Broken wing on ex bat hen

Birker2020

Birker2020

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Any chicken keepers on here have any idea how much you would be looking at paying for amputation of a hens wing that is broken beyond repair.

Our lovely exbat Cotton somehow broke her wing yesterday between when my partner let her out of the coop early morning and lunch time. We strapped it up yesterday evening when we realised it was broken and got advice from someone who works for the British Hen Welfare Trust who says if it is broken on the joint it will most probably need to be amputated due to the risk of gangrene. Poor Cotton is booked in tonight at the vets - fingers crossed all it will need is strapping up. However if it does need amputation I think we will have to have her pts as there is no way we can afford to pay hundreds for an operation and drugs. Anyone any idea how much you would be looking at for this operation should it be needed so we can prepare ourselves before we go to the vets later?
 
The BHWT have a lot with broken wings/legs and they go on to make full recoverys. The problem isn't if she can be saved, more the cost. I am losing my job in 9 days hence why I am worried.
 
I have no idea on the cost, but wouldn't have thought it would be hundreds. Chicken bones mend very quickly. A cockerel of ours was trodden on by a horse & his leg was snapped. We splinted it with lolly sticks & tape & it mended within a month. Only trouble was we couldn't catch him for ages afterwards to get it off!
 
I wasn't suggesting that she couldn't be saved, but merely saying what i thought my vet would recommend. We had a hen that we think was bitten by something, and it nearly took her entire foot off!! I found her hopping across the garden with blood pouring from it, and she was squaking like nobody's business! I caught her and courtesy of equine first aid kit strapped it up and she lived in the house for a day or two gettign crosser by the minute! :eek: I lost count of how many times she removed the bandage or pecked me, but she healed and apart from a lump of scar tissue and a slightly odd foot movement for a while she was fine.

has the bone come through the skin? if not then I think it should be a fairly easy job to repair it, with a relatively low risk of infections/gangrene.
 
I would think you would be looking at £60 up at least.

BUT as a long time chicken owner, it isnt the amputation you have to worry about it's the anesthetic not many birds cope well with it. I have in the past put one through an anesthetic but it was a very young bird who was very fit & well just had an Eye Ulcer. Im very doubtful i would do it again as it was very stressful on the chook.

Ive also had a Hen recently who damaged a wing i ended up culling as she wasnt coping.
 
Hooray, we took Cotton to the vets and its not broken, just very badly bruised and torn ligaments. All is well with the world.

Thanks for your advice guys x
 
I know. We are still at a loss to know how she did it. We've introduced two new ex bats three weeks ago so there's a new pecking order in the process of being established but even so, it must have been a hell of a bang to have bruised it like that. Still the good thing is that she is okay. I nearly kissed the vet I was so happy.
 
Excellent news. For the record I amputated a goose's wing (fly strike) recently which including surgery, anaesthesia, bandage and drugs came to £120. A chicken would be a fair bit less - about £70-80 i would say.
 
Glad all is ok.
Our Duck broke its wing and leg. My daughter strapped them up totake him to the vets and the vet said she had done such a good job he did not want to disturb it. The consultation was free and the Duck made a full recovery.
We had a hen that was attecked by a dog. She was plaucked nearly bare with skin torn all over and her parsons nose? hanging out.
She had 117 stitches and made a full recovery. The bill was only £17.
It does depend on the vet.
We also had a green finch with a broken wing. It healed but was unable to fly. He lived for 7 years.
Birds are rematkable at recovery but it does depend on the vet as for cost.
 
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