Post predator attack chicken help!

About 2 weeks ago our coop was attacked for the final time. Only one of our pullets survived, and she was definitely maimed in the attack. We're pretty sure she's blind, her eyes are somewhat open but she just seems dazed and confused. She sleeps overnight in our classroom bathroom and during the day she goes into the run/ coop. She doesn't move around much, she was walking in circles in the coop today, and we're not sure how much she's eating/ drinking. My question is, will she be able to come back from this or would it make more sense to cull or send to a local chicken rescue i know of? We're planning on buying more pullets after we tighten up security on our coop/ run, so I'm also worried that she'll be pecked/ bullied even though she will be bigger than the new girls.

Any suggestions on what to do at this point? Any way to test for blindness? Do chickens have ptsd? Is she just lonely?

First time chicken wrangler here, and leading a classroom of middle school Montessori students through all of this as well, so I'm trying to gather useful information that is helpful and the internet has way too much information that's difficult to sort through.

Thanks!

First get to point where we can see a current picture of here. I would like to see head from both sides, from back and above, and the throat area. Also check her breast to see if she is getting skinny. She can learn to eat even if visually impaired.

Here are some pictures of her today

First
I have a chicken in the same condition as yours. Almost 2 years ago she was attacked by a neighbors dog, and is blind now. Her eyes are there but do not function with vision. I believe she finds her food and water with her sense of smell. She needs special care to be separated from the rest of flock to prevent pecking. I will take care of her until the end. She is 11 years old now. She acts the same as yours , walking in circles sometimes. One way to check her vision is to shine a flashlight into eyes and see if there is a reaction. No reaction with my hen. I am also a realist and in your situation, (school) maybe it would be better to re home her. There is a lot more work involved to taking care of a chicken with needs, like separation from the rest of the chickens.
SORRY TO HEAR such sad stories.
Here are pix how I take care of her.

She probably does not realize that she is in a cage.

This is her before the incident. Looks same now after recovery.

WISHING YOU BEST.

svp81 said:

Here are some pictures of her today

Click to expand...

MY HEN LOOKED LIKE THAT AFTER THE ATTACK. I thought she would not make it. When all cleared up, it was then that I noticed she was blind even though her eyes were open.

Thanks so much. I really think she'd be in better hands with a rescue situation. I just wanted to figure out if this was "normal" behavior in regards to a chicken that was attacked by a predator. The walking in circles concerned me as I wasn't sure if she was neurologically damaged or just absolutely confused. She does open her eyes, but it doesn't seem that she has any reaction to any of us being around her unless we make noise. I feel so terrible for her, but I also don't want her to be in pain or so lonely that she can't exist.


I feel like a life in a cage is no life for a backyard chicken, right?

I agree with you, especially in your school environment. I let my chicken free range when I'm with her, but she does not go anywhere anyways. At night she sleeps in the coop on the floor, as the others are on the roost bar. Cant have her up high as she would fall and get hurt.

Yeah, the plan is to get new pullets anyways, so I'm fearful of pecking - especially since she was always low hen on the totem pole with her original bird crew.