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- #11
MrsEarthern
Songster
As stated, I don't have a way to separate her, and not to be melodramatic, but with five hens to one roo, her life is rape. When I had her laid out in the sunshine, he mounted her twice, which isn't unusual, and no one has bothered her in her cubby.You don't have a crate for the dog or cats, or a playpen for the kid? Do you have any friends or neighbors who might lend you either of those things?
With an immobile chicken, even a big plastic storage tote with wire for a roof instead of the lid can work. A small space makes it easier for them to get to the water and feed, as long as there is good airflow so they don't overheat.
Chickens need to eat every 30 minutes or so. They don't do big infrequent meals like humans. Water should always be available during daylight hours.
As it stands, this hen is being raped while injured / sick, which means the rooster is also yanking her neck feathers to pull her head back until she submits while trying to balance with legs that aren't working right. Who knows what added pain his weight is causing her, or the effect on her ability to breathe.
She's starving to death and dehydrated if only being fed during your visits.
She's being abused by her other flockmates because they see illness and injury as weakness that must be eradicated from the flock, which gets worse as it goes along.
And I can perfectly understand not knowing what to do or encountering difficulties getting something done in time to help a bird (it happens to us all).
Put yourself in her shoes. She can't tell you what her life feels like right now, so you have to imagine it, and act mercifully.
She has water within reach, and the feeder is accessible a foot away, she had no problem reaching it, eating, and returning to her cubby. She's absolutely not starving or dying of thirst with me fussing over her every hour.
She's alert, moving around, and pecking the hens trying to steal from her personal food stash today.