Whats up with my chicken?

[birdlover33]

Hello, I'm new on BYC! And have a huge question. I have many birds and a week ago one of my black runners went missing aka Marvin and he hasn't come back. This past weekend I had friends over and counted everyone in the coop. well the next morning we went out and one of the hens was just standing there. We thought she just got out of the fence but it turned out we had missed counted and she had been attacked. All her tail feathers were gone and her back is torn up. Last night I went out at 7 and she was gone we looked and looked couldn't find her. Then we where going to my brothers boy scout meeting and there she was just standing and she had a scratch on her head and her comb is a little messed up. so hear comes my question, how do I take care of her? how do I clean her cuts? How do I keep her from leaving? Would it be cruel to leave her in a cage until I got home? Would it be ok if I had my dad build a pen for her? I'm sorry for the length but this is the first time I've had a chicken or bird hurt. so please answer ill take any advice! also she's sassy she pecks and will nit give any human chickens and especially ducks! and do chickens have bones in their combs?

 

[Twistedfeather]

Do you have a cock/cockerel in your flock? He can easily tear at a hen because of his spurs and sometimes uncared for toenails. But, there also could be a possibility of some critter going after them. Check into books at your local feed store that can help you find out what or look at the evidence. If they were missing for some time it's possible they were getting themselves into trouble.


How you want to take care of her is up to you. There are several ways you can do this:

Clip her wings. The best time to do this is at night where she is not active. Clip one or two wings. The biggest controversy about clipping wings because it can make birds more vulnerable since they cannot fly away. But on the other hand if you have predators anyways what's going to stop your chickens from flying over the fence where she then cannot get back in? You don't really clip the wing of the bird but take the flight feathers can clip them.

Your alternative like you said would be to place a separate housing for her. Make it big enough that she has some exploring but you don't have to make it that big. How about chicken tractors?


Her tail feathers should grow back again during her next molt. I have honestly never run into the problem of back issue mainly because I have bred anything yet. Isolation might be good for a little bit because those wounds can look mighty tempting to pick at with the other birds around.


No chickens do not have bones in their combs. (It would make dubbing so much harder). The comb is a temperature regulator that the chicken uses to keep cool. It's kind of cool because depending on if the state is hot or cold the comb grows differently. Chickens also do not sweat.

Hope this helped or taught you something

 

[birdlover33]

Yes I do have a rooster but he is not allowed out because of his bad attitude toward anything moving. And my chicken coops run has chicken wire over the top but there are secret areas the hens know of to get out the rooster is to dumb to realize where they are. Which I go every morning and let the chickens and ducks out except the rooster and if the hens don't want out I leave them in. So I don't think it was Cluckie? and we have tons of coons out where we live we ruled out coyotes they don't come up to the house we also ruled out skunks because of no smell so maybe a coon or opossum? But thanks fro the help do you think she would be ok in a cage till I got home till tomorrow? Or should I just let her free?

 

[Twistedfeather]

She'll be fine for the day as long as you provide food and water.

 

[birdlover33]

ok Thanks I was kinda worried! we left her with plenty of food and water and we left her in the garage because it has been poring for the last two days and isn't supposed to stop till late tonight! are whole yard is flooded! only good thing the ducks are occupied! Thank you for answering!(;