crop area and although it went around her rear, it didn't feel tight and was only just past her breast bone.

This was her yesterday.

 

[alinas2010]

I do have concerns today. She didn't lay yesterday and she hasn't so far today. Both days I left her in the nursing cage, which is dark and where she's laid every day so far. Yet nothing. Is this a concern?

I let her out of the dog cage yesterday afternoon and she wandered around, bossing all the others around, so she's established dominance. She seemed quite happy. Preening and scratching about. The wing, when the bandage is off, doesn't move so I've kept it on. I also don't believe it was too tight, and being a sports bandage, it's very stretchy. I avoided her crop area and although it went around her rear, it didn't feel tight and was only just past her breast bone.

This was her yesterday.
View attachment 3943375

How is her behavior today? Is it lethargic or withdrawn at all? I don’t think I’d worry at all about her not laying for a few days unless she acts egg bound. Being in a dark cage for a majority of the day could change her laying cycle. I just read about how big of an impact light plays on their ovulation.

I can’t imagine you’ve wrapped her too tightly and that would’ve impacted her laying. It actually sounds like it’s healing if it doesn’t drop anymore, or am I misinterpreting that? Are you worried she won’t move it? She seems so chipper. But she still may need a few more weeks to heal, too. Bones take a while to regenerate.

Is the cold season coming in your area? She might be slowing down on laying perhaps to get ready for a molt. I’m not sure how that works in ex battery hens, though? Do they go through a molt all the same their first year being out of the cages? I know mine are getting ready to molt, they are slowing down a bit and I expect them to stop completely here in a week or two. They’re skipping more days in between laying right now.

 

[MandS]

Thank you. She's going around chasing others and scratching. Her appetite is a bit picky though - she isn't eating pellets and will eat mash but not in big mouthfuls. Her crop is never full, even at night despite giving her a bowl of mash all to herself.

They are new and in the middle of a moult, which is why they're rescues because the farms cull them as soon as the moult starts. Oddly, we had all 4 last eggs the day before and today not one of them has layed! So it could also be stress because the only original hen in the coop is dominating everything. There's food and water all over the place so she can't guard them but she still hassles them and they run into the hen house.

As for Acorn, she's only submissive to the original hen <Dusty>.

It is getting colder here but it's still in the 60s during the day at the moment.

I've redone the bandage twice today. She's extremely good at preening it out of position and off.

It's only their first week completed. We got them last Sunday afternoon, so they are still all finding their feet.

Your help and info is so useful and helps to keep me from getting paranoid. Thank you so much!

 

[alinas2010]

Thank you. She's going around chasing others and scratching. Her appetite is a bit picky though - she isn't eating pellets and will eat mash but not in big mouthfuls. Her crop is never full, even at night despite giving her a bowl of mash all to herself.

They are new and in the middle of a moult, which is why they're rescues because the farms cull them as soon as the moult starts. Oddly, we had all 4 last eggs the day before and today not one of them has layed! So it could also be stress because the only original hen in the coop is dominating everything. There's food and water all over the place so she can't guard them but she still hassles them and they run into the hen house.

As for Acorn, she's only submissive to the original hen <Dusty>.

It is getting colder here but it's still in the 60s during the day at the moment.

I've redone the bandage twice today. She's extremely good at preening it out of position and off.

It's only their first week completed. We got them last Sunday afternoon, so they are still all finding their feet.

Your help and info is so useful and helps to keep me from getting paranoid. Thank you so much!

Of course, I’m so happy to learn about your ex bat hens and follow her healing journey.

And ah okay, thank you for sharing, I didn’t know that about ex battery hens. I knew they were forced through some very awful conditions, but I didn’t know that basically when they start to molt is when they’re culled by the factories. How tragic, I’m so glad you have the means to give these girls another chance at life. I would love to have that opportunity.

Perhaps they’re still adjusting a little as you said, poor girls have been through a lot. I know when ours molt they go off food too basically. I hate watching them be so miserable! But I bring them a big bowl of warm mash mixed with raw egg and canned chicken to the roost every night when I lock them up if I notice they have empty crops. I hold it there for them with a flashlight and let them eat a few bites before they go to sleep. They’ll usually eat a bit of that and it makes me feel better. That way I know they’re getting a little extra protein to help regrow feathers, too.

Acorn - I love that name!

 

[MandS]

Thanks. That's interesting. I don't give chicken to the chickens but I do give tuna, particularly if they aren't well or moulting. The tuna must be in spring water, not brine, and only about a teaspoon for each hen. It always seems to do the trick.

Today, Acorn is out of the dog crate all the time. She's bossing the others around but does seem to spend most of her time in the hen house still.

I don't see her eat much but it could be a consequence of her moult - plus she's still not laid. One of them laid a soft shelled egg yesterday evening. They've got oyster shell in pots and they are on layers mash and pellets, which contain calcium, so no idea why. Today all of them have laid but Acorn - all good solid eggs.

In the UK, we have an excellent charity called the British Hen Welfare Trust (a trust is like a US foundation). It's really good and has rescued over a million hens from slaughter. Have a look www.bhwt.org.uk

Thanks again for all the support and interest. I could be making assumptions, but I guess you have a lot more space than we do in Wyoming? According to what I've seen, on Google, your entire state has about 500,000 people. Compared to my town here in the UK, (it is one of the biggest however yet we are not a city), and our greater urban area population is about 300,000. You don't tend to get a lot of space here unless you own a farm (and we don't!). I wish we had more space - it's something I crave for.

 

[MandS]

Yet another problem....

Acorn is roaming free and enjoying it. She's been dust bathing and loving every minute of it. However Dusty, the only original hen, is tormenting everyone and picked on her whilst she was bathing. I heard it but by the time I got there, Acorn was bleeding from her good wing. She's minimal feathers on the top of the wing due to her moult, so it was either a quill pulled out or it was breaking if the skin.

I cleaned it up and put the purple antiseptic spray on it. I also put vaseline on her comb to stop that being held so easily.

Once I put her back, she dust bathed immediately again and seemed reasonably ok but it's just another set back. I seemingly can't win other than keeping Dusty in a cage but then she can't get to a nesting box and although she's nearly 4, she lays without exception every single day.

Here's what we've got after I treated Acorn.

Roll on this week when I think I should be able to remove the bandage on Saturday (hopefully).

 

[MandS]

Today has been her first day without a bandage. She's moving her wing, including stretching it out and occasionally doing a flap. It works and she doesn't seem to be in pain but it is lower than the other one by a few inches.

Every night I've been putting her to sleep in the nursing cage in the garage but tonight she will sleep with all the others.

So far so good. I had hoped the wrong would be back to how it was. It isn't but maybe as she uses it, the muscles will strengthen. She's been bandaged up for 2 weeks, so I should expect there to be some weakness from non movement for such a long time.

She's also out and about rather than staying in the hen house. I think her confidence has grown and continues to grow now that she's not restricted in her ability to move about, and importantly, get away from Dusty when she needs to.

I will post again, as I said I would, to update on how it finally settles in a week or so.

Thanks for all the support and encouragement!

Here's how she looks now. I tried to get her shaking her wings but it was too blurry. The broken wing is the left one, not the purple one.