Chicken with a crooked tail - how should I treat it?

[Jody's Girls]

I have a chicken that used to have a normal tail, but now the tail is cocked to one side. I sometimes catch chickens that try to run by the tail feathers and wonder if I could have dislocated this one's tail in the process. Otherwise, I am not sure what caused it. She seems happy and healthy, and I felt around the tail and didn't feel any lumps. Should I try to straighten the tail or just leave her be? My chickens are around 6 months old and I have just noticed the crooked tail on one hen. If it was "wry tail" wouldn't it have shown up months ago?

 

[chrissynemetz]

I have no idea?
Can you post pictures? What do you feed them?

 

[Jody's Girls]

 

[Jody's Girls]

It looks like the picture I posted. They are on layers feed, scratch, and cooked whole oats and scraps

 

[Duck_life]

I'm almost certain that's wry tail. @aart @Eggcessive

 

[Duck_life]

https://www.mypetchicken.com/backyard-chickens/chicken-help/What-is-wry-tail-H305.aspx

 

[sean_wonder]

I personally do not like layer feed because it doesn't have enough protein and the girls don't have the opportunity to choose whether or not they need calcium. Have you checked around the tail area for soreness or injuries? How long since her tail has gone crooked? Does this affect her in any way? Do you have roosters?

 

[sean_wonder]

I'm almost certain that's wry tail. @aart @Eggcessive

it does look like that but since it's a recent thing it doesn't seem genetic...

 

[Duck_life]

I personally do not like layer feed because it doesn't have enough protein and the girls don't have the opportunity to choose whether or not they need calcium. Have you checked around the tail area for soreness or injuries? How long since her tail has gone crooked? Does this affect her in any way? Do you have roosters?

Layer helps give the chickens the vitamins so they could lay their eggs, oyster shells shouldn't be mixed with any of their food, gives them a choice of calcium. Flock feed helps with protein and when they eat from veggies/fruits scraps or just bugs from the ground they get protein. But I do agree checking for injury is a good start, though it looks like wry tail.

 

[Duck_life]

it does look like that but since it's a recent thing it doesn't seem genetic...

Wry tail is almost always genetic, it could develop later or in the chicks when they're older. States in the article here
Wry tail is almost always genetic and not a cause for concern in terms of life quality. It causes no pain to your bird, and will not negatively affect your bird's life