Wing Problem!?

[Craigboy53]

but... to answer your question... no, she probably does not have a wing problem. just telling the other chickens "you obey me!" or in other words she just is the dominant hen.

She is certainly the noisiest of the two! Cant say I’ve seen any aggressive or dominant behaviour. They roam the yard together, but she will hip check Thing2 out of the way to get a bug, and she’s the one who runs to greet us first. I guess those would indicate dominance?

 

[Craigboy53]

OH NO! A week ago I cut the ends of her flight feathers on that wing so they weren’t dragging. She seemed fine all week, free ranging, laying every day, including today.
Five minutes ago I found her on her back under the bird feeder, unable to get up. At first I was afraid she had been attacked by a hawk, but inspection showed no obvious injury, no missing/ruffled feathers. I cleaned her off (covered in BOSS shells), and checked her all over. Not egg bound, as she laid this morning. Head seems fine, wings are as before and seem okay, legs look normal. As it is raining a bit today, I put her and her sister back in the coop, but I have a very bad feeling about this.
Anyone have any insights?

 

[The WinterWolf]

please send me a pic. I have had several chicks and chickens die like this

 

[The WinterWolf]

wait... boss shotshells?

 

[The WinterWolf]

do people in your neighborhood hunt???

 

[Craigboy53]

LOL! Black oil sunflower seeds shells......under the bird feeder.
I have no picture to send.....she’s back in the coop, she’s walking around squawking as usual. I will check on her frequently.

 

[The WinterWolf]

ok thats better..

 

[Craigboy53]

Yesterday both girls were out free ranging, no issues, and each laid an egg. Thing1 was still dragging her wing, but seemed unaffected.
This morning, when I went to let them out of the coop, I could see Thing2 up on the perch, and Thing1 was on her side, under the perch, not moving. But as I got closer, she jumped up and came to the door. They both immediately ran to the bird feeder to get any BOSS the blue jays had left for them. An hour later, I looked out, and Thing1 was on her side under the feeder. I went out to get her, and as I approached, she stood, but was shakey. As she walked towards me, her wing was really dragging, so scooped her, and cut as many flight feathers as short as I dared, so they didn’t drag. I set her down, and she just sat there. Didn’t stand up as usual, so I walked ten feet away and waited. She just sat there. I went to the can where I keep the mealworms, which usually brings them running. Both came, but Thing1 was slow. I tossed a handful of mealworms over their heads, behind them. Thing2 spun and ran. Thing1 tried to turn, but went down on her left leg as it gave out (same side as drooping wing). I’m now pretty sure she’s had a stroke, and it’s only a matter of time........

 

[Craigboy53]

Sunday morning. Both girls were at the coop door, ready to come out. Thing2 sprinted out as usual, but Thing1 tripped on the way out, and went down on her weak side. Her leg is definitely not working properly. Her wing is dragging considrably. She picked herself up, and ran the twenty feet to the bird feeder, no problem, but fell over when she got there. It took her about 15 seconds to right herself, but she didn’t stand, she just laid there. Didn’t seem the least concerned, just looking around as it were the most normal thing in the world.
We wondered if a sprained/broken wing could be affecting the leg. After reading more on BYC, we elected to try to immobilize the wing. First try, used the neck from a turtleneck sweater, and just slipped it over her, holding both wings in place carefully until the material was in place. Not a bad fit, she could stand and walk, but it quickly started to slip down and off.
Plan Two: using self adhesive elastic sports tape, we wrapped the injured wing down, and put the tape under the opposite wing, so it was free. Didn’t work, she was off balance, and fell. Redid the tape, this time holding both wings in place. We were careful not to compress her, the tape just tight enough to hold. That seems to have worked so far. She can stand, walk and run, and doesn’t seem to be bothered by the tape. She laid an egg this morning too.
We have put up a temporary fence around the entrance to the run, giving her an 8x10’ area outside the run to scratch, but she can’t get far, and can’t get over the fence. Hopefully a little bit of reduced activity will help healing. Her sister, Thing2 was initially in the same fence, but I guess sisterhood only goes so far, because after 5 minutes of consoling Thing1, off she went over the fence to roam the backyard.

Now the question is how long do we leave it on? Opinions seem to vary, from two weeks to six weeks, which seems like a big difference. Recommendations please!

 

[Craigboy53]

RIP Thing1. This morning she tried to get up from where she was laying on the run floor, and fell over. I picked her up, checked her wings. Left one still hanging, seems immobile. Right one a bit shredded. Right leg now held up close to her body (it was her other leg yesterday). I fed her, left her lying upright inside the run while her sister went foraging. Went back two hours later, and she was on her side, had dug quite a hole with one leg trying to turn over. When I tried to get her to stand, she just fell on her side.
That was enough; she was clearly suffering, so I euthanized her. Now we have one leghorn left, and you can’t have just one chicken, so she will be going to another farm home with a large flock tomorrow.
Our experience raising chickens has been a bust. Started with six Orpington chicks. One died quickly, two turned out to be cockerels, so they went to another home. The three Orpington hens were lovely, but stopped laying after four months of laying. All healthy, just a bad attitude. They went off to another farm, where we traded for four chicks, two leghorns and two Araucanas. A week later something small, a mink I think, got in and killed them all. Back to the farm, got four more chicks. Two leghorns, one Easter egger, and an unknown. The unknown died after four months, never having thrived. We started getting eggs from the leghorns in December, after the moult, but the Easter egger laid one egg, a tan oval egg, and no more. Then a month later she was found dead one morning, no warning.
So we’ve had the two leghorns, laying well, doing fine, until this wing thing happened.
At this point, we’re not sure we are going to start again. Having the chickens is a lot of fun, but there is too much heartbreak.