Chicken PTSD after hawk attack

[waddles99]

No she isn't injured. She had a few feathers missing and did have some scratches but nothing major. She is in with the rest of the flock now and has been for the past 6 days. But they're still presumably picking on her enough that she flees up to the roost all day. I can't take the roost out because its part of the structure. Tonight I'll take her and a couple of the other super docile ones and put them in the chicken tractor. that way she's at least not isolated but is away from the main flock. There has never been anything like this ever in my flock. theres 16 of them, 2 are roosters, and they all just live happily together. Or at least they did until the hawk attack.

I went through the same exact thing with my buff ore, disregarding the hawk attack. She was introduced by herself into a new flock. I think because its a more docile breed they are more likely to get bullied. Anyway, she went up on the roost every single day, wouldn't come down and eat or drink until after the others had gone in the coop. I finally took the roost out and she was forced to be down on the ground. They pecked her a little bit, but in a couple of days she was one of them! It stinks you can't take the roost out. I like the idea of the chicken tractor.

 

[birds4kids]

I would keep the tractor next to the coop so everyone sees everyone. Might also consider obstructing the perch.

 

[mamahen16]

she's been out in the chicken tractor with 2 other hens that were from her cohort for a week and been doing just fine. No signs of being scared or anything. Should I try to put all three of them back in the coop now?

 

[lissalischicks]

When this happened to one of my chickens it took about a week before she started acting "normal". The first few days I wrapped her in a towel and held her a lot. I also was advised to get electrolytes to help her and keep her warm (when they are in shock they get cold I'm told). I didn't force her to eat but I did get a syringe and helped her get so water with the electrolytes. I tried separating her from the flock but nothing really made her happy. My other chickens also pestered her as well so I hope put her with her favorite buddy and that seemed to help. It took 2 to 3 weeks before she was completely normal. It takes time but she will get better. Since you posted this a while ago, I hope your chicken is better

 

[mamahen16]

She's not quite better yet. She was fine in the tractor with her 2 friends, even though they still pecked her head enough that there was a little bald spot. But she was eating and everything. So i put them all back in the coop and the rooster still picks on her. She's hanging in there though so I'm hoping time will heal all.

When this happened to one of my chickens it took about a week before she started acting "normal".  The first few days I wrapped her in a towel and held her a lot.  I also was advised to get electrolytes to help her and keep her warm (when they are in shock they get cold I'm told).  I didn't force her to eat but I did get a syringe and helped her get so water with the electrolytes.  I tried separating her from the flock but nothing really made her happy.  My other chickens also pestered her as well so I hope put her with her favorite buddy and that seemed to help.  It took 2 to 3 weeks before she was completely normal. It takes time but she will get better.  Since you posted this a while ago, I hope your chicken is better

 

[PertyGertie]

How is your Buff doing?

 

[mamahen16]

She is definitely in a new place of the pecking order now. They pick on her enough that she's still missing all the feathers on the back of her head and part of her back. She spends most of the day on the roost and when I let them out, she quickly separates herself from the rest and stays alone. But she'll go back in the coop now and is laying daily.

 

[mamahen16]

How is your Buff doing?

I never did put her back in after I was going to in my last post. She just looked so scared when she was in there. If any of the others even got near her she would run and put her head in the corner. So she's been out in the tractor with one other hen that is nice to her. Until the other day. I let them all out and she came out then went in with the others for the night. So I let her stay in and the next day, I was picking up the eggs and they were all blood spattered like a crime scene. they had pecked the poor girl in the eye!! So now she only has one eye and now I'll never let her in with the rest again. We just had a big hatch of peeps so once they feather I'll put a couple in with her and they can all just be friends out there by themselves.
so sad. I just kept thinking that if I let the pecking order work out that she'd eventually assimilate again. but no. Apparently they remember and hold a grudge.

 

[Poppy Putentake]

Hi all,

One of my pullets may also be a case of "Chicken PTSD".

I've got five 4-month-old pullets, one Black Sex Link, one Buff Orpington, one Wyandotte, One Golden Comet, and one Barred Rock. Most days, I let them free-range.

Yesterday evening I heard disturbance outside and asked my DH (who was outside at the time) what happened. He said the chickens had been attacked by a dog and that one (the Black Sex link) had been chased away and disappeared, that the Barred Rock was lying dead on the other side of the house, and the other three (as I could see) were milling around in a agitated way.

I went to investigate the "dead" chicken and found it lying motionless on the ground, but when I picked it up, it was moving slightly. After I carried it into the house, it began to revive/awaken. Looking it over, I found no signs of injury except for some loose feathers, and that it passively allowed me to pick it up and examine it with less resistance than usual. It appeard to have a normal range of motion, except that it moved very slowly. It ate a few sunflower seeds out of my hand. After a while I put it outside, then, because it was getting dark, I put it in the "upstairs" roosting area of the chicken tractor, which is where all my chickens sleep; and also hustled in the three other chickens I could find and closed up the tractor for the night. (Usually they go into the tractor by themsleves but I wanted them out of danger.)

The Black Sex LInk was still missing, and did not turn up when we searched for it with flashlights. We figured that if it was still alive, it would roost in a tree and find its way home in the morning. While we were looking, our next-door neighbor who is experienced with chickens, said (about the Barred Rock that had been immobile) that a fright can cause chickens to feeze that way and that it can also cause them to stop laying eggs (although mine are not laying yet anyway).

I also read a while ago online that "hypnotizing" chickens (making them become motionless) actually was due to their innate fear response of freezing, and that doing this was not good for the chickens and would cause them to stop laying eggs. I am thinking that some thing like this may be what happened to my Barred Rock.

Next morning, "Blackie" (the Black Sex LInk) did show up at our back door and did not seem any worse off for having camped out overnight. Along with all but one of the other birds, it has been behaving in their usual feisty, active, way. The Barred Rock, though, did not come out of the tractor to eat this morning. When I took it out by hand, it walked very slowly to the feeder but did not eat much, and soon went back into the tractor, climbed up into the roosting area, and stayed there all day.

I noticed a few feathers scattered around the yard -- all of them black and white barred. Evidently that is the bird that got the worst of it from the dog (although we did not see it happen).

Although it does not appear to have been physically harmed, I am thinking that it either has injuries (like bruises) that caused it to be still right after they happend and are now causing it some pain and tenderness; or else it had a severe fright that made it freeze at first and is now making it stay in the safest place it can find. Maybe both of these things. I put food and water within its reach but otherwise am trying to not disturb it too much. It is alone in the daytime but has the company of the other chickens at night.

Has anyone else had experience with anything like this? Should I expect this bird to recover?

Friendly greetings to all,

Poppy

 

[PertyGertie]

I had a hawk attack one of my girls. She was pretty beat up and bruised. Her left eye was blood red. I'm assuming an internal injury to her eye. Anyway I brought her inside to keep her warm to keep her from going into shock. I put her on a heat pad in her pen. Made sure to cover it with towels so she felt secure. She was also missing feathers all over her body. She had a cut I cleaned up and put antibiotic ointment (the kind without pain reliever). She was also pretty bruised up. I put polyspirin in her eye and continued 3 times a day for a week. She stayed in her pen all night and rested. In the morning I opened the door so she could come out and grab a bite to eat. She came out around noon and ate and drank and went back inside the pen. She did that a few times during the day. She stayed inside another night. The next morning when I opened the door she came right out and wanted to explore the house. That's when I knew she was ready to go back to the coop.

Give her some time. She may be all bruised up. Also the other girls may not treat her nice if they know she's hurt. She may just be staying out of sight, out of mind. When a chicken is sick and hurt they stay away from the rest for self preservation. If you can, bring her inside to recover so she doesn't have to worry about the others doing her in. Give her peace and quiet to rest.

Thats all the advice I can give.