Chcken attacked by hawk but is alive - how to help her?

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jahphotogal

jahphotogal

Chirping
7 Years
May 15, 2012
242
4
83
CT
She's in a box next to my desk. Sitting there completely traumatized.Able to stand, one wing drooping, one eye closed, no apparent blood. Neck obviously not broken. Anything I can do for her?
 
sounds like shock and shock alone can kill birds very easily. Best to keep her in a dimly lit area, nice and warm, put sugar and tonic in her water (you may have to syringe her the water as shocked chickens don't eat or drink. Research how do do this if you aren't sure because you don't want her to drown). Keep her away from loud noises. If possible, get her to a vet to get antibiotics and some pain killers, although I know this is not always possible. Good luck and keep us informed!
 
Thank you, yes shock soudns like it. Do you mean the tonic water of gin-and-tonic? Don't have it but could get it!
 
Update on "Penguin" our hawk-stunned Ameraucana: I can't find any injury anywhere - wings seem OK, no blood drawn, etc but it's been 24 hours and she's still semi-catatonic. I've kept her inside a warm room in a box, given her Nutridrench and VetRX, which she'll take some of from a dropper.

I take it back: there is one injury - one eye is completely closed. She'll squawk and try to flap if I pick her up, and she turns around in her box from time to time, and looks around at me. But if I put her on the floor she just stands there (even when the cat comes up to sniff her.)

Is there anything else I can do?
 
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Give her a little cold coffee, really! I've done it with birds that fly into windows and go into shock, it snaps them right out of it.
 
Wow - I just had a hawk attack yesterday too. My Alpha hen Barred Rock (Violet) was attacked yesterday by a juvenile hawk. She sustained several lacerations. I think I got there in time. My other girls where making a racket and when I went outside there were feathers everywhere and the hawk had her on the ground. Violet just laid there - I really thought she was dead - but I picked her up and she started making some sounds. I took her in and checked her out - she had bad cuts. I ended up taking her up to NCSU Vet hospital and they checked her out. Now we have 3 meds and she is living in our spare bathroom for the foreseeable future. But so far so good. She actually laid an egg today. My Americauna apparently was so traumatized by the attack that she ran into something and cracked her beak - so now I need to make sure she is going to be able to eat ok. It's so said that they are so sought after by the predator world. I just want them to have a good life. The Vet did tell me that chickens are pretty hardy so your chances are good as long as you don't have major internal injuries. I'll be watching your post. Good luck with your sweet girl. I hope she makes it.
 
She's still with us this morning, drinking more avidly, still not really eating, and blind as a bat. Our vet (a new one - has lots of chickens herself!) gave her some anti-inflammatories to reduce cerebral swelling, in hopes that her eyesight will come back. Meanwhile she's an indoor chicken! The vet also said that we can't eat her eggs (once she starts laying again) for at least a month because the meds will be in them.
 

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