We adopted an inbred hen with a mangled foot

[that-orpington-life]

Hi everyone, I live in western NC and I'm still relatively new and inexperienced at chicken keeping. We have 8 chickens, all about a year old - 4 spangled orpingtons and 4 smaller ones that I'm not 100% sure what the breed are. The unknown breed ones we got a few months ago from someone who couldn't keep them anymore because he had become homeless. They're 1 rooster and 3 hens, all of them siblings. The original clutch size was 11 and all but these 4 died not long after hatching, if I remember correctly. Anyway, one of the hens we "rescued" had her foot crushed by her mom by accident when she was just a week or so old, and since the previous owner didn't do anything about it, it totally deformed her foot and she is unable to walk on it. She can briefly support her weight on it and use it as a crutch to hop on her other foot with, but it has no function and it generally just drags behind her. Her toes are curled in on it. She does have some feeling in the leg and foot, and the foot will respond to pain and touch (she can jerk it away but it is weak), and it has good blood circulation, but she is unable to climb on anything or roost at night because of it. She tries to use it to scratch her beak with sometimes, but obviously it doesn't work, so she just scrapes her beak on the ground instead. She's able to get around enough to get to food and water on her own, which is a good thing.

What I worry about is that her siblings were absolutely brutal with her. They were constantly pecking at her and about a third of her feathers were picked bare when I decided to separate her from them. They had also pecked at her paralyzed foot and she lost a toe. Thank goodness it didn't get infected. Now she's in a pen separated from her siblings so she can get some peace, and I set up a bucket with some hay for her to sleep in since she can't roost. I also worry about her hygiene because she can't seem to be able to dust bathe and right now she's basically coated in a thin layer of dried mud. She's scared to death of me until I catch her. I'd like to know what you all think about which health problems I need to look out for with her and if it might be a good idea to try to bathe her in water to get the mud off.

 

[azygous]

You certainly may bathe this muddy girl! Fix a tub of warm water, use baby shampoo, and instead of putting the shampoo on the chicken, mix it into the wash water. That way you can soak the grime off. I've just recently discovered that hair conditioner works really well to restore condition to feathers. Smooth it on after rinsing the shampoo off. Then rinse.

Pat dry with a towel until most of the water is absorbed, then blow dry. Chickens adore being blow dried, but you may need to have someone else hold her while you handle the dryer. As you blow the soft butt feathers, ruffle the feathers to fluff . The hard feathers should dry more quickly and need no fluffing.

Her mates have been doing what most chickens do to the sick and infirm among them - they are trying to drive her out of the flock. Some chickens will even try to kill an injured or sick member. This is instinct to preserve the flock. It's a dilemma, not easily resolved. Your lame hen isn't going to get better and her mates aren't going to change their minds about her.

All you can try to do is keep her separate for a while until she adjusts to her new home, and hopefully, she will regain some self confidence during this period. She may then be more able to stand up against the abuse.

Many of us have had chickens with disabilities, and we've been happy to see to their special needs. But at some point, you will need to assess whether this hen is enjoying quality of life and if not, you might want to consider euthanasia.

 

[that-orpington-life]

This is a picture I got of her today. I'd love to know what breed she is if anyone can tell. She won't let me catch her to give her a bath and it seems that she is distraught, maybe from being separated from her siblings, despite the abuse they heaped on her. I think I'll have to wait until dark one night and just snatch her while she's sleeping. She won't be happy but she'll be clean at least.

 

[azygous]

Just so you will know, if you select "full size" image instead of "thumbnail, we can see much more detail.

Any chicken, even if deplorably abused by the flock, will be more content and feel more secure when left with the flock. This sense of security from being in proximity with other chickens, far outweighs any negative effects from being singled out for abuse.

If you need to segregate a chicken, it's best to do it in full view of the flock.

 

[that-orpington-life]

Just so you will know, if you select "full size" image instead of "thumbnail, we can see much more detail.

Any chicken, even if deplorably abused by the flock, will be more content and feel more secure when left with the flock. This sense of security from being in proximity with other chickens, far outweighs any negative effects from being singled out for abuse.

If you need to segregate a chicken, it's best to do it in full view of the flock.

They are able to see each other, and they chatter at each other all day. I hope that's enough. I also fixed the picture.

 

[azygous]

Much better! She sure isn't what you'd call a "show" chicken, is she? But I bet she has a personality when you get to know her.

 

[Relleoms]

I really hope things work out with your girl! Your title makes me cringe/smile in a “she’s so ugly, she’s cute” sort of way.

 

[azygous]

As to her breed, she looks to be a mix of Spangled Orloff and something else.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have no idea as to what breed she is.

You asked about her hygiene since she doesn't seem to dust bath - you will want to inspect her regularly for lice and mites. It may be a good idea to treat her at least a couple times a year or quarterly with a Permethrin based poultry spray or dust.
These can be found at Tractor Supply or online http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1151513/pesticides-approved-for-poultry

She's not able to roost? What type of roost, like a pole? Can she sit on a wider board possibly - I'm not sure if that will help or not, but she will most likely have a poopy butt fairly often if she doesn't roost - keep watch on that and clean her up regularly, especially in warm weather. If you are WNC, then I'm sure you saw the flies, mosquitoes and honey bees have come out with the nice weather we are having Flies LOVE poopy bottoms and will lay eggs, these egg will hatch and the maggots can feast on the chicken, this is call FlyStrike - so diligence in keeping a clean bum - trim fluff around the vent as needed.

As for her being scared of you, she may come around with time and patience. Sometimes low in pecking order chickens are more skittish.

For her, I would also offer some poultry vitamins once a week and extra protein like egg, tuna, meat. You can also use chick starter or flock raiser if you prefer.

I hope all goes well for you, keep us posted.

 

[micstrachan]

She is hilariously cute. Poor girl. I love the idea of a wide flat roost. Of course, it couldn’t be raised too high, since she’ll have to hop up on one foot. Is there one friend in the flock or are all three mean to her?
You have received some good advice regarding supportive care. I would be especially concerned about the possibility of mites if she can’t dust bathe. Seems like she should be able to, though, even with the bad foot? Or maybe the others don’t allow her to?