2 days ago my Precious Golden Wyandotte didn't come back to the coop at night. When she didn't return the following morning I was sure she was taken by preditors. Today she was found tangled in some fencing. She is cold, wet (it has been raining for 2 days here and the nights have gotten down into the upper 40s) and the right wing is now featherless. I'm not sure if there is damage to the wing itelf (though there are some open wounds) as I have never seen a wing without feathers before. She drank water and is talking to me. We have her in a smaller container with a heat lamp on her. I tried to get her to stand, but she stumbled and laid down again right away. I'm thinking she is exhausted from surviving for 2 nights and 2 days in the cold wet with potential preditors around. Here are my questions: 1) How do I tell if there are missing wing parts? 2) How long does it take to regrow wing feathers...and without them will she be able to keep herself warm as the temps continue to drop? 3) Do I need to wait until she is fully recovered before reintroducing her to the flock? Will they pick on her because she is weaker? 4) If there are missing wing parts, will she be able to keep her balance (eventually) and move around "normally"? I know that without equal "wings" she won't be able to fly. Any feed back on helping her recover or what I can expect would be greatly appreciated. If I could figure out how to add a photo of the injured wing I would... the "paperclip" seems be hiding from me. Winnie and I appreciate your help and feedback.
Even if part of the wing is missing she can still heal up and feather back up. I have no idea how long that will take.Several weeks probably. The only way you can tell if the other chickens will pick on her is to watch her when she returns to the flock. Just keep her warm, watered, and fed and let her get her energy back before you try that. I would let her wounds heal up first. Keep her wounds clean and give her antibiotics if you see any sign of infection or illness. You can get them in the cooler section at the feed store. The cold might not be a problem if she can huddle with the other chickens at night. I had a roo that plucked his favorite hen's back feathers and she was fine in cold weather until they grew back. That little romeo was removed from my flock. If her wing never gets back into flying shape you may need to reconsider letting her free range. It could make her an easier target for predators. Hopefully balance won't be a problem. Best wishes for a quick recovery.
Thank you so much! That is so reassuring! And Yes...the VERY day that she went missing we started making arrangements to enclose their yard as I was not going to let them be picked off one by one! Winnie and I really appreciate your reply.
Keep her a part of the flock starting tomorrow by placing her in a cage in the coop with food and water, or by fencing off a little area. Use a baby Tshirt or a piece of fleece or polarfleece to make her a shirt or you could also wrap her injured wing in a figure 8 bandage to splint it and help to keep it warm. Feathers can grow back within a month, or it might take until the next full molt. Here is a link about the wing splint: http://www.starlingtalk.com/fractures.htm