Wasn't sure where to post this,so if this is the wrong place,please feel free to move.
I have 3 Roosters(I was wanting to keep all 3,but after this,2 of them are going into my freezer this weekend)and 8 hens. They are 17 weeks old. They free range from first light until dusk. Well,all 3 of them have taken a liking to my biggest hen. Her name is Big Momma. Yesterday afternoon,they kept getting on her,doing their thing,then just stand on top of her,until I could get to them with a stick. I didn't really bother them at first,until I saw that she was actually hurt. She was just laying there,not moving,even when another one came up on her,she wouldn't move. I looked and she has these huge holes on the top of her back. I'm not meaning like scratches or cuts,but these are deep holes way down inside her. One hole is about 1 inch long and about 2 inches wide. Anyhow,after I finally got the Roosters into the coop last evening,I tried moving her,and she'd go to stand up,but then plop right down...almost like her legs were broke and she just couldn't stand. I ended up having to leave her out of the coop all last night on account of when all the other chickens were up on their roost,I moved her in there,and those darn Roosters flew down and went to start mating her again. Well,this AM,as soon as all the chickens came out of their pen,I put her in there and closed the gate. None of the chickens ever go into the pen anyways during the day,because all their feed dishes and water are outside the fence. I have a waterer inside the fence now for her,right beside her because she just can't really move. She tries to move a bit,bit she's putting her wings to the ground and using them to move her just an inch or so every now and then. She's eating good and drinking her water.
See,I'm not for sure if her legs are actually broke,or if her cuts are just so deep,that it hurts to stand up. When she uses her wings to move herself,she kinda like pulls along on her belly,she doesn't use her legs at all.
She's such a sweet hen,and I really hate to loose her,but if she's never going to get better and will always be like this,then I don't want to make her suffer any more. My gut is telling me she needs to be put down,but was wondering if any one else has had something like this happen,and have their hen to go on and live a happy and healthy life.
To be honest,I'm nearly tempted to put all 3 roosters in my freezer this weekend. I hate to even wait that long,on account of all my hens are staying under my shed now,because if they ever come out,they get downed by a Rooster. I have had to move a small waterer under the shed just to where they won't have to leave it to go get a drink.
Sorry for the long Novel...what is your advice??
I have 3 Roosters(I was wanting to keep all 3,but after this,2 of them are going into my freezer this weekend)and 8 hens. They are 17 weeks old. They free range from first light until dusk. Well,all 3 of them have taken a liking to my biggest hen. Her name is Big Momma. Yesterday afternoon,they kept getting on her,doing their thing,then just stand on top of her,until I could get to them with a stick. I didn't really bother them at first,until I saw that she was actually hurt. She was just laying there,not moving,even when another one came up on her,she wouldn't move. I looked and she has these huge holes on the top of her back. I'm not meaning like scratches or cuts,but these are deep holes way down inside her. One hole is about 1 inch long and about 2 inches wide. Anyhow,after I finally got the Roosters into the coop last evening,I tried moving her,and she'd go to stand up,but then plop right down...almost like her legs were broke and she just couldn't stand. I ended up having to leave her out of the coop all last night on account of when all the other chickens were up on their roost,I moved her in there,and those darn Roosters flew down and went to start mating her again. Well,this AM,as soon as all the chickens came out of their pen,I put her in there and closed the gate. None of the chickens ever go into the pen anyways during the day,because all their feed dishes and water are outside the fence. I have a waterer inside the fence now for her,right beside her because she just can't really move. She tries to move a bit,bit she's putting her wings to the ground and using them to move her just an inch or so every now and then. She's eating good and drinking her water.
See,I'm not for sure if her legs are actually broke,or if her cuts are just so deep,that it hurts to stand up. When she uses her wings to move herself,she kinda like pulls along on her belly,she doesn't use her legs at all.
She's such a sweet hen,and I really hate to loose her,but if she's never going to get better and will always be like this,then I don't want to make her suffer any more. My gut is telling me she needs to be put down,but was wondering if any one else has had something like this happen,and have their hen to go on and live a happy and healthy life.
To be honest,I'm nearly tempted to put all 3 roosters in my freezer this weekend. I hate to even wait that long,on account of all my hens are staying under my shed now,because if they ever come out,they get downed by a Rooster. I have had to move a small waterer under the shed just to where they won't have to leave it to go get a drink.
Sorry for the long Novel...what is your advice??
