Injured Chook...

[Ratzy]

Today when I checked on the chooks I found Oddball, a white silky with deformed feet and wings, sitting on the ground and not moving. I thought, OK, she is just sitting on an egg ( she's been broody for a few days now ). Not the case. Poor Oddball couldn't move her legs at all. I've put her in a suspended sling with food and water within reach. Oddball has deformed feet and wings, but she is 8-9 months old now and has never had any trouble before. Closer inspection revealed slight head trauma. A tiny bit of blood and some missing feathers. The legs aren't broken or dislocated, so I'm thinking paralysis? Maybe connected to the head trauma? Hopefully it is temporary. AARGGGHH!!!! I'm overloaded with animals with problems now-the pigeon, Izzy ( really thin ), Marigold ( with her chronic egg laying, well, not really chronic, but still... ) and now a paralyzed chook! At least I don't have the crow anymore!
PS. History of Oddball. Was bought off a breeder ( dodgy ) for $10. Has deformed feet ( 11 toes and they are all twisted and curled over ) and her wing feathers don't grow properly ( I hoped this would be corrected after I finished treating them for shaft mite but... ). She is tame and has a best buddy called Little Dude. They only started laying recently but Oddball is really broody. She is my favourite.

 

[Pheonix Rising]

Good luck ratzy !
Will write more in morn but for now it sounds like your doingbeverything right keep it up

 

[parrotqueen]

Oh Ratzy, that's so sad!! I feel a great deal of sympathy for you, because I baby my hens too and it breaks my heart so much when they have any problems.

First off, get some iron-free Polyvisol (baby vitamins) into her. She needs the extra nutrition to fight whatever it is she may have. If she seems drowsy, get some electrolytes into her. A packet of electrolytes should be available at your local poultry feed store, or you can order it off of the internet.

If you see bleeding head trauma, even if the blood is dry; wash it immediately. Wash it with lukewarm water and dish soap. Follow with a coat of either Polysporin or Neosporin.

Then thoroughly inspect your coop for things that could be potentially dangerous and could cause this to happen again to her, or the other birds. Is there a hole where a rat, possum, or other predator could get in? Is there a hole in either wire cloth or chicken wire that she could have gotten her head stuck in?

Best wishes, I'm hoping she recovers!

 

[nofearengineer]

I don't know much about chickens, but is it possible that she got in a fight with one of the others?

 

[Ratzy]

Thank you! She is still alive and has a full crop. Her poos are runny and smell. She still can't move either leg. A possum could have got in but Harvey usually doesn't stray far from the garden ( Harvey is the local were-possum ). We don't have a cat and we have a really big property. She could have gotten her head stuck but she was far from the fence when I found her. The head trauma I believe to have been caused by the bigger Isa Browns we have. She probably tripped down the laying house.
EDIT:Sorry nofearenginier. She could have, but they wouldn't go for her unless she was lying down in the first place.

She has a full crop and is drinking.