Fox attack overnight

[Megs_menagerie]

Hello,
I had two hens attacked overnight by what I’m pretty sure was a fox. One hen is gone, only feathers left but the other has no open wounds but really roughed up. She will stand but just keeps her head down on the ground. I put her inside my basement with sugar water nearby but she has no interest in it. When I pet her she will pick her head up for a minute but then just closes her eyes & drops it again. What should I do?

 

[orelsi]

If there are no open wounds for sure, that means she is extremely frightened/in shock. Keep her with the flock if you have more chickens, she will come out of it. She shouldn't be alone. Hens can sometimes die from the fear after an attack, but it's rare.

 

[Megs_menagerie]

Oh ok, I can put her back out there. I was worried they’d pick on her

 

[orelsi]

She'll be fine. Chickens in general hate to be alone. They would peck at her wounds, if she had any, but otherwise they are like a support group, the flock chirping around will help her.

 

[coach723]

Sorry, but I disagree. She needs to be in a warm, quiet, low light place until she's recovered from shock. You can use towels warmed in the dryer if she needs to be warmed. You need to monitor eating and drinking and droppings. Drinking is the most important at first, she needs to stay hydrated, that's very important. If you have electrolites, offer those, gatorade can work in a pinch. Fluids should be slightly warmed until she's not shocky. You can try holding it up to her beak in a spoon or shallow bowl to see if she'll take it. If she's not drinking you may need to tube warmed fluids until she starts drinking.
Look carefully amongst the feathers for any puncture wounds. Make sure there are no broken bones. She may have been shaken or squeezed, so time will tell. If there are no internal injuries then she does have a chance to recover. She is likely going to be very sore, and it may take some time for her to recover. If needed you can place rolled up bath towels around her to help her stay upright and help hold her head up more comfortably. You can also use a chicken sling if needed, examples below.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...are-updated-01-17-2021.1048620/#post-16058298