Sad hen after predator attack?

[wizard15]

Hello everyone!
I am hoping for some help/guidance with a hen acting sad after a weasel attack. This past Wednesday I went out to let my girls out and found all but 1 of my girls dead. The stupid weasel was still in the hen house, so I think I disrupted him from taking out my last hen. She was pretty beaten up. Swollen waddler on the one side and her face looked puffed on that side too. We cleaned her up the best we could without causing her too much distress and put her inside quarantine. She escaped the attack with some heavy bruising and soreness. The first 48 hours were scary for us since we had never dealt with this kind of injury. She wouldn't eat or drink and looked very depressed. She seems to be tilting her neck to the left. Her crop feels squishy and abdomen feels normal.
At day 2 of her not eating or drinking, we syringe watered her with water that had Flock Fixer mixed in. She took it ok since she was still pretty weak. Her comb was still dark pink sometimes going to bright red, giving us hope she was going to pull through.
On day 3, she is still looking pretty sad in her quarantine hole, she sits with her chest puffed up, tale down and eyes closed. We took her out of quarantine and offered her soft food and water. She finally dipped her beak in the water and tried to drink, a huge sigh of relief came over us. For the next minute, she drank as much water as she could handle. She wasn't very efficient at drinking since she would dip her beak and wasn't tipping her head up like normal, I think because it hurt too much. After drinking, she kept adjusting her crop. She looked like she was having some adjustment issues, I'm assuming from her neck being sore and swollen it felt weird. We tried offering soft food but it seems she was struggling to bite down or tip her head up so she didn't get any food. She looked at food interested but would shy away.
Day 4 was the most progressive day but we are still cautious. We woke her up and got her up out of quarantine. She was still standing in her quarantine place with chest puffed up like a statue looking very sad. The sun was out and we took her to her favorite sunning spot and offered her soft food and water again. She drank a ton of water, which she seemed to be getting slightly better at doing, and tried to nibble some sweet potato. She seemed to be getting a little better at trying to bite down but was still not getting alot of food in her mouth. She actually layed in sun "recharging" as we call it and tried to dust bathe. She acted a little like normal but just wasn't eating too much.
Day 5, this morning I turned on her light and gave her some more soft treats and water. She was still on the roost in quarantine when I left for work. She hasn't moved all day (I only know this because I have a camera on her). Still roosted and seems very sad. I tried talking to her through the camera and she moves her head a little then goes back to statue mode and sleeps.

After that long winded explanation, is it normal for a hen to be very depressed after such a traumatic event? She lost all her flock mates and it was in her safe place over the past 2 years. Should I be really worried she is struggling eating or should that be expected after such an injury?
I really want her to feel safe and not be stressed out while in quarantine. I feel so bad for her

 

[Yardmom]

Birds do experience shock from predator attacks especially if they were injured and their whole flock taken. This could be why she is not eating.

 

[wizard15]

How's your girl doing?

She has reverted back to not eating or drinking. She seems interested but keeps shying away from it. I had to syringe water her for the past 2 days. Our current concern is she is constantly adjusting her crop after she tries to eat something. I get her to peck a few grains of food then she walks away and seems angry with me for messing with her. I felt her crop and nothing feels out of place, but I am no chicken expert.
She seems to be walking around more and being more vocal. She still honks at me and makes some chicken noises every once in a while. We let her outside when it was sunny the past few days and she still has the "chicken" instinct. She tries to hunt on ground for bugs and suns her buns if its in a warm sunny spot. She tries to pick at grass but it seems she doesn't have the strength to pull the grass. The injury on her right side is improved but she seems to be tipping to the left from it. Still some swelling on her eye. Her neck isn't broken and feels good too. She tries to preen her feathers on the hurt side but cant bend fully that way yet. She tries and pulls back when she turns her head, which I am wondering if that is why she isn't eating or drinking. She tries to shake her head and doesn't seem to put much effort into it because it hurts or it's stiff. I did check to make sure she wasn't egg bound and it doesn't appear to be.
Her comb is bright red and she still has her attitude she has always had which gives us hope she will turn around but I feel lost and don't know how or what to do to help her. Every time I try and feed her or give her water, she walks away from me and seems mad I'm messing with her.
I apologize for rambling on about her, I just feel very lost and concerned for my girl. I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle.

 

[wizard15]

I only had one hen get depressed like that for a week when her sister was eaten. We just brought her inside and gave her lots of love and treats and she got better. Hopefully she isn't giving up from grief. Sorry for your loss!

We brought her inside and created her a little safe haven. All of us in the family are trying to keep her company and love her up. She really shows signs of trying to pull through but I am very concerned chicken mama right now Eagle has always been my biggest pushiest hen.

 

[wizard15]

Yes definitely normal - I sure wouldn't feel like myself if a predator attack had taken out my whole family and I was the only survivor!

I wonder about getting some chicks when she's healed up a little more? Or even some fertile eggs for her to hatch?

She was never one to be broody. Eagle is my pushy head Jersey Giant. We actually were working on expanding our chicken empire and had 2 week old chicks in our house when this happened. I am hoping they will cheer her up when she bounces back.

 

[wizard15]

A mink killed three of four hens in one of my coops. Like you, I interrupted before he could get the remaining hen. Although physically uninjured, my girl was seriously spooked for quite a while. I moved her into another coop, and eventually, she became her old self.

I am sorry for your losses and for the trauma and injury your girl suffered. But, it sounds like she is inching her way back to normalcy. Best wishes for a full recovery.

I'm no expert, but I don't think she is up to the rigors of motherhood yet.

Thank you for your kind words. She has never been the motherly kind. We are working on building a bigger coop and more outside space for her and new flock mates that will hopefully make her feel safe.

 

[wizard15]

Once, I had a hen that survived a hawk attack. It was with another hen, when I saw a hawk swoop down all of a sudden! It took the other hen, and then another hawk swooped down, going for the second hen. I ran out there, grabbed a stick, and threw it at the hawk. It didn't hit it, but once it saw me, it flew away. My hen was missing some feathers, and was SO scared. It was almost killed by a hawk. TWO hawks. It was not eating or drinking, and it didn't come out of the coop after that, for a week! I had to go out, and give her the food and water. After that short phase of staying in the coop, she started acting normal again.

Hawks are an awful predator. So sorry to hear about your hen. Our attack was about 8 days ago. She seems to be getting better daily but I'm just worried the attack from the weasel did something I can't see to her neck since she isn't eating or drinking again. She was drinking on her own for a few days then she reverted back. All I can do is keep giving her attention and try and make her feel comfortable.

 

[Callender Girl]

All I can offer is encouragement. I've had some pull through and surprise me, and others that I was sure would make it and didn't. You are doing the best you can for your girl!

 

[wizard15]

Birds do experience shock from predator attacks especially if they were injured and their whole flock taken. This could be why she is not eating.

I was thinking that might be the reason. I just want her to feel safe and better, she looks so sad. She has always been my head hen and kept everyone in line. I don't want her to wither away due to lack of nutrition.
I guess all we can do is keep offering it to her and try to cheer her up.

 

[Falona Hen]

I only had one hen get depressed like that for a week when her sister was eaten. We just brought her inside and gave her lots of love and treats and she got better. Hopefully she isn't giving up from grief. Sorry for your loss!