This is how I take care of my disabled chicken, Antonia. There may be a Part Five in the series, if I think of anything else (for example, mites), but there's not much more I can think of, that is different than caring for able-bodied chickens. Click here and here and here for the previous three chapters in this series, in which I talk about believing in your birdie, food and water, and carrying them comfortably and miscellaneous other things.
For the summer, I use:
Frozen gallon/liter water jugs (or large old soda jugs filled with water; lay them next to her, not too close, not too far--test it with your hand)
Ice cubes in her water, one or two when it's very hot.
Multiple water dishes (so she can walk to another if she spills one with her foot, which she often does).
Shade: She has lots of trees in her yard, and I often put her in the shade, too, unless she walks there herself.
Dirt: She has some dirt to take dirt baths, if she wants them.
Pouring water on her head and body/dunking her belly in water, if it's really hot. She hates this, but it makes me feel much better about how she's doing. (I used to dip my rabbits, when I had them, in shallow pans of water I left in their yard for them, so that their feet and bellies got wet. They hated me. But I loved them, which is why I did it.)
Cool water from the house, every time I check on her--I bring my own water bottle, and pour the "old" water out, because it gets hot.
You should always have pans of water out for your chickens (or other small animals), disabled or not, in hot weather. I had a hen that died, before I knew to put pans out, because her babies could wade in the water dish, and she was too big. It is also vitally important to keep them hydrated in the summer. I check her two or three times throughout the day, especially in very hot weather.
I use the frozen water jugs for my two guinea pigs too, since they have a sheltered cage outside. I put one in the middle of their cage, so they each have a side, and they get as close to or far away from it as they like (just be sure the frozen water jug doesn't have a label on it, or they'll try to eat it). It's a little trickier for a disabled chicken, though, who isn't as mobile and can't just come back if she wanders away, but it does help her. Be sure she is settled down, before deciding where to place it and giving her food and water.
In winter:
Lamps: She has an old lamp, just with a plain light bulb, that I turn on when it's cold (it's still cold sometimes, in March, and in Oregon).
Insulation: Her dog kennel has holes in the sides, so I use thick rubber mats, cut to the right size, to insulate one side (so she still gets light in the mornings) and up to three sides, if it's really cold.
Sweaters: I made her a vest from felt and velcro, once, but had better luck with a "medium" (according the package) sized dog sweater (since she's a big chicken) from Wal-Mart, which I found on clearance for $5.00. I cut both the arm-holes bigger, on two sides each, to accommodate her wings.
Dry bedding--don't let their hay get wet. They will get colder.
Warm water and food from the house--with microwaved hot water, if needed (mix the hot water with room-temperature water and their dry food, and test the temperature with your finger). I at least bring her new water from the house whenever I feed her, because it gets cold, just sitting outside, and I'm afraid she won't drink it if it's too cold or too hot.
If I have the lamp on, she doesn't need anything else, most days. I have also placed one or two old t-shirts over her like a blanket (shirts I don't mind having pooped on and throwing away), when I didn't have a sweater for her. I've buried her in hay, too, with only her head sticking out. It helps to give them lots of protein and fat in the winter, so that they can keep warm. (See Part Two, Feeding And Watering.)
Here's a sweater pattern for those who knit, and here's an image of an easy pattern, that you can cut out of felt or other warm materials:
The sites say that they are "for bald chickens," but I think a chicken that cannot be as active as other chickens would need one too. I would recommend the dog sweater, though, as my disabled chicken got tangled up in the vest I cut out for her.
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