4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Mumbles Chick]

Yesterday I made a horrible mistake. I closed the cube door at lunchtime to encourage my broody hen (Willow) to have some food and water, and I forgot to open it again for the girls (6 of them) to go to bed. When I went outside about 8pm they were all FRANTICALLY trying to get in. They were all piled up on the steps pushing and shoving each other trying to open the door. They had probably been there about an hour as the first one usually goes up about 7pm at this time of year.

 

When I let them out thismorning, I noticed Daisy's wing looked very strange. The front feathers were hanging down and when I picked her up I noticed quite a few had been snapped off. I felt terrible! I am sure she got the injury last night in the scuffle.

 

She has eaten today and laid an egg and doesnt appear to be in any obvious pain, but the front part of the wing wont go back into place and is still drooping down.

 

Do you think she has broken it? What should I do, please?

[Egluntyne]

Could just be that the feathers have been damaged in the kerfuffle.

 

If she was in pain she would be off her grub and would have a still and hunched stance.

[cluckingmad]

If she lets you gently extend the wing without any signs of discomfort then its definately not broken - like a human with a broken arm, she'll be VERY reluctant to allow you to touch it is it's hurting her.

 

She may have just snapped some feather off in the kerfuffle, I doubt its serious or else she'd be looking generally unhappy...

 

Don't be too hard on yourself petal, have heard of folk doing MUCH worse than forgetting the doors shut (we nearly shut our cat in the cube by accident... he'd gone in to investigte the, ahem, smells...) *hugs*

[Mumbles Chick]

Thanks for that. I feel much better. I will keep an eye on her.

[Lewis]

Make sure it isn't broken, and if it isnt and the feathers are just a bit bent, it might be an idea to trim them to stop them dragging across the ground and getting in the way