Unsecure chicken perches

[cwinwood]

We returned from holiday on 21st June to find our Wyandotte hen having problems holding her head up. At first we thought she had a broken neck, but now we just don't know. I spoke to our local vet who said she doesn't know a lot about hens but thought it could be either a disease (in which case she would probably have died by now), or possibly nerve damage to her neck. Our neighbour has two young hooligan cocks who come over and (sorry to say this, but it's true) gang rape her. She started to improve a couple of weeks ago, only to be attacked twice in one day by Ronnie and Reggie. She is at her worst first thing in the morning, and at dusk, and will just lie down on the gravel with her head underneath her. We pick her up and carry her to her coup and put her to bed for the night.

We have spoken to our neighbour, put up more chicken wire along our boundary, but unfortunately we can't stop them from flying over our main gate into the garden.

She is eating and drinking well, and, bless her, has taken over mothering a chick whose mum died recently, and she doesn't appear to be in any pain. However, we find it very disturbing seeing her like that.

Any ideas???

I have read some bizarre things on American forums of hens with broken necks etc., but surely if her neck was broken she wouldn't be able to keep lifting it up?

All sensible advice/help gratefully received.

[Chicken Momma]

I'm sorry to see this post and to see you have had no replies to it.

 

As a novice henkeeper I have no insight into what the causes might be of your girl's condition and less what to do about it.

 

I just wanted to say how sorry I was to hear it and hope you have either found a solution by now or will very soon.

 

Warm regards

 

Angie

(Chicken Momma)

[Egluntyne]

Gosh .. .this is an old thread.

 

The OP hasn't logged on since this query was posted, so I guess s/he found a solution elsewhere.

[Chicken Momma]

Sure is an old thread but it just touched me