[francais]

About six months ago we took in a stray chicken who had been so badly looked after. She had been kept in a small rabbit hutch and as a result was kind of hunched over (she couldn't stand up straight in the hutch). She was missing an awful lot of feather (think 3 parts oven ready) and could hardly walk.

First thing we did was louse / mite treatments, Vaseline her feet regularly etc. 6 months later she looks better than the day she arrived, but she still hasn't re-grown feathers on her chest area and it still looks red. I think she still feather pulls out of habit? Also her feet seem to point inwards towards each other. They always did but I figured this was due to her condition. Could this be a fixed position now after a long time being like that? She gets about just fine by kind of hopping sideways and is always first for treats etc.

Thanks for any advice x

[helens-hens]

Poor thing - it sounds as though she was kept in awful conditions.

Re her feet, I would have thought that if they were going to straighten out then they would have done by now. She sounds quite spirited if she gets to the treats first so I wouldn't worry too much.

With the feather loss / moulting, one of my hens once partially moulted & never properly regrew the feathers on her underside. The lower part of her crop would look quite red, particularly when full, but not sore. If she is pulling her feathers out I would imagine the skin would look quite sore. Is it possible she just hasn't regrown her feathers?

[francais]

I think that sounds like a possible answer. I have never seen her actually pick at the feathers, but just assumed that must be the reason. It could just be that they never did grow back then!

She eats well though, so I have never been over worried about her. TBH we weren't sure she would survive long, but we had to try. She just looks so funny next to the other girls, who excluding the winter grime that is starting to gather, look very preened and graceful - then she bowls is (sideways!) with bald bits and feathers at jaunty angles LOL.

[ANHBUC]

Well done francais for rescuing her. 

One of my Black Rock hens didn't grow back her bottom feathers after a partial moult.  I think one of the other hens was plucking the new ones as they grew.  She is now going through a partial moult for the winter and the feathers are finally growing back.  So you may have to wait until she is moulting again before she will re feather.   

[compostqueen]

Oh dear, what a poor start. Some folks are just the pits aren't they 

Still, she's come to you now and you have to take good care of her so she can put on some condition. If she has a proper diet, good housing, fresh air and access to the great outdoors (under supervision) she should come good but it could take til spring before she really looks her best. In winter their condition can drop off as they use lots of energy just keeping warm

Make sure she has good housing so she can shelter from the worst of the weather. Hens don't like being cold and wet. They like rain but don't appreciate both at the same time.  A clean dry, bed will also be much appreciated. They're just like us 

In spring you could treat them to a dose of poultry spice which is very economical as you use very little but it's very good and is used by poultry showers and pigeon showers/racers to improve the condition and feathering of birds. It also helps a moult along too